Good morning.
Welcome to whatever today will be.
Rather than just leaping headlong into your morning tasks,
It's nice to get a new day started with some presence and intention.
Listening to this meditation is a good way to make that happen.
You've obviously reached for your phone if you're listening to this,
But have you gotten up and moved your body around at all yet today?
Take a moment first to wake everything up.
Stretch out your arms,
Stretch out your legs,
Stretch and twist your back.
Let anything creak and crack and crunch that got stiff overnight.
Shake out anything that needs shaking out.
Maybe wave your hands around,
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
Just move around however feels right.
Gently wake up your muscles.
Then gradually settle into a comfortable seated position.
Ideally,
It'd be best if you sit upright with your back straight but relaxed,
Not rigid.
If you do need to lie down,
Try to position yourself more upright than you do when you're sleeping so you don't just cue your body to go back to sleep again already.
Now close your eyes.
Take a big deep breath in,
Hold it for a moment,
And let it out with a big sigh.
Do that two more times.
What would you like to bring into your new day today?
Is there a particular attitude that you'd like to cultivate,
A certain frame of mind?
How would you like to approach your communication with the people around you?
How would you like to respond to others?
If you don't have a clear intention in mind for the day,
You could try this one.
May my words and actions today be wise and skillful.
Play with your intention for a bit and find a way of phrasing it that resonates with you.
Once you've settled on an intention,
You could say it out loud if you like or just think it strongly inside your head.
Do it a few times and let the words really land.
Bring your attention to your seat.
Feel the weight of your body against the surface you're sitting on,
The warmth,
The pressure.
Feel how your skin is interacting with what's around you.
Notice the touch of fabric and air against your skin.
What is that touch like?
Is it strong or is it subtle?
Feel the air against your nostrils as you breathe air in and out.
Is there any scent in the air?
If there is,
Do you notice it on both the inhale and the exhale or just the inhale?
Bring your attention to the inside of your mouth.
Is there any particular flavor in your mouth right now?
Or is it just mouth flavored?
With your eyes closed,
Notice your sense of vision.
Observe the shapes and patterns and colors that play on the insides of your eyelids.
Relax your gaze and see this inner world with the widest view possible,
Like you're taking in a landscape from on top of a high mountain.
Let sounds come to you from as far away as you can hear and as close to you as your own breath.
Receive the sounds without attaching any meaning to them.
You might notice if you find them pleasant or unpleasant,
And then let that judgment go and hear the sounds as simple waveforms,
Patterns of energy passing by.
Now watch your thoughts as they bubble up in your mind,
Much in the same way that sounds appear without you having anything to do with it.
Notice what your thoughts are like this morning.
They might be quick and active,
Reminding you about all the other things you should be getting done.
They might be a little groggy and foggy,
Trying to lure you back down into sleep.
They might be excited and happy,
Or they might be full of worry and concern.
Just observe them as they are,
Without any need to change or fix any of it.
You're just taking notes,
Like a scientist watching an animal in the wild.
Aha,
That's what they're doing now.
Interesting.
When you find yourself caught up in your thoughts to the exclusion of everything else,
Pick one of your senses to focus on and steady your attention there.
Sound is the easiest to access for a lot of people,
Or maybe turning your attention to the pressure of your body where you're sitting might be more grounding for you.
See what works for you,
And settle in for a little while to watch the weather system of your body,
Like cloud watching.
When you're ready to start your day,
Gently move your fingers and toes.
Open your eyes slowly,
And let the world of colors and shapes flow through your field of vision.
Check in with the intention that you set for yourself earlier,
And remind yourself what you'd like to bring into being today.
Thank you for taking the time this morning to do something that will be of benefit not just for you,
But for all the other beings around you,
Too.
I hope you have a great day.
Take care.
