Welcome to this five-minute gift meditation.
Now this is a gift to yourself.
You have taken the time to pause and reflect.
Time to sit and rest.
And wherever you are today,
Whether you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed or joyful and free,
Join me for this quick break,
This gift to yourself.
This time to share and experience.
So I invite you to get comfortable,
Whether you're laying down or in your seat.
And I'm going to join with you today.
Take a deep breath.
Now if you haven't heard some of my other recordings,
You'll know that my cat,
Gustaf,
Affectionately named Gust or Goose,
Middle name Ice Cream,
Beidler,
My kids are quite creative.
He may be making a little appearance here and there,
So don't be surprised if you hear him in the background.
So get comfortable in your seat,
Whether you're lying down or sitting,
And just notice how you feel.
Notice that nice cushion that you've been given.
Notice how your feet feel on the floor.
Take a deep breath in and a breath out.
It's a beautiful day.
It's a beautiful day to take a moment.
So if you're comfortable,
Close your eyes or you can leave them open.
It's your choice.
We're just going to take a couple deep breaths together.
Why are we relaxing today?
Well,
You know,
It's pretty amazing that we have tools to help our bodies and our minds relax.
And whatever you'd like to call that space of time,
This gift that you're giving yourself,
Whether that's meditation or prayer or contemplation or relaxation,
We've been given an opportunity to stop,
To pause,
Maybe recharge or refresh.
And that is,
In and of itself,
A beautiful gift,
Isn't it?
So we want to breathe in and out.
And if you're like me,
I'm a woman in recovery from addiction,
Mental health,
And trauma.
These types of pauses can be very helpful to help us decrease our stress,
Maybe our cortisol in our system,
Our anxiety,
Those feelings of overwhelm.
Sometimes pausing and just breathing can be helpful.
So as you're breathing in and out,
I want you to continue to just notice how you're feeling in your body.
And name those feelings.
Name those sensations.
Maybe you are feeling anxious today.
Maybe you've had too much caffeine or coffee.
Maybe you're having relationship issues.
Maybe that person isn't texting you back.
Maybe you're really struggling with something significant.
Maybe you've lost a loved one.
Maybe you've gone back,
Had a recurrence of use,
Substance use.
Maybe you're feeling joyful today and grateful.
You've had a hard day,
You're experiencing things,
But you've chosen to be grateful and joyful in that.
Maybe a sponsor,
A mentor,
Or another friend has encouraged you to write down a list of things that you're grateful for.
Perhaps a list of those times that God has showed up for you.
Now let's go to a place together.
Place of calm.
So I want you to visualize your place of calm.
What does your place of calm look like?
Or feel like?
Are you out in an open meadow?
Long green blades of grass shifting in the breeze.
Sun glittering golden.
Maybe you're walking along a shore.
You can hear the lapse of the waves kissing the sand.
You can see the sand dunes rise up,
Almost touching the sky and the forest surrounding these trees that just hang on somehow.
Breathing in and out like the waves coming in and out.
And maybe your place of calm is a person.
Maybe it's an embrace.
Maybe it's the deep gaze of loving eyes.
Holding your hand.
Wiping a tear.
Laughing with you.
Maybe it's a pet cuddling.
Happy.
Always so happy to see you.
Maybe your place of calm is music.
A concerto.
A guitar solo.
A beautiful voice.
As you breathe in and out,
Stay with your place of calm.
Feel it.
Imagine it soaking in.
Into your skin,
Into your bones.
Into your heart.
This is your place.
It's safe.
It's precious.
You can invite other people here,
But really this is for you.
This is a gift that you're giving yourself.
This place of calm that you can rest in.
That God has provided you.
And you can return to this place of calm whenever the world gets loud.
Whenever life gets tough.
Whenever you have trouble because you know what?
It's coming.
It's happening.
It's probably happened.
We all face struggle.
We all face trial.
But we have good news.
We have a way that we can escape in a healthy way.
Find our center.
Find our foundation.
If faith is important to you,
Maybe you're seeking something like faith,
Like an anchor,
Like a friend,
Like a father,
Mother,
Friend.
Maybe what you're seeking you will find in your calm place.
This place of calm and peace and rest.
Maybe you can set your burdens down today and pick up this invitation.
Pick up this promise.
Pick up this freedom that's yours.
We're going to be coming back to the room and I want you to say a quick goodbye to your calm place.
This place of calm.
You'll be coming back.
And even though you're leaving today,
You'll be able to carry this place of calm in your heart,
In your mind,
In your memory.
Notice your breath.
Notice how you're feeling.
More relaxed.
Notice how the seat feels in your chair.
Your fingertips.
Pressing lightly onto each one.
Maybe raise the corners of your mouth into a slight smile.
Wipe away any tears or let them fall.
This is your experience.
Your life.
Your bright story.
When you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
