Welcome,
And thank you for joining me.
This meditation is titled,
Ten Minutes of Peace,
A Gentle Reset for Overthinking.
Overthinking is something we all experience.
It's easy to get caught up with a racing mind,
Thinking about all the tasks we have to complete,
Replaying events from the past in our minds,
Or perhaps worrying about something that may or may not happen in the future.
In today's practice,
We'll create a little space between the thoughts,
So you can slow down,
Let things settle,
And give your mind and body permission to relax.
Let's begin.
Find a position that feels relaxing and supportive.
This could be seated,
Or maybe lying down.
There's no perfect posture here.
Just settle into a shape that feels natural,
And allows you to practice with ease.
When you're ready,
Gently close your eyes.
As you begin to settle in,
I'd like you to start to notice your breath.
Don't try to control it.
Just breathe naturally,
And feel where the breath is moving in your body.
Let's take a few slow breaths together.
Inhale gently through the nose.
And then release through the mouth.
Again,
An easy,
Smooth inhale.
And now a long,
Deep exhale.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale.
And now a long,
Slow,
Relaxing exhale.
Go ahead and allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm now.
Again,
No effort or control.
Just the quiet movement of air.
In and out.
Let's stay with that feeling for a few moments.
As you sit with the breath,
You may begin to notice how active the mind can feel.
It may even begin to feel like you're getting distracted,
Or that you're drifting away from your practice.
But actually,
Noticing that the mind is moving is the practice.
Meditation isn't about stopping your thoughts.
It's about recognizing that they're happening.
That quiet moment when you catch yourself overthinking,
That's not a mistake.
It's awareness.
And over time,
With practice,
That awareness can grow,
And begin to feel like stepping off a busy road onto a quieter,
More peaceful path.
With your next slow breath,
I'd like you to imagine you're standing at the beginning of a trail that leads into a quiet forest.
The air is cool.
It smells clean and new,
Like pine.
There's some early morning light resting softly on the trees.
You might even be able to hear the leaves shifting gently in the wind.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
With your next breath out,
Imagine beginning to walk slowly down the trail.
Notice the sensation of each step.
One step.
Then another.
The soft crunch beneath your feet.
Maybe you can feel a light breeze carrying the scent of moss or tree bark.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
If you become aware that your mind has started to drift,
Remember,
That moment of awareness is the practice.
On your next breath out,
Simply return to the sensations of your next step.
And breathing in.
And breathing out.
With your next slow exhale,
Imagine arriving to the end of the trail.
There's a quiet clearing beside a small lake.
The surface of the water is still,
Reflecting the morning light.
The air feels cool here,
With the scent of damp soil.
You can hear the gentle sound of water touching the shoreline.
Soft.
Steady.
Go ahead and walk down to the water and find a comfortable place to sit.
As we near the end of this meditation,
Begin to bring your attention back to your body.
Feel the support beneath you.
Notice your hands.
Your arms.
Your feet.
Take one slow breath in.
And then let it go.
When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
You may notice the mind feels a little less urgent.
Perhaps there's a bit more room between your thoughts.
If your mind begins to feel busy again,
You can return to this practice anytime you need.
Thank you for practicing with me.
You're always welcome here.
Namaste.
