Begin by placing your hands together in front of your chest at heart center and allowing the point of contact to focus your attention.
Feel the warmth and contact between your fingers or coolness and then allow your hands to separate and rest at your sides or in your lap anywhere that's comfortable and let your attention focus on your right hand.
So for the next minute we're going to really focus in on the sensations in the right hand and try to fully inhabit the hand as if that were the center of our body.
So find any sensations you're able to notice in your right hand and any other sensations in your body or any other thoughts or feelings,
Allow those to drift away and return your attention to the sensations in your right hand.
This just takes some time so we'll just breathe into it.
30 more seconds here.
Just a few more breaths.
And then on your next inhale bring your hands together at your heart center in front of your chest and breathe here once or twice.
And then on the next exhale allow your hands to rest again by your sides or in your lap and allow your attention to follow your left hand this time.
Going deeply into the sensations in the left hand.
Inhabit the left hand.
Feel your whole body and the world around you from your left hand's perspective.
Feel the skin on your left hand and the interior space,
Spaces between the fingers,
The back of the hand.
We'll stay here for just three more breaths and then we'll switch back to the right.
When you're ready on an inhale bring your hands together at your heart center again.
One or two breaths here and then let your hands fall back to your sides or your lap and follow the right hand again this time.
So go deeply into the right hand.
This time we'll focus on each finger in turn.
So starting with the little finger of the right hand.
I went to the little finger.
I went to each knuckle.
Touch it with your mind.
Wait for a second or two to let any sensations reveal themselves.
Sometimes when you go to a part of the body it's blank but if you wait long enough sometimes it will reveal itself,
Sometimes not.
But on each finger,
Ring finger,
Touch the space between the fingers,
The middle finger of your right hand,
Index finger of your right hand,
The thumb of your right hand.
Then sink into the palm of your right hand,
The very center,
The meaty part.
Notice any sensations there,
Any sensations of tightness.
Feel into the wrist.
Sensations of strength or weakness,
Stiffness or comfort,
Warm or cold.
Just notice what's there.
Just a few more breaths here,
Five more breaths,
Four more breaths or so at your own pace,
Just approximately.
Then when you're ready,
On an inhale bring your hands together at heart center.
A few breaths here and then we'll follow again into the left hand.
This time we'll go through each finger,
Starting with the little finger,
Touching on each knuckle,
Scanning each inch of skin,
Noticing where your mind wants to skip as you go through the ring finger,
The middle finger.
How diligent can you be touching every part of your hand?
Index finger,
Thumb,
Sinking into the center of your left hand,
Feeling the whole hand,
The back,
The palm,
The weight and strength of it,
Any sensations of discomfort,
Stiffness.
Staying here for just a few more breaths,
Three more breaths.
Then we'll bring our hands together at heart center when you're ready.
Bring them together and then we'll just take a few more breaths here to close out the practice.
Take 10 breaths here,
About a minute or so.
Just take a few breaths to reflect on how you feel.
And if this practice was helpful,
Just remember that it's always available.
Your hands are a tool for mindfulness and centering and healing.
So thanks for joining me.
Goodbye.
