Namaste and welcome.
Welcome to day one of our five day journey together.
Before we delve in,
I want to share a bit of information about my intention in teaching this class and what a session with me will look like.
I will start each class with some thoughts on meditation or a lesson in meditation.
After this,
We will sit together quietly.
We will expand this quiet time by a little bit each class.
I hope that this can be a place of peace for us.
It is a time to reconnect to self,
To soul,
And to our bigger pictures.
To step away from the small things that we can get caught up in in our day-to-day existence.
We will reap the benefits of meditation such as reduced stress levels,
Better sleep,
And increased happiness,
Health,
And general well-being.
All the while making meditation a habit.
Something that we return to again and again as part of our self-care and emotional health routine.
We will return again and again.
This is meditation.
That being said,
I don't want anyone to feel stress if you get a day or two behind.
You can always come back.
Start where you left off.
This is the beauty of meditation.
It accepts you just where you're at.
It holds you just where you are.
You can come back anytime.
This is a soft place.
This is a place to slow things down,
A place where you are always welcome whatever state you find yourself in.
Now let's settle into our meditation time together.
Gently close or soften your eyes if you prefer.
I'm going to ring a chime to signal the start of meditation.
You will hear that same chime at the end of our time together too.
Notice what is going on with your breath.
Is it shallow?
Are you breathing into your chest?
I often am at the start of class.
Let's experiment with deepening the breath.
On your inhale,
Draw the breath down into your body.
Feel your ribcage expand,
Your belly rise.
Then let your exhale be really slow and really gentle.
This breath will be our anchor in our practice.
Something that we can always return to.
Inhale,
Feel your whole ribcage expand.
And when you exhale,
Be slow and gentle.
Elongating the out-breath in this way is a really simple way to cue our parasympathetic nervous system.
To let our body know that we are safe.
No need to fight,
Run,
Or freeze.
It is time to rest and digest now.
Keep breathing in this way as we now draw part of our attention to sound.
Notice the sounds that are near you.
Your breath,
My voice.
Now expand your listening to the sounds that are farther away.
Neighbors,
Cars,
Perhaps the buzz of an appliance.
See if you can notice the sounds without judgment.
Let them move through you.
Although we have taken this very important time for quiet,
The world keeps happening all around us.
There is space for both at the same time.
Now we will bring attention to touch.
Notice the places where your body touches the surface that you are on.
Where your body is supported.
Notice your clothes against your skin.
The feeling of the air on the uncovered parts of your skin.
Let's really be aware of what's going on in the body.
And in the moment.
Finally,
Before we settle into our quiet time,
We'll start with six minutes of quiet time today.
Let's take a moment with the mind.
Usually at the start of practice,
Mind is moving fast.
It's full of to-do lists.
It's ruminating on the past.
Worrying about the future.
It stirs up emotion and feeling in my body.
This is okay.
It's good.
Just the mind doing its job,
Organizing our world,
Keeping us safe.
The key is that we are not going to let our thoughts make us reactive.
We won't take action on them.
We will remain right here.
I like to imagine that my mind is a sky and that there is a breeze.
I imagine that my thoughts are clouds.
Thoughts come.
I notice them.
They blow away.
New thoughts come and they go too.
Give this a try.
Now that we have had a quick check-in with the senses,
We are ready to begin the quiet part of our practice.
I'll talk less so we can really go within.
Let's begin.
Take a minute to remember your breath.
That deep breath to expand your ribcage.
As your mind wandered,
If it has,
Gently welcome it back.
Really let yourself sink in.
Our first session together has come to an end.
Let's gently flutter the eyelids open now if they're not already open.
Take in your surroundings.
Notice how you feel.
Do you feel any different than you did at the start of class?
Check in with your body.
Is there any gentle movement that it's asking for?
Some neck rolls or shoulder circles can feel really good at the end of a meditation session.
Perhaps a full body stretch.
Some movement of the fingers and toes.
As you do this,
I want to thank you so much for joining me today.
You've done something really valuable.
You have given yourself the opportunity to be your best self.
I truly believe that your world and the world at large benefits from this.
Meditation is important work.
I like to end my practice by bringing my hands together in a prayer position at my chest.
It is called Anjali Mudra in Sanskrit.
Please join me if you would like.
Bow your head to your heart,
Your mind intelligence to your heart and body intelligence.
Repeat the Sanskrit word,
Namaste.
It means the light in me bows to the light in you.
I'll see you tomorrow for day two.
We'll be experimenting with some pranayama or breath work before we meditate together.
