Make sure you take any last moments to ensure that you are comfortable.
If you are seated,
We want the feeling of being upright but not rigid.
So there's that kind of balance between both worlds right.
Right.
And even if you're lying down,
Feeling supported in that manner.
We're giving a little bit of a check in with your foundation.
So maybe feel the difference between the right and left side and see if it would be a little bit more comfortable if you could find balance between that right and left side.
We're going to start this evening with our breath.
And we are going to extend the exhale so that it is double the count of the inhale.
Before we start doing any counting I just want you to just notice the breath,
As it is this evening.
So beginning to just notice your inhale as it travels in the body.
Feeling the movement with the inhale and releasing with the exhale.
Seeing what there is to notice about your breath,
Maybe perhaps the first time that you're focusing on your breath this evening,
Or today even noticing if you feel as though it travels all the way down to the torso.
If it stops in the chest or in the belly.
For some of us,
Sometimes we can even feel the energy of the breath so maybe it even feels like the breath moves all the way to the feet and through the arms.
So whatever you're sensing whatever you're feeling is absolutely accurate for you.
And then the next time you inhale I want you just to count the length of your inhale.
And then when you exhale,
You're going to double that number.
So I always like starting with a two or three to inhale.
And then I exhale you have a four the six.
So you don't want to feel like you're struggling on the exhale,
I find also it takes a couple rounds to find a good pattern.
And a reminder,
You can always count faster if you feel like you're struggling at all.
And we're going to really focus on the exhale.
Exhale.
Noticing that there is this letting go sensation that happened with exhale.
Noticing that when you exhale maybe perhaps some of the body parts,
Drop or release.
Maybe some shoulders release or your hands relax.
Notice what happens when you continue to breathe and focus on the exhale.
From the breathing,
We're going to stay inside the physical body.
I want you to begin to notice certain points as I name them.
And I am asking you to be open and just notice what might come up.
So starting at the forehead noticing.
Do you feel like your forehead is relaxed,
Do you feel like you're holding your eyebrows up.
And as we continue to scan through the body.
I want you just to notice what you're doing right now.
Sometimes it will prompt us to change something,
But I want you just to accept whatever you're doing right now,
And we are just noticing.
Noticing the cheeks,
Do you feel like you're holding it all,
Or they're relaxing down towards the chin.
Moving into the jaw.
So,
A lot of us,
When we feel stressed,
Or even trauma could be associated with holding the jaw so noticing how your jaw is feeling,
Perhaps noticing the back of the mouth,
Where the molars the back of the teeth are located or clenching at all.
Does the right side feel different than the left side.
Excuse me.
Do you feel like your jaw is locked upwards.
Is it fluid and open.
Is the tongue pressing against the top of the mouth.
Is it resting on the bottom.
And again,
There's no right or wrong,
It doesn't matter if it's pressing on the top,
Or it's relaxing on the bottom,
You're just noticing.
Sensing your shoulders,
Noticing the front of the cap of the shoulder.
So,
On the chest side,
Noticing,
Are they rounding forward at all.
So,
Comparing the difference between the right and the left side does one maybe feel higher than the other noticing the back portion of the shoulder so more where the shoulder blades are located so that's the back of the body.
Can you sense that there is this rounding Can you sense that perhaps there's this opening.
A lot of us hold tension in this area so noticing do your shoulders right now do they feel just relaxed away from the ears.
Do you feel like any part of the shoulders are tight.
And if you do,
Can you locate exactly where it is.
So,
Does it look like,
Like a piece of paper so something thin.
Is it a point.
Is it a circle.
Is it smoky like If there is some pain,
Would it be pressure,
Would it be gripping.
Would it be kind of piercing pain or heaviness.
So my definition of words might be different than yours and you might have a different vocabulary so I invite you to also use words that resonate with you.
So,
Let's continue to scan down the rest of the back and noticing the same thing.
Maybe perhaps even noticing the points of your back that are supported by a chair or a surface,
If you're seated,
Noticing if there's any tightness or pain associated with this area.
Continuing to travel down,
Noticing the lower back,
The hips,
Hips are a another point where we sometimes hold our emotions.
So,
Checking in with the right and left side.
And as we're going through the body at any point,
If you need you feel the need to shift or move,
Do that.
So don't feel like you need to be frozen throughout this meditation.
And then wrapping around to the belly.
Noticing,
Even if I say the word belly and you bring your awareness here if anything emotionally comes up.
Noticing,
Then the physical sensations.
So even when I said your belly,
Maybe there was a physical sensation in the chest or something else shifted.
Noticing that the belly is moving with the breath up and down,
Or if it feels like you're holding it tight.
And then go ahead scan down the legs into the feet and seeing what you notice in these areas as well.
So this is kind of just a baseline of how we're physically doing in this present moment,
And reminding ourselves that the present moment shifts and shifts and shifts and so as we continue through the meditation.
Things can change,
Or things can stay the same.
I want you now to begin to think about your favorite location.
