Welcome to this five minute meditation for beginners.
Begin by finding a comfortable seat or perhaps lying down in a comfortable spot like your couch or on your bed.
You take these first few breaths to create more space between where you were and where you are now.
Allow your breath to flow natural without any effort.
Adopting the position of an observer.
We do this by taking inventory of your sensations and your senses.
We'll start by noticing any sounds around you.
Perhaps you hear road noise or some chatter on the other side of the wall.
Maybe you hear air flowing or the sound of your breath.
And as you observe you can name it and then move on to the next one.
Sending gratitude to any sensation you observe.
And using gratitude as your tool to stay present and embracing whatever sound might be pulling you away.
And now notice any smells around you.
Maybe the smell of your coffee or tea.
The smell of chapstick or toothpaste.
The smell of a candle or incense you have around you.
And if you find your mind is wandering,
Simply guide it back like you're holding in the hand of an old friend.
Trust the common humanity in the wandering mind as you're not alone.
Now notice any senses of touch.
If your palms are on your thighs or your knees,
Notice the sensation of the fabric underneath your palms or underneath the backs of your hands.
Perhaps you give yourself a gesture of compassion by gently stroking your thigh or your knee with your thumb,
Moving it back and forth.
And return your attention to the breath.
If you're seeking more grounding this morning,
Perhaps you bring a hand to your heart and a hand to your belly.
Dealing with your bottom hand,
The belly expands like a balloon on the breath in and the balloon deflates as the belly button hugs in on the breath out,
Squeezing all of the air out.
Inhale,
Fill the balloon.
Exhale,
Feel the balloon deflate.
And take a couple of rounds at your own pace.
No need to force anything.
Simply allow it to be deep and full,
Replenishing yourself.
Bring your hands back to your thighs or along your side.
Coming back into your physical environment by noticing smells.
Maybe a smell is still lingering from the beginning of practice.
Just sounds around you.
And gently blink your eyes open,
Looking around your room,
Coming back into your physical environment before bringing your gaze back to your screen.
I thank you for pausing your day for a moment.
To give yourself some time to just sit and notice,
I hope you feel more grounded and centered after this practice.
Namaste.
