Hello,
And welcome to this mindfulness meditation for a stressful day.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable position,
Either sitting or lying down.
You can close your eyes or softly gaze downwards,
Allowing your body to relax into the moment.
Now take a slow,
Deep breath in through your nose,
Feeling your belly rise.
Hold the breath for a moment,
And then slowly exhale through your mouth.
Allow tension to flow out with your breath.
Take these deep breaths two more times,
Breathing deeply in and exhaling fully.
Allow each breath to ground you into this moment.
Now gently bring your attention to how your body is feeling in this moment.
Just notice any areas of tightness or discomfort.
You don't need to change anything,
Simply acknowledge whatever it is that you feel.
Now begin again to follow the natural rhythm of your breath,
And as you inhale,
Notice the air as it fills your lungs,
And as you exhale,
Notice how the body softens,
Maybe releasing what it no longer needs.
As you settle into the breath,
Gently bring your attention to the thoughts that might be swirling in your mind.
Maybe it's your stress,
The tasks ahead,
The challenges of the day.
It's okay to acknowledge these thoughts,
But now picture them like clouds in the sky.
You see them,
And they slowly pass by.
You don't need to chase after them or hold on to them,
Just allow them to float in and out of your awareness.
And again,
Guide your attention gently back to the breath.
Allow each inhale to be an invitation to return to the present moment,
And each exhale as a slow,
Gentle release of something that might be weighing you down.
Now let's begin to focus on the word calm.
As you breathe in,
Silently say to yourself,
I am breathing in calm,
And as you exhale,
Say to yourself,
I am breathing out stress.
Just let this rhythm guide you,
Breathing in calm and breathing out stress.
Imagine your body becoming lighter and your mind clearer with each breath.
And now take a moment to set an intention for your day.
Reflect on what quality you want to bring into your day.
Maybe it's calm,
Maybe it's patience,
Perhaps something else.
Just take a deep breath in,
Breathing in this intention,
And as you exhale,
Imagine this quality flowing through your entire body,
Preparing you for whatever the day brings.
As we come to the end of this meditation,
Just take this moment to simply be resting in this state of awareness,
Knowing that you can return to your breath and to this feeling of calm at any point during your day.
When you're ready,
Slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes,
And then gently open your eyes,
Bringing this sense of calm with you as you move into your day.
