Hello,
And welcome to this mindfulness meditation.
Today we will be non-judgmentally observing our thoughts and body sensations to strengthen the mind-body connection and build self-awareness.
So with that,
I invite you to find a comfortable seat or resting position.
If it feels okay,
Go ahead and soften your gaze or close your eyes.
Next,
I will invite you to shift your attention to your breath.
Start to observe the qualities of your breath.
Are you inhaling and exhaling quickly?
Are you sending your breath to the top of your lungs or deep into your belly?
What about the texture of your breath?
Are the inhales and exhales smooth?
Or is your breath getting caught somewhere?
For today's meditation,
Your breath will be your anchor.
If you find your mind wandering,
Which it often does,
That's okay.
As soon as you notice,
Return your attention towards your breath.
If you find that anything you observe in this practice is difficult or distressing,
You can simply use your breath to anchor you back into the present moment.
Now,
I will invite you to envision a beautiful sky,
A sky that looks like a bright blue and infinite sea.
Next,
Go ahead and envision white fluffy clouds passing across the sky.
As you do so,
Start to observe your thoughts,
Recognizing that they are a part of you,
Not you as a whole.
We can tell this because our thoughts are ever-changing,
While you,
The observer,
Remains present and grounded.
Now,
As you begin to notice your thoughts,
One by one,
Envision placing them on a cloud and watching them drift by.
Notice what it feels like to see your thoughts appear,
Share their message,
And then eventually move on.
If you notice the same thought arising more than once,
That's okay.
Place that observation on a cloud and watch it move across the sky.
If you observe a judgment arise,
Either about yourself or this practice,
That is okay too.
Place that observation on a cloud and watch it float by.
Next,
I invite you to shift your attention to your body.
Start by noticing the parts of your body that are making contact with the environment around you.
Can you feel your feet on the ground?
What about your back up against the chair?
Notice what it feels like to be rooted firmly to the earth.
Now I invite you to notice any parts of your body that are storing tension or discomfort.
Again,
We are not judging these sensations,
We are simply observing.
See if you can instead simply notice these parts of your body without creating stories about what they mean,
What you should or should not do about these sensations.
Next,
Go ahead and shift your attention to sensations of ease and relaxation in your body.
Even if it's the tiniest sensation,
Focus your attention on this area.
Again,
Notice what it's like to observe these sensations along with the fact that they can simultaneously exist with feelings of discomfort.
Slowly shift your attention back to your breath.
Inhale Exhale Inhale Exhale Take a moment to reflect on this exercise.
What are you aware of about your mind or body that you didn't notice before?
What is it like to be more in tune with your internal experiences?
Go ahead and thank yourself for this practice,
For taking the time out of your day to take care of yourself.
I thank you for listening and wishing you peace and comfort for the remainder of your day.
