Today's meditation is a seated meditation.
So settle yourself into a comfortable sitting position.
Sometimes the best way to sit is on the floor cross-legged,
Feeling your sit bones ground down into a cushion or the floor.
Ideally looking for your knees to be at the same height or below your hips,
So maybe propping up on a pillow if needed.
You can also do this in a chair.
The alignment of your spine is really important here.
So feel as you settle into this shape,
Your hip bones ground down,
Your sit bones.
Feel the shoulders settle themselves over top of the hips,
Ears over your shoulders so that you have the natural curves of your spine and length.
So there's a rooting down through the bottom of the spine,
Through the pelvic floor,
And a rising through the top of your head,
Through the crown.
Begin by noticing the pace of your breath.
Slowly without any dramatic force,
Try to even out the pace of your inhale to the pace of your exhale.
Being aware of the pause at the top of the inhale and the pause at the bottom of the exhale.
Feel your breath.
Feel the canister of your torso.
As you inhale,
The muscles of the pelvic floor gently move down.
As you exhale,
The muscles of the pelvic floor gently engage and lift up.
Feel the gentle movement of your belly.
Inhale,
Your belly moves out.
You might even feel movement in your low back.
As you exhale,
Your abdominals contract with the pelvic floor to help push the breath out.
Inhale,
You relax and accept the breath in.
Again gently feeling your body gently push the air out.
Feel the space of your chest,
Your ribs,
And even the space in your upper back.
Keeping the slow steady pace of the inhale and the exhale.
See if you can notice movement into the sides of your body,
Your chest,
And the space in between your shoulder blades.
So that now as you breathe,
Feels like your whole body accepts the breath and then gives it back with the exhale.
Your breath and your body's movements with the breath connect you to all that is.
Anytime your mind wanders,
Return back to your breath.
To the sensations in your body.
Adding in an affirmation here as you breathe in the words,
I am as you exhale the word complete.
Feel your body move with each breath.
Feeling the inhale matching the pace of the exhale.
And now with the phrase,
I am on the inhale complete with the exhale.
Take five more deep breaths here.
Expanding,
Accepting the breath in.
Slowly releasing,
Relaxing with the exhale.
Each breath full and complete.
To finish up this meditation,
Take a really full breath in.
Expand pelvic floor,
Belly,
Low back,
Side ribs,
Chest,
Upper back.
Hold the breath at the top and give a little tuck to your chin to help this happen.
When you feel you need to breathe out,
Open your mouth,
Have a soft jaw,
Relaxed tongue,
And maybe make a sound,
Maybe an audible sigh.
Take your hands together in front of your chest.
Slowly repeating,
I am complete.
Opening your eyes.
Enjoy the rest of your day.
