Hello and welcome.
Thank you for being here.
Meditation practice looks different for everyone.
Often when we begin our meditation journey,
We are unsure whether we are doing it right or not,
And forming a habit becomes difficult as we lack direction.
Please know that just taking the short time to listen to this meditation means that you are doing it right.
As your practice becomes a habit and your mind and soul become more accustomed to moments of stillness,
You may choose to experiment and expand and find a way which serves you on a deep and consistent level.
But this,
Too,
Is meditation.
There's no rush to this process.
You aren't taking a test.
You aren't in trouble.
Nobody will be angry with you if you don't succeed or don't get it right the first time.
In these moments of meditation that you take for yourself,
Know that you are safe.
You make the rules.
You are in control.
And you are not being selfish or indulgent for taking this time.
By taking this important time for yourself,
You are improving upon your life and will therefore show up more grateful,
Present,
And empathetic to those around you.
Meditation isn't only a gift you're giving to yourself,
But it's a gift that you will share with the world one interaction at a time.
This is why I genuinely thank you for being here.
It's a small yet significant step.
In this meditation,
I will guide you through simple mindfulness.
The goal will not be to stop all of your thoughts,
Merely to recognize that you can calm the mind and find peace by focusing on one small thing at a time.
Whenever you feel overwhelmed or anxious,
Know that focusing on being mindful of the small things in your surroundings can act as a reset button for your nervous system.
Simple yet highly effective.
Let's try it together.
Begin by sitting comfortably with your back straight,
If possible.
Remember,
This is not a test.
Any suggestion that I make is not a rule or a law.
You have permission to choose not to take my suggestions.
The goal is to get started,
Not to be perfect at it.
If you need to lie down,
That's all right too.
I'll continue with my suggestions and you can choose which to follow.
Once you're comfortable yet alert with an elongated spine,
Gently close your eyes.
If you have the urge to get up and move on to the next task in your day,
Take a deep breath and grant yourself permission to be still.
This is exactly where you're meant to be in this moment.
When you are finished,
You will have time for everything else.
You are worth the few minutes that it takes just to be still and present.
Now take a deep breath in,
Preferably through the nose,
And let it out in whichever way feels natural to you.
Breathe normally for now,
But I want you to focus on the sensations you feel through your breathing.
We're going to become mindful of small things.
This is part of what people mean when referring to mindfulness.
Keep your eyes closed and as you breathe in,
Feel the sensation of the air against your nostrils or mouth.
As you breathe out,
Note how the air has changed in temperature and humidity.
Is the air cold as it enters your nose?
Is it warm?
Do you feel the sensation of the air entering your lungs?
What is your body doing as you breathe?
Does your chest expand or maybe you expand from the belly?
We aren't making any judgments.
No right,
No wrong.
Just observing.
Does the air feel hot when you breathe out?
Does it make a sound as it exits your mouth or nose?
Observe these things for a few breaths while I give you a moment.
You're doing a great job.
Now try and detect any smells or scents in the air.
Become mindful of either the scents or the lack thereof.
Really focus on this for a little while longer.
If there are no obvious scents,
Are there any subtle smells at all?
If so,
What are they?
Try to identify them as you breathe.
It's okay if you can't.
It's also alright if you can't smell anything.
Smelling nothing is also a mindful observation.
Let's move on to our ears.
Sometimes we're so wrapped up in our own thoughts and stress that we forget to be mindful of our surroundings,
Including the sounds outside of our minds.
Continue your peaceful breathing and move your focus to your ears.
What sensations do you feel when bringing awareness to your ears?
Are you aware of the curves of the skin?
Can you feel your earlobes just by thinking about it?
As you breathe deeper,
Become mindful of the inside of your ears.
Do you feel any pressure against your ears?
Feel any buzzing frequencies?
Listen to your surroundings as closely as you possibly can.
What can you hear?
What sounds are closest to you in your surroundings?
Now observe what sounds you can identify from far,
Far away.
Can you identify them?
Good job.
Let's focus again on the sensation of the air as it enters past our nostrils or lips.
Become mindful of this once again and focus on the temperature and the texture of the air as you breathe it in and out.
Thank you for joining me in this practice in mindfulness today.
Try these simple tasks of being aware of your senses throughout your day.
Whenever you need to reset your energy,
It's easy to go back to just the simple breathing,
Just being aware of your breath.
There's so much more that we can cover with mindful meditation,
But these simple steps are a wonderful way to start.
