Let's invite ourselves into this guided meditation,
Into a space of embodied presence,
Where we allow the words to land and then we let them go.
So find a comfortable position for your body.
Close your eyes if that's comfortable for you,
Or you can have a soft downward gaze.
Bring the light of your awareness to your breath.
Our breath is the anchor that brings us into the body,
Into presence,
Into now.
To help your mind quiet down,
You can tell yourself,
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I am safe.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I am in my body.
And now take a moment to take inventory of what is here for you.
If there is a busy mind full of thoughts in the thought stream,
Just notice.
If there's a heavy emotion on your heart mind,
Just notice.
Peace is this moment without judgment.
Peace is this moment without judgment.
Feel your presence in your body,
Bringing your attention into the body.
Doing a small body scan,
Starting at the top of your head,
Possibly raising your eyebrows,
Scrunching your forehead,
And then relaxing.
Smiling widely,
And then relaxing.
Letting the jaw hang loose,
Lowering your chin a bit to soften your neck,
And dropping your shoulders,
Feeling your arms and hands heavy on your lap.
Bringing a moment of attention to your body breathing,
Chest rising and falling,
Abdomen rising and falling.
The body is breathing you.
Continuing with the body scan,
Feeling your pelvis situated on the chair,
Or on the bed or floor,
Wherever you are.
Noticing the energy in your legs,
Feet,
Down to the soles of your feet,
Grounding in the earth.
This scan is called Mindfulness of the Body as the Body.
And now check in with your feeling tone.
What is your overall feeling tone?
Is it pleasant?
Anticipatory?
Is it unpleasant?
Negative?
Or is it neutral?
So it is.
Name your feeling tone.
And if you'd like to shift from one feeling tone to the other,
I invite you to try a smile.
Placing a smile on your face,
Smiling inwardly to yourself.
See how that feels.
And check back in with your feeling tone to see if anything shifted.
Without adding any expectations,
We're simply observing what is here.
And now we bring a small exploration of the fifth agreement.
Question everything and listen deeply.
How do these words land in your body,
Not in your mind?
How do they feel in your body?
And then you can invite yourself into a self-inquiry question.
Do I question my thoughts and my beliefs?
Or do I take them as truth?
Have I learned to listen deeply to myself and to others?
Or do I jump into defending or righteousness or blaming?
Simply noticing what comes up without judgment.
And now return your light of awareness to your breath.
Breathing in,
I know I am here.
Breathing out,
I breathe in this present moment.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
I appreciate this life.
And when you're ready,
At your own pace,
Begin moving the body a little bit.
Shifting in your seat.
Perhaps rolling your neck.
Rolling your shoulders.
Opening your eyes when you're ready.
Feeling the aliveness of this moment.
Looking around your space as if for the first time.
Seeing colors,
Shapes,
Shadows.
As if for the first time.
