Welcome.
I'm so glad you've chosen to join me today.
I call this meditation a pep talk to self.
And I do that because this is one of those meditations you can go back to over and over again and use as a reminder that you are capable,
That you are able,
And that you are calm and focused.
When I created this meditation,
I thought it would be useful for athletes.
I know a lot of athletes have a routine before a big day,
Before a big game.
And in that routine,
They incorporate sleep and they incorporate what they eat,
How they get to the game location,
How they focus when they walk through the door and picture themselves playing in the actual game.
And I thought this would be useful for those athletes.
It can also be used for people who are anxious about a big event,
A big meeting,
A big presentation or an exam,
Just to get yourself centered and focused before heading out.
So we'll begin in a posture that's comfortable for you.
It doesn't matter how you choose to sit.
The important part is that you're here and that you're comfortable.
So seated or lying down.
You can also be walking or driving.
Just get yourself into that posture with an upright spine.
Nice and long.
You might want to slightly tuck your chin.
And then if you're able to do so,
Obviously,
If you're not walking or driving,
If you're able to do so,
Go ahead and close down the eyes.
And then just turn your attention inward,
Bringing your awareness to your body,
To your body in the space that you've chosen to practice.
So becoming aware of the weight of the body,
How much space it takes up in the room,
Becoming aware of your connection to the seat or the cushion beneath you,
Feeling that sense of groundedness,
Feeling sturdy and solid,
Noticing the points of contact.
If it's seated,
You might notice your back up against a cushion or a wall.
You might notice the sits bones or the back of the thighs.
And you might bring your awareness to the bottoms of your feet,
Planted,
Firm.
You might even roll your feet from side to side,
Forward to back,
From the toes to the heel and just spread the toes.
Really feel that connection,
Feel solid and allow the body to surrender into the cushion beneath you.
And bring your attention back to the breathing.
So you're just feeling your body breathe.
There's no need to change the breathing or manipulate it in any way.
Just noticing how you're breathing.
And then after you've taken a few breaths with the awareness,
Focus just on how you're breathing naturally.
You might want to go ahead and if you were breathing through the mouth,
Go ahead and close the mouth and bring that inhale and exhale through the nostrils.
Feeling the breath at the tip of the nostrils,
Becoming aware of the air as it travels down the throat,
Into the heart space and the chest,
Filling the lungs.
And then breathing all the way down into the belly.
Exhaling through the nose,
Feeling the air as it travels back up through the whole midsection of the body,
From the belly through the chest,
Throat and out through the nostrils,
Perhaps a little warmer on the exhale.
And we're just going to sit with the breathing,
Not changing it,
Not rushing it,
Not slowing it down.
Just breathing in and out through the nostrils.
So your body,
You may notice through the connection of your feet and your sits bones,
Is becoming a little calmer.
Maybe you're becoming aware of the breath,
Elongating,
Deepening,
And maybe not and that's okay.
If this big game or meeting or presentation is looming over you,
You may feel a sense of anxiety and the breath might be rapid.
And that too is okay.
We're not changing anything or wishing it was different here.
We're just sitting with what we bring to the cushion and closing down those eyes and bringing our awareness to our posture and our breathing.
We'll just naturally slow the breathing down a little bit.
And behind those closed eyes,
Following the breath as your guide,
Plan ahead in your mind's eye and think about how you want to feel in this game,
In this meeting,
During this exam.
Can you breathe into that space?
You might even visualize the room you'll be in or the field you'll be playing on,
Noticing the stands and the fans.
You might even notice the weather,
Picturing the sun or rain,
The temperature if it's warm or cool.
Just get into that head space and visualize how you want to feel when you walk into that room or onto that field.
How do you want to feel?
Continue with the breath,
Breathing in all the way down to the belly and breathing out through the nostrils,
Picturing that sense of calm,
That sense of focus,
That positive energy that you want to feel when you walk into your stressful situation.
And see if you can change that stressful situation into an I got this situation.
I've got this.
I am prepared.
I am breathing.
I am capable.
And I am focused.
So coming back to the breathing each and every time,
If the mind wanders,
If you get caught up in the anxiety of the moment,
Just redirect your attention back to your breathing,
That inhale through the nostrils,
Through the throat,
The chest,
All the way down to the belly,
Pausing at the top of the breath and exhaling,
Letting it all go,
Feeling that exhale through the body,
Through the connection of the feet and the earth,
The sits bones in the chair.
If you notice those shoulders are up by your ears,
Let the tension go.
Drop back and down away from the ears,
Opening up your heart space,
Breathing right in to your I got this moment.
I've got this.
I am ready.
I am excited.
I am energized.
And I believe that I've got this.
So picturing yourself standing in that room or right on the sidelines or in the dugout,
Wherever you are on that field with a nice,
Confident,
Strong physique,
A nice,
Strong posture,
Head held up high.
I've got this.
Bringing your attention one last time to your breathing and your body,
Letting go of any tension you're holding on to in the body,
Unlocking the jaw,
Unfurrowing the brow.
You've got this.
Relax.
One more deep breath all the way into the belly,
Let go on the exhale of the tension,
Of the doubt,
Of the fear and anxiety.
Opening up those eyes and meeting your day,
Meeting your meeting or your game or whatever it is that you need strength to head into meeting your day head on.
You've got this.
I wish you the best of luck.
And I'll see you next time.
