Hi and welcome to your practice.
I'm pleased you're here.
We all experience stress and anxiety.
It's part of life yet both create tension in the mind and in the body.
This meditation will allow you to get some relief from stress and anxiety and in doing so you can enjoy a feeling of ease and spaciousness in your mind and in your body.
Find a comfortable seat for this.
Starting with your eyes open,
Taking a few rounds of deep breaths to settle in.
Breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Feeling the body expand as you inhale and feeling the body soften as you exhale.
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm and its natural flow.
And now gently close your eyes if that feels good or you can maintain a soft gaze.
Noticing any sounds around you.
Sounds that are in your immediate environment like the sound of your breathing or the sound of my voice and then sounds that are further away.
Maybe the sounds of traffic or the sounds of birdsong and letting them come and go.
Taking a moment to set your intention for your practice today.
Feel the weight of your body connecting with the surface beneath you and then checking in with how you feel today.
Notice the general mood that's in your mind without making a judgment.
Just notice.
And scanning through your body starting at your head and scanning all the way down to your toes.
And notice any areas of tension,
Any areas of ease.
Notice sensations in the body or the absence of sensation.
Just scanning through the body.
Becoming more aware now of the rise and the fall of the breath.
Tuning into the breath without trying to change the shape of the breath or trying to manipulate it.
Just noticing your breath.
Connecting to the sound of the breath.
And if your mind wanders and you start thinking about other things,
That's okay.
The mind likes to think.
Just raise the corners of your mouth and half smile and gently refocus on your breath.
Listening to the sound of your breath.
Notice as best you can the temperature of the inhalation breath and the temperature of the exhalation breath.
Following the path that the breath takes as you inhale and exhale.
Thoughts come and go.
Feelings come and go.
And that's okay.
Gently come back to the breath.
Sitting and breathing.
And moving in and moving out.
Coming back to the breath.
Enjoying the feeling of freedom in this moment.
Relax your jaw.
Sit in stillness and breathe.
Good.
Let any focus fade now.
Let your mind wander for a moment.
Let it think.
Let it question whatever it needs to do.
Then feel your body connecting with the surface beneath you.
Become aware of the sounds around you.
Gently blinking your eyes open if you close them.
Becoming familiar with your surroundings again.
Then before you get up pause for a moment and notice how you feel after your practice.
Knowing that this practice is here for you whenever you need it.
Then when you're ready you can mindfully get up from where you are and continue with your day.
Thank you for joining me and I'll see you back here again soon.
