Pulse Points Meditation For Middle School Students: The Adventures Of Super Stretch

As we sit here and give ourselves like 20 minutes to just chill and relax and breathe,

What I wanted to focus on is our pulse point.

And today as we focus on our meditation,

We have this incredible rhythm of consciousness in our body.

And it's so nice to step away from the line and it's so nice to have the opportunity to just really sit and be present.

But a lot of times what happens when we are running around and super super busy or accommodating our customers and our clients,

We don't really have the opportunity to tap into the fact that our peace is in our pulse.

So we're going to do some different kind of fun pulse breathing exercises to just chill out and relax.

And the best thing about our pulse is that,

You know,

A lot of people think,

Oh it's just the rhythm of your heart,

But it's an energy,

It's our sensations,

And it allows us to kind of tune back in versus being really distracted and busy.

Right?

Busy is such a crazy word.

Because when we think we're busy or we say the word busy,

Then we already start getting really super anxious.

And what we want to do is be able to be relaxed and calm and be present to that incredible rhythm and sensation and energy within our bodies.

So you ready to try some fun stuff?

Awesome.

So the sunshine's fantastic if you all want to turn and even like face the sunshine you're welcome to,

Or if you feel it on your shoulders and your back.

Let's soften into this seat that we're on.

And I don't know about all of you,

But I have a really bony boomba.

So I have to carry around like a cushion when I sit on seats like this.

So kind of sway a little bit from side to side,

Move the fleshy part of the skin away.

And then you kind of sit deep into this moment.

What's interesting about our breath and what's interesting about kind of rooting down with your behind is,

Have you ever seen like a lotus flower?

And how lotus flowers are so beautiful on top,

But what you don't really realize is that they root down into this gunk and mire and kind of crap.

And it's the busyness and we're trying to find the beauty even though we have this kind of gunk and stuff that we might rise up from.

So there's a funny saying,

No mud,

No lotus.

You kind of have to have that kind of like gunk,

But you can always rise up and find that beauty in the lotus flower.

So when we put our behinds to the ground,

I always think of anybody plant or a gardener.

And your buns,

The bony part of your behinds are called sitz bones,

But they're also in the anatomy books called ischial tuberosities.

And when you plant and you're a gardener,

You put a tuber in the ground like a bulb and then it rises up and it grows from that dirt.

And that's why kind of moving around and swaying side to side into your seat allows you to really connect to settling in so that you can rise up to your best self.

So let's start off by taking and anybody a lefty?

You're a lefty?

Alright,

Lefties.

So lefty is going to touch their right pulse and righties are going to touch their left pulse point in their arm.

And if it's too uncomfortable to feel it on the wrist,

Then take and even bring your hand towards your neck.

When I work with kids,

They start going like this,

So please don't strangle yourself.

This is a gentle,

Calm touch.

You know,

Kids are so funny when they do that.

But what I want you to do,

Even though there's like sights and sounds and things going on around us,

Can you close your eyes,

Let go of the busyness of where you're at and start to literally just listen to your pulse.

Every inhale is peace and compassion.

And every exhale,

You're really giving yourself an opportunity to touch the vibration within.

This pulse reading allows you to connect with the ebb and flow of the moment.

No forcing,

No judging.

You're just listening to the sensations,

Feeling the pulse,

And tapping into that source within.

You're literally starting to listen to the spaces between your heartbeats as you find this restful alertness.

And as you tap into this restful alertness,

You're listening and you're improving your focus,

Your clarity,

Your inner calm.

Feel the toes as they're in the shoes and notice them settling in.

Feel the understanding of the breath as it moves its way up your calves.

Feel the simplicity of the breath as your thighs relax.

Inhaling and exhaling,

Really tap into that inner calm as you transform your life with this simple sensation of your pulse.

With the peace of the pulse,

Begin to notice your sitz bones in the chair.

Sense the ease as your low back relaxes into that source of your heartbeat.

Observe your spine,

Just like a beautiful lotus flower stem rising up,

Lengthening,

And reaching towards the sunshine.

Inhale and exhale into this simple awareness,

This ebb and flow of your breath.

And as you breathe a little bit deeper,

Really start to observe how the ebb and flow of your breath starts to create more space.

