Hello,
And welcome to our standing meditation practice.
So every time we practice mindful meditation,
We choose an anchor for our attention.
And having an anchor gives us something to come back to when our attention begins to drift away.
So today,
Our anchor will be the sensations in our feet and our legs.
So as we shift our weight side to side,
We can think of the words,
I have arrived.
And this helps us to invite our attention to linger on the sensations in our feet.
And as you notice thoughts arising,
See if you can welcome them in,
And maybe note a couple and label them planning or remembering,
For example.
And then gently and kindly return to your curiosity and getting to know the sensations in your feet from a beginner's mind perspective.
So let's get started.
Go ahead and find a standing position.
And if you're going from sitting to standing,
Just notice what that transition is like.
Does your heartbeat change?
Does your breath change?
And we'll just take a slow,
Deep breath together in through the nose,
And slowly out through the mouth.
Then just allow your feet to be about hip width apart.
Feel that strong,
Supportive base of your feet.
And then notice if your body is leaning forward or leaning back,
And see if you can find your center.
Allow the tailbone to tuck under a little bit,
Which allows more length in the spine.
Just feeling that length from the tailbone all the way up through the top of your head.
And as you take your next deep breath,
Just bring your shoulders up toward your ears,
Just shrugging those shoulders.
And as you exhale,
Bringing those shoulders down,
Melting them away from your ears.
And just allow your arms and hands to be heavy by your sides,
Just inviting the whole body to rest.
And noticing how you feel.
How does your mind feel in this moment?
Is it relaxed or busy?
Sleepy?
Restless?
And how's your mood?
How are your emotions?
Are there any emotions present?
Just checking in.
And then checking in with your body,
Noticing any sensations as you scan from the top of your head all the way down to your toes.
Just checking in with the body and noticing any sensations that draw your attention.
Taking your time,
Checking in with the body.
And then bringing your attention down to your feet.
And feeling the soles of your feet connected to the ground.
Noticing if there's more weight on your heels or your toes.
Maybe rocking back and forth a few times just to feel the weight shift from the front to the back of your feet.
And then find center again,
Feeling your weight supported by the ground.
And we're gonna slowly shift our weight to the right foot.
Just noticing how that right knee probably bends as all your weight goes in.
As all your weight goes into that right side.
And then take a deep breath here.
And as you exhale,
Just pouring your weight over to the left side.
Feeling that left knee maybe bend.
And taking another deep breath here.
And as you exhale,
Pouring that weight over to the right.
And then pouring the weight over to the left.
So let's continue like this,
Just shifting our weight side to side,
Slowly,
Slowly.
And maybe adding in the words,
I have.
Let you practice this on your own just for a few more moments.
Staying connected with curiosity to the sensations in your feet and your legs.
And again,
Welcoming any thoughts that arise.
Noting them,
Planning or thinking.
And then coming back to your feet and your legs.
And when you're ready,
Just finding center again,
Finding stillness.
Feeling that length in your spine.
Noticing sensations in your chest,
Your heart,
Your belly.
And noticing if your feeling of presence has shifted at all since we started.
So you can take this practice into your daily life by just walking a little more slowly,
Maybe from one point to another.
Slowing down is a really helpful way for us to be more present,
Be more in the moment.
So thank you so much for your practice and I'll see you back here soon.
