So wherever you are in the world,
Whatever you're doing,
I wish you a joyous day and every day is a good day to meditate.
And if you've been busy recently,
Busy with celebrations,
You're probably just craving some peace and quiet.
I saw a post earlier that was saying,
You know,
If you're on your own,
It's like,
Just feel grateful for that because there are probably so many people right now craving solitude.
And that was a good reminder for me because I live on my own now.
My sons have left home,
Although they are here for Christmas,
But it was just that reminder.
Oh,
Yeah.
Sometimes I think,
Oh,
I'm on my own a lot.
But then I'm probably other people out there will be very grateful for that.
So it's about being grateful for what we have and happiness comes from within,
Regardless of what our external circumstances are.
So that's a good reminder to just look around you and find what you can be grateful for,
Even when things are tough,
You know,
On my most difficult,
Difficult days,
I would just be grateful for something simple like having a cup of tea or having a comfortable bed to sleep in,
A delicious meal or something or the things usually that we take for granted,
Which might not be something that other people have automatically that they might struggle for,
They might not have as much as we do.
So and that's not to diminish our experience,
You know,
In trying to pretend things are OK and everything's hunky dory when we're struggling.
And but it's about being honest with ourselves.
And is that negativity bias,
Is that the whole story or is there something good that I can find in today?
So I think that's very appropriate for Christmas,
Isn't it?
When it's traditionally a time where we exchange gifts.
And I always buy myself a present.
I have done for a few years now because I think,
Why would I go and spend all this money on other people and forget myself?
So if that didn't occur to you,
Well,
Make this a gift to yourself to have this time now to meditate,
To have some peace and quiet,
You know,
Grab a cup of tea or something if you want,
Light a candle and just make that sacred space somewhere where you feel happy.
And it only needs to be a little corner somewhere with some comfy cushions or whatever makes you feel nurtured and cared for and make that a sacred space where you can sit now and let's meditate together.
Turn off any distractions if you need to pause the video while you do that.
And then when you're comfortable,
Take some breaths to ground yourself.
I find it helpful to put my hand on my belly.
And then you can just feel the movement as you breathe in deeply.
Feel the belly expand and then let it out slowly and allow your body to relax.
And then if you wish,
You can close your eyes.
We do a little check in with ourselves.
What's that current for you in your experience?
You're not trying to avoid it or suppress it.
Just acknowledge that it's there.
So notice what thoughts are coming up.
Feelings,
Emotions,
Physical sensations,
Sounds,
Smells,
Taste,
Sight,
Touch.
And now focus on the parts of your body that are in contact with the support.
Maybe your sitting bones,
Your back,
Your legs,
Your feet.
And as you breathe in,
Imagine your breath going down through that support into the earth.
And let the earth take the weight.
Especially if you've been busy rushing around looking after everyone else.
This time for you to be supported.
And allow yourself to receive the support.
Allow that to be your gift.
And if your mind is still busy thinking about all the things you need to do,
Just notice and let it carry on.
Half the time,
We make more work for ourselves by our thinking than what we actually need to do.
And the intention is,
Is to keep the focus on the breath and the body.
And just let the mind carry on doing whatever the mind does.
And you may notice,
If you stop giving it so much attention,
It will start to quieten down on its own.
And if you're having any thoughts that are particularly overwhelming,
You might find it helpful to have your eyes open.
Or you can put your hand on your belly again and hand on your heart.
And sending yourself some love.
And now bring to mind something that you feel grateful for.
And notice how that feels in the body.
When you express appreciation and gratitude.
Because by focusing on what we feel grateful for,
Brings more for us to appreciate.
Because what we focus on expands.
It helps you to relax,
To be present.
And let go of things that you have no control over.
Sometimes when we bring those positive emotions,
When we cultivate them,
We feel it in the body.
It might be warm,
Fuzzy sensations.
Maybe it makes you smile.
And all that helps to calm down the nervous system.
It helps you to relax.
And now as we bring this meditation to a close,
You can set the intention to become more aware,
To notice things to appreciate.
Even challenges sometimes.
Because we can learn from them and grow and heal.
And by appreciating ourself and others,
We're making a positive difference in the world.
Thank you again for meditating with me today.
And do spread the benefits of meditation to your friends and family.
And I will see you again very soon.
So in the meantime,
Take care,
Go well,
And lots of love.
