Good afternoon,
Good evening,
Whatever time you're listening to this,
I am so grateful to have you here.
My name is Steph,
And this is a 15-minute guided meditation intended to help you find calm during an overwhelming day and return home to yourself.
Whether you're stressed from work or just simply need a moment to reset,
This meditation will help you bring yourself to a state of calm so you can return to your day with a sense of balance and ease.
Connecting with ourselves can be challenging sometimes,
Right?
Especially when we're overwhelmed.
We're always on the go,
Thinking about our next task,
Our next destination,
The responsibilities on our plate.
But as Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh said,
Your true home is in the here and now.
So let's use this moment to put everything away and bring ourselves back to the present moment,
The here and now.
Whatever tasks you need to get done,
Or whatever is overwhelming you,
Can wait.
This is your time to put it all down.
Let's begin our meditation by finding a seated position that feels the most supportive to you.
If you're listening to this,
That's your office,
Perhaps that's in your office chair.
If you're outside,
Taking a break,
Getting some fresh air,
Maybe that's at the park under a quiet tree.
Maybe you're sitting in your parked car.
Or maybe you're working from home in the comfort of your living room.
Wherever you are,
Allow yourself to truly be there.
And now,
As you settle down into this present moment,
Just allow yourself to gently close your eyes and find stillness as you begin to observe your breath.
Taking a deep breath in,
And holding it at the top for 3,
2,
1,
And then slowly releasing it as you continue to settle into this moment.
And now,
I invite you to begin visualizing a place of calm where you can breathe in peace and slowly exhale stress.
Breathe in peace and slowly exhale stress.
The place you're visualizing can be a beach,
A meadow,
Or even your room.
All it needs to be is a place of stillness and happiness,
A place that brings you joy,
A place that makes the corners of your mouth turn upward.
Imagine that you are safe in this place,
That there is an invisible wall around it that will not permit any worries or negative thoughts to step through.
You are safe and you are shielded from these thoughts and worries.
With your eyes still closed,
Just gently opening your third eye and maybe seeing yourself as you truly are,
In your truest essence,
Without the weight of what's challenging you.
Can you see this calmer version of yourself?
What do you look like?
Imagine yourself sitting peacefully in that place of calm.
Where are you?
What do you see?
What do you hear?
What do you feel?
Are there any distinctive smells?
As you sit here in this relaxed setting,
Can you feel yourself becoming calmer?
Becoming softer?
Can you feel your shoulders drop?
Your heart rate slow?
As you continue to sink into this peaceful moment,
I invite you to take another deep breath,
Inhale,
And as you exhale,
Picture all your worries and all your problems just flowing away with your breath as you continue to find stillness in this relaxing place that you are imagining.
Focusing again on the sounds and the sights that you see with your third eye.
Feeling the ground beneath you rise up to hold you,
To support you.
Taking another deep breath through your nose.
Letting the air fill your nostrils,
Your throat,
Your lungs,
And now gently letting it out.
As you rest in this state of equanimity and calm.
Just taking a moment here to sit in this experience,
To sit in the softness,
To sit in the calm,
To sit in the ease,
Free of anything that happened before this moment.
Relishing in the moment of just being here.
And now,
Taking a little part of that peaceful place with you into the rest of your day.
Begin to move your body in slow,
Gentle movements,
Maybe you sway side to side,
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
As you slowly begin to open your eyes.
Knowing that you can return to this meditation as often as you need to be ground and reset.
And remember that calmness and peace are just a deep inhale away.
Thank you for meditating with me.
My name is Steph and it's been a pleasure.
I'll see you next time.
