Please,
Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down and gently close your eyes.
Let's begin by noticing your breathing.
On your next inhale,
Draw in a large,
Long,
Upward breath through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely,
All the way up,
And exhale your breath with an even longer exhalation,
Letting it all go.
Starting again,
Breathing in a long,
Upward breath,
And breathing out an even longer exhalation.
Last one together,
Breathing all the way up,
Filling your lungs as much as you can,
And letting it all out through your mouth,
Cleaning your lungs of stagnant energy.
And now that your mind is calm and clear,
Let's check in with yourself,
Your whole self.
To begin this daily practice,
You are going to start by checking in with your physical body.
How is your body feeling right now?
In your mind's eye,
Scan your entire body,
Starting from your head and moving all the way down to your feet,
Scanning your entire body for any discomfort or pain,
Taking your time,
If something comes up,
I want you to just acknowledge this pain or discomfort by simply saying,
I feel you.
I see you.
What do you need from me today?
And just listen.
An example would be,
I feel you neck pain.
I see you.
What do you need from me today so that we can feel better?
I'm listening.
Now,
If you haven't done so already,
You try.
Scan your body and see what comes up and listen to what your body is telling you.
Maybe some gentle stretching or releasing tension from your shoulders,
Going on a walk or exercising,
Drinking more water.
Maybe you need to take a day off and allow yourself to rest.
Or maybe you have a scheduled nap for later,
Knowing that you're going to be able to relax.
Whatever your body is telling you,
Listen.
If an action plan can't be done right now,
Plan to honor that at another time of this day.
Taking the time to honor your physical body.
And now place your hand or both your hands on your heart center.
Taking in a deep breath.
What are you feeling today?
What feelings are present?
Maybe you're feeling multiple feelings.
An example could be,
I am feeling motivated and confident.
I am feeling burned out and irritated.
Or I am feeling pleasant,
A little lonely,
And also grateful.
Not judging any feelings or settling on polarizing feelings such as just good or bad.
Allowing whatever feelings that are present,
Allowing them to surface,
To be seen,
And to be honored.
Checking in with your emotional self.
I encourage you to use a feelings wheel,
Or a feelings list,
Or a feelings app,
Or a dictionary.
Something that properly describes what you are feeling on a daily basis.
In the early part of my meditation practice,
Having a feelings wheel or a list of feelings and their descriptions close by was a very helpful tool in identifying more clearly what feelings I was actually experiencing in the present moment,
And I was able to validate my feelings more easily.
Taking the time to honor your emotional body.
Then ask yourself,
What do I need to do for me today so that I am okay?
To fill my own cup up,
What is coming up for you?
A few examples could be cuddling with your pet,
Or partner,
Journaling,
Calling a dear friend,
Or engaging in an activity that brings you joy.
How can you nourish your heart today?
And bringing your awareness back to your breathing.
Breathing in,
And breathing out.
Thanking your emotional body.
And now let's check in with your mental body.
What thoughts are circling in the background of your mind?
Do you have a long list of to-dos for the day?
Has there been something really heavy that's been weighing on your mind?
Are you carrying around any mental tension,
If any at all?
If there's anything that comes up,
What I want you to do is simply bring mindfulness to any of the causes or difficulties ruminating in your mind.
With mindfulness,
You can bring self-compassion,
Kindness,
And non-judgment to yourself,
And to what it is that you are mentally carrying.
Together,
Coming back to your breathing.
Breathing in compassion and kindness towards yourself,
And breathing out the mental fatigue of life's daily demands or burdens,
And letting them all go.
Again,
Breathing in compassion and kindness towards yourself,
Towards your whole self,
And letting your breath breathe everything out.
Lastly,
We're going to check in with your spiritual body.
How can your spiritual connection be deeply nourished today?
Being fed spiritually fills our souls,
Our hearts,
And minds.
It fills our whole selves.
Having a spiritual connection is part of a deeply fulfilling and balanced life.
What does your spiritual body need today?
It could be reading a spiritual text,
Attending a ritual or a service,
Spending time in Mother Nature,
Spending time in a spiritual community,
Or maybe it's in your own prayer and meditation practice.
Whatever you are called to practice,
And taking the time to honor the Spirit in you,
Will continue to strengthen the connection to the Great Spirit that is within us all.
How can you honor you today?
What body or all bodies needs to be nourished today?
What do you need to do for you today so that you are okay?
Taking the time to check in with yourself and honor all of your bodies is a great way to start each day more aligned and true to you.
Because honoring yourself first is the best thing you can do for you and for us all.
Bringing your awareness back into your body,
Gently opening your eyes and coming back into your physical space.
Taking another deep breath in and out.
May your day be full of love,
Of light,
And peace.
Namaste.
