So whether you are seated or lying down,
Usually in this moment we start to close our eyes.
I'm going to actually ask you to begin with your eyes opened.
And I'm just going to ask you to begin to start to look around in your home and I'm going to ask you to start to look around slowly and just kind of starting to notice colors that you might see.
Different types of textures.
And maybe perhaps one specific place where you are seated is calling your attention and you really just want to focus there and you can just look at one item or maybe you're just focusing in one small area and just seeing what you notice.
And you might even start to notice some sensations inside the body beginning to happen as you started to orient to this visual place in your home or if it's one specific photo or a comfy rug.
And then we're going to go ahead and begin to close the eyes.
So releasing one of our senses.
As we are either seated here or lying down,
Now we're going to start to listen.
And we're not trying to seek out and search and put in work.
Just really sitting inside of the body and letting the sounds begin to come to you.
Maybe you hear a fan or sound in another room.
Maybe you're seated outside and you can hear birds chirping,
Even children playing.
And so just taking a moment to notice the sounds that you might hear.
And maybe some rhythmic sounds or a specific type of sound you want to just sit with and listen.
So you again,
Like we did with the visual,
You can continue to listen to the sounds you hear or just focus on one.
And then again,
Seeing if you can pick up any physical sensations inside the body.
And we're just doing a mini version of the inside portion right now,
Just to start to get to know our physical sensations.
So if you're not feeling a lot or not having a lot of feedback,
Knowing that we will get to a place of exploring more.
And now I'm going to invite you to,
If you are seated,
Place your hands,
Palms down,
Either on your knees or on your thighs.
If you decided to lay down this evening,
Then if your hands are on the body,
Removing them and placing them along the floor or bed,
Wherever you might be located.
First beginning to feel what is underneath of your hands and your arms,
If you're lying down.
Feeling the weight of the hands as they are supported by a specific surface.
And then even moving your fingers a bit,
Or if it feels comfortable to move the palms forward and backwards.
I'm feeling what type of surface is below the hands.
Noticing how it feels on the palm of the hands.
Is it smooth or rough?
And then moving the fingers,
Noticing any textures.
Maybe if your hands are in your lap,
You can feel the fabric,
Or if you're wearing shorts,
You can feel the skin.
Maybe noticing warmth or coolness of the fingers.
And just take a moment to see what you notice.
Using adjectives that work for you,
Feeling the sensations underneath of the hands.
And then beginning to find stillness.
So if you were moving the hands,
Finding a place where they're comfortable,
If you wanted them back on the body,
Or if you want to flip the palms upward.
Taking up space,
Allowing the body to relax and find balance.
And a reminder that we don't need to feel frozen,
Or that we need to hold this position for the entirety of the meditation.
Reminding yourself that you are located in your home,
Or a place that feels safe for you.
And even imagining if you would like to seeing this light surrounding you,
Almost like this bubble.
And nothing can permeate this bubble.
You're located inside of this safe space,
This haven,
Just for you,
Just for this meditation.
Now beginning to turn our awareness inside of the physical body.
Starting to orient with how we are physically feeling inside.
Noticing your jaw.
Where is your tongue located?
Does one side of the mouth feel tighter or more open than the other side?
Does the jaw feel like it is lifted up or relaxed and open?
Checking with your belly.
Can you feel the movement of the air in this space?
Or does it feel like you're holding it?
And this first part,
As we're orienting physically in the body,
There's no right or wrong,
And there's no good or bad.
And then I'm going to invite you to explore and be really curious with sensations that you might begin to notice inside the body.
Areas that might feel tight.
Maybe perhaps you feel,
If you're seated,
Even a little pain or pressure.
And again,
Being really curious.
Noticing,
Can you notice the area that these sensations take up?
So if you feel tightness,
Can you find the edges of that tightness?
Sometimes we get visuals and you might associate a color with that area.
You might feel that it is smoky and fluid.
Or maybe it feels thick.
And so trusting that any adjectives or descriptions that you're coming up with is absolutely perfectly correct.
This is a description of your own body and you use whatever words resonate with you.
Whatever is in your mental catalog of descriptions.
And you can always,
Just like we did with the other senses,
You can continue to explore throughout the body,
Or maybe you are really just exploring one area and getting to know it.
And now I'm going to invite you to call to mind a situation or one moment in your life that brings you joy.
Or gratitude.
Or strength.
Noticing any sounds that you might hear of my dogs and then reorienting back to that situation.
And I really want you to put yourself in the location where this situation or moment happened.
As you're in this moment,
What can you see?
Are you standing in a certain position?
Are you seated?
Are you moving?
Are you dancing?
Is it fluid?
What does it feel like in the body when you're in this situation?
Does the body feel open or expansive?
Does it feel free to move?
Do you notice this uplifting of the chest?
A smile to the face,
A relaxing of the eyes or cheeks?
Are the arms strong like a warrior?
What do you feel in this moment?
And just like we were curious with the body a moment ago,
Doing the same thing in this moment,
In this scenario,
Is there uplifting of the chest?
Does it feel open and spacious?
Is the jaw relaxed with a gentle smile on your face?
Are you standing strongly in the legs?
If you could associate some words with this situation,
What would they be?
Joy,
Deep happiness,
Capable,
Strong,
Free.
And then creating an affirmation with one of those words,
One of those words that really stuck out to you.
I'm capable.
I am fluid and free.
I believe in myself.
I'm open to joy.
And we're going to spend the last moments of this meditation sitting with these sensations and formulating an affirmation.
And I want you to take that affirmation and split it in half.
Use the inhale for the first half and the exhale for the second.
An example,
I am,
As I inhale,
As I exhale,
Capable.
Maybe you continue to hold your awareness in that moment and feel the sensations.
Or finding that affirmation that can bring you right back there.
And we will stay here for a couple moments of silence.
And taking a moment or so of either reciting the affirmation or a last moment in that scenario.
And then beginning to bring ourselves back into the space where we're located.
Maybe noticing any feelings underneath of the hands or fingers.
And you don't even need to move them just yet if you're not ready.
Notice any sounds you might hear.
And one final time,
Noticing how the physical body feels in this present moment.
And then bring your awareness into your heart space,
Connecting to this area.
Maybe you want to just bring your internal awareness to the heart center.
Or maybe you want to connect by physically placing one hand on top of the other on this space,
Or even bringing your hands to prayer.
Reciting that affirmation that you created one more time.
And then imagining as if you can tuck it into this space in your heart center,
Where your heart chakra is located.
Reminding yourself that it is accessible when you leave this class.
And you can always just tap back into that affirmation.
Or you can even tap back into that scenario.
You chose it for a specific purpose.
And so when feeling heightened or chaotic,
Oftentimes the last thing we want to do is pause.
But maybe just trying it next time.
When there is that chaos happening around us,
What if you could just pause for a moment and put yourself in that situation?
Or even just say that affirmation,
Even if for 30 or 60 seconds.
There might be a shift in the nervous system if you do.
From my heart center to yours,
I am deeply grateful you joined me this evening.
Namaste.
