For the next 10 minutes I'm going to take you through a guided meditation so get yourself comfy find a good posture and get in that comfortable position.
Place your feet on the floor and just take a moment to settle your body.
I want you to sense the connection with the floor in your feet.
Sense the feeling of your seat.
I invite you to take a number of breaths in and out.
If you want to move to the sofa or lie down on the floor do it now.
Do whatever is most comfortable for you.
Now you're comfortable close your eyes and when you're ready take another deep breath in and then a deep breath out.
Feel that contact between yourself and what is supporting you.
Use your out breath to settle and relax into this moment.
For the next couple of minutes there is nowhere to go.
Nothing else to do except sit here.
Allow your attention to move to the movement of your breath in and out.
There is no need to change the breath just become aware of the sensations and when we settle down like this and focus our attention we may notice there's a lot of things going on in our minds or maybe around us.
See if you can be aware of all those things.
Be aware of the thoughts that come up.
Be aware of the sounds or movement around you but with that awareness still have focus on your breath.
Notice that this is possible.
You can be aware of your thoughts without going into your thoughts.
We can be aware of our surroundings and still have the centre of our attention on our breath.
Just focusing in on our breath and allowing everything that is here to be here.
One of the main reasons why you feel stressed or anxious or whatever it might be is because we're not wanting to feel or be as we are.
We want things to be different.
We fight in a way.
Our own experience.
That is incredibly tiring and also not very effective.
By sitting like this and just being aware of your experience as it is now it allows you to train your mind to be okay with how things are.
We're not trying to change anything.
We're getting to a point where we can sit and be in the midst of everything and in that stillness you'll find strength.
That's where you find calmness and that's where you find inner peace and well-being.
Just sitting here watching your breath,
Feeling the sensations of your breath in and the sensations of your breath out.
Being aware of the experience you're having right now.
Sitting with that just for a couple of minutes.
Maybe noticing how you're labelling your experience.
Maybe you're finding it relaxing,
Pleasant.
Maybe you're finding your experience challenging or unpleasant.
Whatever it is,
However you're judging your experience right now,
Let it be.
Now I want you to ground yourself wherever you are.
Place your hands on your thighs and feel yourself in the chair or on the floor or sofa wherever you are.
Give yourself another deep breath.
As you breathe,
Settle into the feeling that you're right here,
Right now.
Be in your body.
I now want you to feel your hips and imagine that you're going to connect yourself deep into your hips,
Into the base of your spine,
All the way into the earth.
You might feel a little bit strange at first but just imagine that you're extending down.
You might feel a little bit like a tree trunk or perhaps a waterfall or imagine it like a beam of light connecting you all the way deeply into the earth wherever you are.
And as that happens,
Notice how you're changing,
Perhaps getting a little bit more present.
Imagine that you are now sitting right behind your eyes so you're in the centre of your head.
You're looking out and you can see right through your eyes.
And of course they're closed right now but just notice how peaceful it is inside your head.
All that noise in the world is not in your head.
Take a moment to enjoy that space.
Notice any thoughts that are tugging at you,
Maybe something you have to do or you're worried about.
I want you to imagine that those thoughts are just floating by you.
Instead of getting stuck,
Let those thoughts come up,
Maybe smile at it,
Give it a little wave and let it float on by.
And notice here that in the centre of your head,
This peaceful space is just for you,
Not other people.
Nobody needs anything from you.
This space is just for you.
And in this space is this clear feeling.
I want you to notice one drive that is inside you,
One thing that you are passionate about,
One thing you're excited to create,
One dream that you have,
Perhaps being a little bigger than you are today.
Whatever it is,
Just let it come naturally.
Now,
I want you to ask yourself very simply,
Is this idea something original for you or was it something you were told you were supposed to do?
You probably got a little bit of both,
So the part you were told to do,
Just let it float away,
Just like your thoughts.
You're now refining and caring a little bit about what's important to you.
Keep that part.
That part is just for you.
Take a deep breath and notice the clarity of intention.
How does it feel in your body?
Are you smiling?
Are you feeling energised?
Sometimes that's enough,
Just the feeling rather than the information.
Either way is fine.
When you're ready,
You can go ahead,
Open your eyes,
Maybe give yourself a big stretch.
With this meditation,
What happens?
Sometimes it doesn't happen for everybody,
But there might be an idea that comes up for you that you haven't thought about before.
I would urge you to write it down.
If nothing came up in this meditation,
Don't worry,
That's quite normal.
The more you practise this meditation,
The more you'll start to dream and visualise your biggest desires.
It's a practice.
Take your time.
Do this for you.
I hope you're feeling a bit more relaxed now.
Come back to this meditation whenever you need some quiet and calm and allow yourself to be present.
Give yourself the time and space to dream.
Your future is in your hands.