Feel your pulse slowing down as your heart becomes lighter and you're really feeling mental space and physical space and lightness.

Every inhale and every exhale is deep,

Long and strong.

Every inhale and every exhale is finding more extension,

More space,

More comfort.

Feel the simplicity of the current of energy as it warms literally your heart.

And as your thoughts start to slow down and you tap into this peaceful practice,

Feel your body reframing.

Wherever you were before this morning,

Wherever you're going later today,

You are just listening simply to the inhales and the exhales that bring you deeper into the source of this restful alertness.

Feeling the pulse,

Feeling your heart beating,

Notice how you are literally slowing down and inspiring yourself to just be.

With this calm,

Easy feeling,

Sense your shoulders releasing any congestion and tightness.

Feel the warmth of the breath as the pulse moves through your neck.

Your tongue relaxes in your mouth so that your jaw releases any tension.

And you really feel the rhythm of your pulse point and the rhythm of your heart is offering you peace.

Feel this inner calm as your jaw relaxes,

Calming your entire nervous system.

And you are just riding the waves of your heartbeat with grace,

With acceptance,

With awareness.

Inhaling and exhaling,

Notice the brain literally letting go of thought as you find that incredible inner calm and rhythm of your heart.

And listen.

I am peaceful.

I am compassion.

I am thriving.

Enjoy this silence.

As you feel the palpitation of your heart.

The power of the blood and the oxygen.

As this energy offers you peace.

Vitality.

Radical kindness.

And really sense it in the spaces between your pulse.

And really sense it through this body-mind connection that you've created.

Like a beautiful lotus flower,

You've risen up from that muck and mire of the noise around you.

The activity of the day.

To really just tune in and listen with awareness to your true nature.

Bright,

Blossoming.

Like a lotus flower,

Shining brightly on the lake on a dewy morning.

Feel this radiance.

Feel this brilliance.

As you inhale and exhale.

Feel this beauty.

As you literally enjoy your pulse,

Your heartbeat,

And the simplicity of awareness that brings you to restful alertness.

And gently and calmly begin to find some movement in your toes.

Feel that rhythm of the heartbeat as they wiggle about.

Maybe click your heels to the ground as your legs become active and even sway them from side to side.

And then taken real softly as your legs relax in your seat,

Bring your hands to your heart.

Your palms touch,

Offering and demonstrating how you can create balance in a very imbalanced scenario.

Like sitting outside to create a pulse point meditation.

Feel that equanimity you've created and start to rub your palms together back and forth and back and forth.

Creating heat in your hands.

And with the heat in your hands,

Keep your eyes closed and just gently brush your,

Interlace your fingers together as the palms stay brushed together.

With your next exhale,

Feel your hands press down as if you're pushing all the air out of your body.

Fingers interlaced,

Hands reach down.

Inhale,

Reach your arms up high to the sky.

And slowly stretch over to the right.

Breathing deeply.

Feel your buns firmly planted in the chair.

Inhale,

Back to center and exhale to the left.

Really luxurious stretch,

Creating more space in your heart and your ribs and your entire torso and all the systems that it holds onto.

Come on back to center.

And with your next exhale,

Just gently release your hands down.

Feel the tingling in the fingertips as the fresh oxygenated blood starts running through the arms and your hands just gently rest down on your lap.

And then real calmly,

With this nice integrity and ease you've created in your awareness practice,

Start to open your eyes.

Feel a smile in your heart and feel this really,

Really nice space that you've created.

And when I talk to kids,

I always go,

Very good,

Very good,

Yay.

You did a good job.

Did you all notice how it got like quiet around us?

Mm-hmm.

That was pretty wild.

We created our own like little bubble.

I didn't know but I was just in the zone.

You were just in the zone?

Yeah.

Did anybody else have any interesting awareness that they felt?

Did you notice your pulse like slowing down?

Did you notice anything else interesting?

I like the sun.

You like the sun?

Yeah,

The outside.

Oh,

It feels really good,

Yeah?

So now you're all energized and ready to have a fantastic,

Fantastic morning.

So thank you for hanging out and breathing and taking some time.

Thank you.