Aligning the mind with the heart.
A short meditation to help you move into this new year from a place of presence,
Not pressure.
Take a moment to settle into a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
And begin by just noticing your breath.
There's no need to change it,
Just feel the breath as it moves in and out.
Allowing yourself to arrive in your space.
Feeling the contact of the ground beneath you.
How it holds and supports you.
And when you're ready,
Bringing one hand to your chest over your heart space.
Take a slow breath in through the nose.
And a long easy breath out through the mouth.
And again,
Breathing in and out.
And as you continue to breathe,
Imagining the breath moving gently in and around the heart space.
Bringing awareness to this area.
Noticing the space that starts to open through the breath.
This time of year often comes with pressure to plan,
To set goals,
Resolutions.
But in this moment,
We're going to step away from all of that.
There's nothing to figure out right now.
You don't need a clear plan or to know where this year is going.
Instead,
Gently ask yourself,
Who do I want to be this year?
Not what do I want to achieve or do,
But who do I want to be in my body,
In my relationships,
In my everyday life?
You don't need to answer in words,
But you may notice a feeling,
A quality,
A sense of softness,
Of courage,
Ease.
Letting whatever comes to the surface be there for a couple of moments.
Now bring your attention to your mind.
Notice the thoughts that come and go,
Plans,
Worries,
Expectations.
And rather than pushing them away,
Gently inviting the mind to soften,
To lean back,
To let go.
Gently saying to yourself,
For this moment,
I don't need to lead.
I can rest.
Now bringing your awareness back to the heart,
The place that holds truth beneath the noise.
Quietly ask,
What feels true for me right now?
Again,
There's no need for a clear answer.
The heart speaks quietly through sensations,
Through intuition.
There's a difference between forcing change and allowing alignment,
Between striving and listening.
Let yourself sense what it feels like when the mind and heart come into the same rhythm,
When the tension between them softens.
Imagine the mind gently aligning with the heart,
Not controlling it or questioning it,
Just listening.
Take a few breaths here.
If goals arise in time,
They can come from this place.
But for now,
This is enough.
As we close,
Gently offer yourself one intention for the year ahead.
Not a goal or a task,
Just a way of being.
You might complete this sentence,
This year,
I choose to be.
Let the word or feeling land softly.
Take one final slow breath in through the nose.
And a long breath out through the mouth.
And when you're ready,
Gently bring your awareness back to your space.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Carrying this sense of alignment with you.
You can return to it whenever you need.
And finally,
Opening up the eyes.
