Take a moment to find a comfortable seat either on a pillow,
A chair,
Or perhaps lying down if that serves you best today.
Elevating your hips onto your prop,
Feel your legs begin to weigh heavy towards the ground,
Your hands resting gently in your lap,
On your legs,
Or to the sides of your body.
Feel your energy begin to ground down as it settles from the top of your head down to the tips of your toes.
Imagine roots stemming down from your legs,
Your feet,
Your seat,
Making their way deep,
Deep down into the earth,
Creating a strong,
Broad base for you to do your inner work upon.
Draw the energy up from the earth through your roots,
Through the soles of your feet,
Up through your legs,
Into your hips and your pelvis.
From your hips,
Feel your spine grow tall,
Feel the attitude of a tall spine.
And feel your chest soften.
Tall spine,
Soft chest.
Take a few deep inhales and slowly,
Steadily exhale out.
Connect with the natural rhythm of your breath.
And where do you feel your breath predominantly in your body today?
Is it in your belly?
Your chest?
Perhaps you feel it softly on your upper lip?
Don't look to change or alter anything.
Just notice where you're breathing predominantly.
Let the breath be natural.
And gradually allow yourself to drop into the experience of breathing.
Let everything else drop away.
And experience the breath as a constant,
Changing sensations.
Feel the interplay of sensations that are a result of your breathing.
When your mind begins to wander,
Don't judge it.
Or affix to your thoughts.
Be gentle and open to your wandering mind.
Gently notice what happens.
This is simply thinking.
Using a gentle voice,
Label your thoughts as thinking.
And return your attention to the present moment,
To your breath,
To the sensations of your body,
The sensations of yourself as a breathing being.
Focusing entirely on your breath,
Let your thoughts,
Any physical sensations,
Sounds of the space,
Fade into the background.
Let your breath be your home base,
Your anchor.
If a particular sensation in your body repeatedly calls your attention and won't let up,
Be open to it.
In this meditation practice,
You're not looking to pull away or push away sensations or thoughts.
Just letting yourself be natural in the present moment.
So if there is a strong physical sensation,
Feel into it.
Experience it for what it is.
Is it dull or sharp?
Does it vibrate through your body?
Is there heat associated with it?
Instead of resisting the physicality of the sensation,
Soften into it.
Soften into the experience.
And the more you open to it,
Notice how the sensation changes as time passes.
Let the breath be your anchor and help you ride the wave of this sensation and experience.
The same goes for strong emotions.
If something bubbles up to the surface of your being,
Try not to resist it or push away or run away from it.
Explore how this emotion resonates within your body.
Where do you feel this emotion?
Is it in your heart center,
Your belly?
Is it in your hips or your legs?
Does it move around?
Be curious about your emotions and the sensation of your body instead of judging it.
Allow the emotion to be a physical experience and let your breath be your anchor,
Your home base,
And help guide you through it.
Experience how the sensation of this emotion changes as you remain curious and open to it with gentle,
Loving kindness.
And when it's ready,
Relax into this space and let it drop away.
Remaining mindful to your breath,
Resting wakefully in the moment.
Allow yourself to drop into the resilience that you have cultivated.
And return to your breath.
Open to the sun.
Open to the sounds of the room.
Open to the physicality of sitting.
Of sitting with your body,
Your breath,
And your mind.
Let yourself and your senses be wide open.
Allow the sounds of the space to move through you.
The currents of the air pass through your body.
Explore the aliveness of the moment.
Allow everything to move through you.
Be completely mindful of your experience in the present moment.
Allow yourself to awaken to the present.
And move about the rest of your day with this mindfulness and awareness of self.
Let your anchor be in the present moment without worry for the future and without being stuck in the past.
Stay connected to your breath and how you move through your day.
With this newfound resilience and openness to all things.
