Now that you're here,
I invite you to find a position that is comfortable for you,
A position that you can hold for the next 30 minutes or so,
But if at any point you feel the need to stretch out your legs or to move your body in any kind of way,
Feel free to do so,
But see if you can do it with your full awareness and to do it as slowly as possible so that even the movement becomes a meditation.
If you can,
Sit as upright as possible,
Allow the muscles in your face to soften,
Unclench your jaw,
Your neck should be nice and long,
Allow your shoulders to drop,
And let your hands rest on your legs.
You want to have a posture that allows you to be alert,
Yet remain relaxed.
Meditation is not about forcing anything or trying to become someone or something.
Who you are in this moment is more than enough.
And maybe now you begin to notice your breath and how you're breathing,
Or perhaps you want to focus on a symbol that means something to you,
Or maybe there's a mantra that you want to repeat,
Or an affirmation that you want to focus on,
Or maybe you want to focus the mind by counting.
Feel free to choose any object to focus your attention on.
So whether it's your breath,
Or a mantra or an affirmation,
Or it's your counting,
Whatever you choose,
Use this as an anchor so that whenever you notice that your attention has gone elsewhere,
You can always bring it back to your anchor,
To your focal point.
It's only natural for the mind to get a little restless with the present moment,
And so the mind may want to take your attention into the future or back into the past.
I invite you to bring acceptance to this wandering mind and not try to force it into stillness.
But if your mind is active,
See if you can just notice the thoughts without getting caught up in them.
Over time,
The mind will settle down,
But meditation is not about having or achieving a state of no thoughts,
But it's being able to sit here,
To be with the thoughts,
To be with the emotions,
To be with the sensations,
Without any aversion,
Without any clinging.
This practice is about moment-by-moment awareness of what is.
Remember to be patient and kind with yourself throughout this meditation.
Keep bringing your attention back to your focal point.
Stay here in the present moment.
As this meditation comes to a close,
I would like to share a positive affirmation that you can repeat with your full voice or quietly to yourself.
I love and accept myself as I am.
I love and accept myself as I am.
Stay right here and notice what is coming up for you.
The music will end shortly,
But I invite you to stay in this space for as long as you can.
Thank you for sitting with me.
Until next time,
Take care.
