Hi,
Welcome to Caring June.
For this meditation,
We're going to start by getting really comfortable.
Any position that lends to your comfort works well.
If possible,
And you have an open space,
Lie flat on your back and place your right hand over your navel.
Place your left hand over your heart.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Pause for a moment at the top,
And slowly release the breath through your mouth.
Allow for your eyes to become heavy,
Allow your eyelids to close.
If you choose to keep them open,
Hold a soft gaze.
Take several long,
Slow,
Deep breaths,
Breathing in fully and exhaling slowly.
In through your nose and out through your mouth,
Feel your stomach expand on an inhale and relax as you let go as you exhale.
Begin to let go of noises around you,
Begin to shift your attention from outside to within yourself.
If you're distracted by sounds in the room,
Simply notice them and bring your focus back to your breathing.
If you're distracted by your thoughts,
Simply acknowledge them and let them go.
In your third eye,
Watch the distractions exit your mind.
Now,
Slowly bring your attention to your feet,
Whether they're planted firmly on the ground or lying on your back and they're up on a cushion or a bed.
Just start beginning to observe the sensations in your feet.
Wiggle your toes and feel them inside your shoes or socks.
If you're barefoot,
Then feel the bottoms of your feet against the floor or blanket.
Notice and feel your body without judgment.
Imagine sending your breath to the tips of your toes with each inhale.
Feel the breath travel through your nose,
Into your lungs,
Into your bloodstream and through the veins that run from near your heart,
Through your belly,
Into your legs,
All the way down to your feet.
When you're ready,
Allow your feet to dissolve in your mind's eye and move your attention upward to your ankles.
Now let that energy move to your calves.
Feel the sensation in your calves.
Allow the energy,
Cool or warm,
To move up to your knees.
Let it sit and dance around behind your kneecaps.
Now it's moving up to your thighs.
Observe the sensations you're experiencing in your legs.
Maybe you feel a tingling sensation,
Or you can feel your muscles relax.
Maybe you feel nothing,
And that is okay too.
Breathe into and breathe out of the legs.
If your mind begins to wander,
Gently notice it wandering without judgment.
Bring your mind back to focusing on the sensations in your body.
If you notice any discomfort,
Pain,
Stiffness,
Don't judge it.
Just notice it,
Know it's there,
Acknowledge it.
Observe how all sensations rise and fall,
Shift and change moment to moment.
Notice how no sensation is permanent.
Just observe and allow the sensations to be in the moment,
Just as they are.
Continue to breathe into and out from the legs.
On your next breath,
Allow the legs to dissolve in your mind's eye.
Allow the energy to climb up to your lower back and to your pelvis area.
Soften and release these areas as you breathe in and out.
Slowly move your attention up your spine to your mid-back and upper back,
Right in between your shoulder blades.
Become curious about the sensations here.
What are you feeling?
What is your body telling you?
Can you feel sensations in the muscles?
Do you feel temperature or points of contact with where you lie on the bed or the chair?
With each out-breath,
Allow yourself to let go of the tension you are carrying in these muscles.
Very gently shift your focus to your belly and all the internal organs there.
Perhaps you notice the feeling of your clothing or blanket.
Maybe you can hear the process of digestion or the belly rising and falling with each breath.
If you notice opinions arising about these areas,
Gently let these go and return to noticing just the sensations.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring your awareness to the chest and heart region,
And just notice your heartbeat.
Observe how the chest rises during an inhalation,
And how the chest falls during the exhalation.
Let go of any preconceived notions,
Thoughts,
Or judgments that may arise.
On the next out-breath,
Shift the focus to your hands and your fingertips.
See if you can channel your breath into and out of your fingertips as you are breathing into and out of your hands.
When your mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the sensation you are experiencing in your hands.
Allow the energy to travel to your wrists.
Maybe roll your wrists from left to right,
Up and down.
Observe the sensation or the lack of sensations that may be occurring here.
You may notice some difference between the left wrist and the right wrist.
There is no need to judge this.
Now,
Feel your wrists dissolve in your mind's eye.
Envision all of the cells and the energy that make up the bones and the flesh just disintegrating,
Floating,
Weightless.
Allow the energy to travel up your arms,
To your elbow,
Up to your shoulder.
Remember to breathe.
Allow the energy to float to your shoulders.
With each exhale,
Envision any tension leaving through your breath that lives in your shoulders.
Envision in your mind's eye any aches,
Pains exiting through the warmth of your breath.
Shift your focus to your neck.
Your neck,
Your shoulders,
And your throat.
This is an area we often carry tension.
Be with the sensations here.
You might feel tightness,
Rigidity,
Or just holding on to something.
We carry grief,
Hurt,
Pain in our chest area,
In our lungs.
Breathe it out,
Let it go.
You might notice when you breathe now that you're focusing on your shoulders,
That your shoulders move with the breath.
Try to let go of any thoughts or stories you've created,
Telling you about this area of your body.
As you breathe,
Feel the tension rolling off your shoulders,
Rolling away from you.
Feel your muscles relax as you sink deeper into where you lie on the floor,
Or the bed,
Or where you sit in the chair.
Allow the energy to climb through your face,
Tickling your chin,
Your lips,
Your nose,
Your brow,
All the way up to the scalp,
The head.
Feel this entire area of the body.
Observe what sensations are occurring here.
Notice the movement of air as you breathe into and out of the nostrils,
Breathe into and out of the mouth,
Breathe in through your nose,
And out through your mouth.
Allow your attention to expand out to include the entire body as a whole.
Bring the awareness from the top of your head,
From the crown,
All the way to the bottom of your toes.
Feel that gentle rhythm of clean air,
Clean breath,
Lightness travel through the body.
As we come to the end of this practice,
I want you to take a full deep breath,
Taking in all of the energy that you've created here.
If you find your mind wandering to any other areas of your body,
Honor that,
And then let it go.
Let it go through a deep exhale.
When you're ready,
Gently,
Slowly open your eyes and return your attention to the present moment.
As you become fully alert and awake,
Consider setting the intention that this practice of building awareness will benefit you and everyone you come in contact with today.