Some of us,
It might be a specific place where we love to vacation.
It could perhaps even be an imaginary place where you've never been.
It might even be a place in your home maybe a love your bed.
And it's your favorite spot.
And I first want you to think about what you would see here.
Any colors associated with this place.
Any specific sites.
Would there be specific sound associated with this place.
How would you feel when your body is in this location,
Whether you are seated or lying down in this location.
Not even just the physical support of if you are seated and if you're at a beach the sand underneath of you.
How does your favorite place make you feel inside.
How does it make you feel inside.
Maybe the words,
Peace or rejuvenated or tranquility pop up,
But going a little bit deeper.
When you think about this place,
How does it physically make you feel inside.
How does it make you feel inside.
Do you feel like your face brightens a little bit,
Or your shoulders just dropped.
Maybe your hands were clenching a little,
And they just opened.
And now I'm going to switch over,
And I'm going to ask you to think about a place where you have a little trouble letting go.
And perhaps it is something that you're dealing with recently.
Something that you feel like you control,
Or maybe it is a ongoing theme.
Maybe it is something that triggers you or makes you upset or angry.
And just stick with the first one that pops into your head,
We'll just work with this one this evening.
And when you think about this,
And it could even be a person,
But when you think about this,
Let's go back into the body and notice how you physically feel now.
Did your breath change.
Did your facial expressions change.
So for all of us,
We always have sensations in the body that link to emotions or situations.
And I invite you to stay away from associating the negative or positive physical sensation category to them.
Just notice what you notice.
You don't need to make it complicated sometimes we're not that accessible to the body and noticing what you might notice,
And maybe throughout this meditation you just stick with the breath only.
Now I'm going to ask you to go travel back to the place that brings you deep joy.
Your favorite location.
And fully immerse yourself in this location.
Thinking about how you physically feel here.
Reminding yourself that in this place you're free to be yourself.
Yourself.
You're free to be calm and at ease.
This place you are safe.
Just stay inside the body and notice how your favorite place makes you feel inside.
And from here let's go ahead and travel back to that place that might frustrate us,
Or where we have some trouble letting go.
When I even just first asked you to come back here.
What happened physically inside the body.
What if I told you that even when you have these feelings.
These physical sensations that you're seeing.
You have the opportunity to find peace in this chaos.
To remind you that even how you're physically feeling right now.
I bet underneath,
Or somewhere within the body,
You deal feel supported and calm and heavy and fluid.
And what if you lived right here,
When you became frustrated in these situations right here in this moment.
Would it be more accessible just to notice the way you physically felt.
To remind yourself that you could just ride that wave.
If you got triggered.
Just stay with how you physically feel.
When you're having trouble letting go.
Yes,
Your body might feel tight.
There might be pain.
It might be heavy,
You might cry.
What if you rode the wave and just sat with this,
What would happen at the end of that way.
Reminding you that I am here to support you in this,
And you are not alone.
There is a community right here.
And we always ebb and flow,
So that you are not alone in how you feel.
So I asked you for another minute or so to just sit with that frustrating place where you are over controlling are unable to let go.
How do you physically feel right now.
When you think about it.
And maybe perhaps you go a little bit in a little bit further into the story.
Maybe perhaps those places that were triggered were lowered a little bit.
And so some answers even came up.
And I'll let you be right here with yourself for a minute or so and then when you hear my voice again I'll start to pull you back out of it.
Let's go ahead and come back into the body if you traveled out a little bit.
I want you to notice all the points of the body that are touching a surface,
If you're seated,
The ones behind your back under your thighs.
And if you're sitting down.
Maybe it's your legs,
Or the sides of your thighs and feet that are supported.
Bring your hands to prayer,
And at that heart center on Jali mudra,
And if you're lying down you can even stack your hands,
One on top of the other,
Just connect to that space.
Behind your hands or underneath of your hands,
This is where your heart chakra is located.
When this place is balanced when this chakra this wheel is balanced,
It is a beautiful color green.
It is flowing in this fluid circle,
Turning.
We are easily able to love ourselves,
And we are accepting and able to love others easily as well.
Sending yourself some love in this final moment.
And if it nothing at all,
Reminding yourself that you arrived this evening.
And this took a step of beginning to take care of yourself,
Or continuing to take care of yourself.
That's love right there for your own self.
Feeling the love radiating in this heart center,
The love you have for yourself.
Because that's where the spark has to begin.
In order to love and send it to other people.
Reminding yourself that we are always ebbing and flowing and we are always a work in progress and progressing and growing.
So wherever you might be in this exact moment in this season in this time period,
Being gentle on yourself.
Reminding yourself that you are surrounded by deep love,
Perhaps your family,
Your friends,
And definitely this community.
And also reminding yourself that in those places where you feel tightly gripping.
What if you just rode the wave of that.
And if it became too much,
Maybe you just bring yourself back to your favorite location.
Wishing you a beautiful rest of your evening.
From my heart center to each of yours,
I am deeply grateful you joined me this evening.
Namaste.
