Welcome to this mindfulness meditation with stimming.
Engaging in repetitive,
Rhythmic movements,
Or stimming,
Can be very calming for individuals.
And so,
I'd like to take you through a mindfulness meditation exercise where we mindfully and purposely add rhythmic,
Repetitive movements,
Or stims,
Into the practice.
So to start,
Just get comfortable wherever you are.
If you're sitting,
And if you're able,
Take a moment to push your feet into the floor and readjust your posture so that you're sitting up straight with your shoulders back.
This will help us go into the mindfulness exercise with intention and awareness.
And now,
Take a moment to choose a repetitive,
Rhythmic body movement that you'd like to engage in during this mindfulness activity.
That could be rocking your body back and forth rhythmically,
Tapping your hand or foot repeatedly,
Rubbing a piece of fabric rhythmically,
Or moving a piece of jewelry back and forth.
Pick whatever feels most natural and calming to you.
And once you've decided on what you'll do to stim,
Begin doing that movement over and over again.
Keep doing that movement as we begin to engage our senses.
So as you are doing your repetitive movement,
Notice what you can hear around you.
Try not to strain to hear.
Just let whatever sounds that are around you come to you.
It could be the sounds of birds chirping outside,
Or the sounds of cars driving by.
Maybe it's the sound of your fridge humming,
Or your fan blowing.
If you're tapping or rubbing something,
Curiously observe the sounds of that movement.
Is the sound hollow or full?
Quiet or loud?
Whatever it is,
Just listen and be curious about the sound.
And now,
Notice what you can feel.
Perhaps you notice the sensation of your shirt on your skin.
Or if you are rubbing a material,
See if you can observe what the material feels like under your fingers.
Is it rough?
Smooth?
Silky?
Hard or soft?
Cool or warm to the touch?
If you're tapping,
Notice what the sensation of your hand or foot tapping feels like.
Does the surface you're tapping feel hard,
Bouncy,
Or flexible?
Whatever sensations come up for you,
Just notice them as curiously as you can.
Try not to judge or change the sensations.
Just notice them and let them be.
And now,
As you continue your stimming,
Take a look around you and notice an object that you can see in your environment.
Maybe it's something in the room around you.
Maybe you look out a window and observe the leaves on a tree outside,
A car on the road,
Or a dog being walked.
Perhaps you observe the bracelet or clothing item you are stimming with,
Or your hand or foot as it moves rhythmically back and forth.
Whatever it is you observe,
Just see if you can be curious about it,
Like a zoologist observing a new species of animal.
Notice the object's unique shape.
Notice its texture.
Curiously observe any movement it makes.
Notice the color,
The size,
And all the details of the object that you can.
And all the while as you are observing,
Continue your stimming.
And to finish off this mindfulness practice,
Slowly release your attention from whatever object it was that you were observing.
Take a moment to complete a last few stimming movements.
And when you're ready,
You can release your stimming and return to your day.
