Hello everyone,
Welcome.
My name is Leah and I am going to be guiding you through your meditation today.
And today I want to remind you that if at any time during this meditation your mind and thoughts arise,
That that is okay.
Allow the thought to pass like a gentle breeze and then bring your awareness back to your breath.
So let's get started.
Make your way to a comfortable seat.
You can be lying down.
And if you're sitting on a chair,
Place both feet on the ground.
Bring your shoulders back,
Create a long spine.
Close your eyes and begin to fall inward.
I want you to concentrate on the sound of my voice.
Begin to take filling in deep breaths,
Letting go of all external worries,
Letting go of the day and allowing this time for yourself.
Begin to notice.
Begin to notice the different sounds around you,
The sounds of the world,
The sounds of my voice,
The sound of the music,
Maybe even the sound of your own breath.
All of these things we take notice to arrive to a place free of judgment.
Really observe how the mind is feeling,
How the body is feeling and honoring that place.
Is the mind or the body tired?
Is it energized?
Is it in pain?
Is it tense?
Simply observe and breathe in to those feelings.
And in this moment you give the mind and the body the gift of stillness,
The gift of rest.
And in doing so you give the spirit the gift of freedom.
Freedom to be felt,
Freedom to be tended to.
With every inhale your stomach goes out.
With every exhale your stomach sinks back down feeling a deep sense of relaxation,
A deep sense of relief.
With every inhale you breathe in possibility,
Opportunity,
Abundance.
And with every exhale you return them into the earth with gratitude for them crossing your path.
With each inhale and exhale soften the body.
Relax the face,
Soften the brow.
Allow your tongue to fall behind your bottom teeth.
Relax the neck.
On your next inhale breathe in,
Exhale relax your shoulders down.
Maybe you feel the corners of your mouth begin to lift.
Creating a slight smile with the relaxations of your face muscles.
Falling deeper into awareness of yourself,
Your feelings,
Your physical being.
With every inhale and every exhale falling deeper into relationship with your mind,
With your body,
And with your spirit.
And when you are ready,
Taking a moment to notice where you're at.
To notice how it feels to be in this state.
To notice how our heart responds to our stillness.
And maybe it manifests as happiness.
Maybe it has created more energy.
Maybe the body wants more rest.
Maybe you feel overwhelmed with emotion.
Just as one step further may release tears from your eyes.
And that's okay.
You are safe to feel.
I'm here.
It is okay.
You are safe.
Allow yourself to feel whatever comes up.
When you're ready,
Come back to your breath.
Inhale for the count of 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
One more time.
Inhale 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Exhale 5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Our lives can be filled with anxiousness,
With doubt,
With worry.
And it is here in meditation that we are able to be still.
Able to turn down the volume,
The noise of life and listen to our minds and our hearts.
Thank you for showing up today.
For tending to your need for stillness.
And I'll leave you today with a passage from The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
I took a deep breath and I listened to the old brag of my heart.
I am,
I am,
I am.
Inhale who you are.
Exhale and share it with the world.
You are what you believe you are.
Thank you guys for practicing with me.
Thank you for showing up for yourself today.
