Okay,
So let's settle in for a basic mindfulness meditation practice,
A wonderful act of self-care,
A wonderful way to practice our focus and strengthen our awareness.
So go ahead and find a comfortable position for your body,
Whether you're seated or laying down.
Just let your body relax into that surface that's supporting you.
And you can close your eyes,
Or you can just find a soft gaze somewhere in the room around you.
And just begin to notice your breath.
Notice your inhale.
Notice your exhale.
Just noticing and witnessing any sensations that you feel as you begin to become mindfully curious about the experience of breathing.
And if your mind this morning is particularly active,
You can give your mind the gentle focus of narrating the experience of breathing.
So you can gently think,
I am breathing in on the inhale.
I am breathing out on the exhale.
Just that little bit of intentional focus can help the thoughts and the mind to quiet down.
And as we focus in on the breath,
We start to experience the present moment.
And we start to witness and notice exactly what's present for us,
Right here,
Right now.
There may be a lot of chatter in the mind.
We might notice that that's our present experience.
And we can just notice that non-judgmentally with gentle curiosity.
And as best we can,
We can return our focus to the breath,
Narrating each breath,
If that helps.
Counting each breath,
If that helps.
But just staying present with the breath,
Present with our experience of the breath,
And present with whatever else is happening within us or around us.
Just noticing.
Just witnessing.
Not attaching or avoiding or resisting.
Just noticing and being present to any thoughts,
Any moods,
Any sensations in the body.
Doing the best that we can to just stay with our breath.
Witness any thoughts or sensations as they arise.
Being aware of them without attaching to them,
Without trying to push them away.
Just gently noticing.
And in that way,
Practicing our awareness.
And then practicing our focus by bringing our attention back to our breath,
Back to the present moment.
And now I'm going to invite you to see if you can expand your awareness just a little bit more today.
See if you can notice what emotional quality or mood is present for you today.
And just witness it.
Notice it without telling any kind of story about it.
Just noticing the sensation of that emotion or that mood.
Maybe labeling it.
Thinking,
I'm experiencing joy.
I'm experiencing peace.
I'm experiencing anger or sadness.
It's present,
And I feel it.
But I'm not going to name why.
I'm not going to tell a story about it.
Just going to notice the pure sensation of that feeling,
Whatever it may be.
And if labeling the mood or the feeling is too much,
You can even just think,
I am present with this feeling.
I am just letting it be in my body.
I'm witnessing it.
Noticing it.
Noticing how it changes as I witness it.
Noticing if a new feeling or mood emerges in the mind.
Again,
Not attaching to it.
Not pushing it away or resisting it.
Just witnessing it.
Watching and observing the feelings and the moods as they come and go.
They're just passing through like clouds in the sky.
And it's only when we try to make meaning out of them,
Try to explain why we feel sadness,
Or joy,
Or anger,
Or peace,
That they start to linger.
But when we just witness them and are present to them,
They change and morph and move on as easily as water flowing down a stream.
And so here today,
We're just practicing what it is to notice an emotion or a mood.
Without attaching meaning to it.
Without explaining why.
Just letting that mood or feeling be exactly as it is.
And witnessing it as it rises and falls within us.
And in this way,
We strengthen our emotional awareness.
And remembering always that our dear friend,
The breath,
Is right by our side,
Ever present in the present moment.
And always ready to witness our experience with us.
Serving as our calming anchor while we practice mindfulness.
And now as we come to the end of this mindfulness meditation,
Take a moment to thank yourself for practicing mindfulness.
Becoming aware of your emotional experience today.
And as you feel ready,
You can invite some gentle movement into your body.
And whenever you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
