Welcome to this 10-minute guided meditation.
It is my privilege to be with you during this practice as you take time to show your self-care and compassion.
This practice is suitable for beginners and is given with options so you can choose.
Each meditation experience is unique and it's important that we take care of ourselves when going within,
Especially for those of you with a history of trauma.
If something feels too activating that is suggested,
Please try the alternative options offered.
Check in regularly with your bodily sensations and if you feel overwhelmed or distressed,
Gently step away from the practice to ground yourself.
During meditation,
It's okay to work at a slow,
Gradual pace,
Taking part in the bits that feel possible for you wherever you are at today.
So let us begin.
Find a comfortable spot to sit either in a chair or on the floor.
Lengthen your spine so that you are upright and awake.
You might want to roll your shoulders back a couple of times just to help with that lengthening feeling that gives you a soft front and a strong back.
And you might want to close your eyes or if that doesn't feel good for you,
You can gently lower your gaze to softly focus on something in your eye line.
Sitting still is not for everyone,
So if you find that hard,
Instead I invite you to walk around your space,
Being mindfully present and slowly moving at a gentle pace.
For this practice,
We are going to use the sounds in the room as our anchor.
So just listen for a moment.
So just listen for a moment.
You might be able to hear traffic in the distance,
Birds singing,
The washing machine whirring,
Maybe people in another room speaking,
Low voices.
If you live in a city,
There might be more sounds.
Can you discern between them?
Try to make out what each one is.
Just notice.
Just notice and be with whatever's there.
If you are doing this practice late at night,
Perhaps there is very little noise to pick up.
The sound of your breathing,
Gently rising and falling is maybe the most distinct sound in the room.
Whatever you can read with your ears,
Just notice.
Notice what is here and use this as something to focus on and come back to throughout the practice.
Going off in the mind into stories and thoughts is completely different than just sitting still.
Going off in the mind into stories and thoughts is completely normal and expected.
That is what minds do sometimes.
Each time you find yourself drifting into thoughts,
Without judgment or blame,
Gently guide your attention back to the sounds you can hear in the room.
Become aware of the ground below you,
Either through the soles of your feet on the floor or the weight of your body on the chair or cushion beneath you.
Just really sit with that sensation of being held by the earth.
The earth is holding you.
It's holding all of us.
Allow yourself to soften and yield a bit more,
Safe in the knowledge that the earth has got you.
Feeling good enough is something that many of us find hard to allow ourselves to feel.
Life choices,
Things that have happened to us and around us,
Can cloud our access to the part of us deep inside that is always worthy,
Always deserving of love,
Care and compassion.
When others don't treat us well,
We can get caught in stories that something must be wrong with us,
Deep inside,
That we aren't good enough in there,
And so we must try harder,
Work harder,
Love harder.
We can get caught behaving in ways that are unkind to ourselves and others.
We can lose our way,
We can lose our way.
I invite you to take your hand and place it lovingly over your heart.
Or if you would like instead,
You can wrap your arm around your waist,
Like you are pulling yourself in for a warm hug.
Take a couple of deeper breaths here with me,
And tune back into the sounds of the room.
Know that you are good enough,
Deep down,
That you have nothing to prove,
Nothing to show the world that says you're good enough.
Good enough lives here,
In your heart.
You were born pure and wonderful.
Feel the hum of sensation in your body.
Begin to awaken the feeling,
The sensation of touch either over your heart or around your waist.
See how it helps you to access your aliveness,
Your knowing,
Your wisdom.
Your wisdom.
Love and compassion are what are needed now.
They are what are always needed.
I invite you to repeat the following phrases softly to yourself after me.
I am listening.
I care about you.
I will protect you.
I love you.
I am good enough.
Let those words wash over you.
Let them seep into your cells,
Deep into your bones.
Allow yourself to receive this care.
Let yourself be soft as you take it in.
Let's repeat those phrases one by one once more.
I am listening.
I care about you.
I will protect you.
I love you.
I am good enough.
I want you to know that you are not wrong or bad for not listening to your heart,
Not being able to access your body's knowing.
Perhaps no one taught you how.
Let me remind you of your worth in this moment,
Of your warmth,
Soft to the touch.
With loving awareness,
Allow yourself to be reminded of your worth.
You do not owe the world strength.
It is your birthright to be soft and tender sometimes,
To accept yourself just as you are in this moment,
Among the sounds.
Among the sounds,
The sound of my voice,
The sounds in the room,
And the earth holding you and the warmth of your body beneath your hand.
You are good enough,
Darling,
Truly.
Be reminded.
Allow yourself to be reminded.
So as we bring this practice to a close,
I invite you to gently wriggle your fingers and toes.
It might feel good to have a stretch or to sort of sway from side to side as we wake the body up,
If it's been still for a while.
And if you've had your eyes closed,
Gently open them once more to take in the room around you.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
I wish you well.
