MEditation

Inner resource meditation #2

Guided Meditation – Option 2

This meditation is more about feeling and finding experiences of “blue” in your body rather than connecting with inner or outer imagery or even just one basic sense of okayness. It’s in the style of somatic inquiry. This would also be a good meditation for Class 4 on Curiosity Week.  I might omit the part on the spine if the group seems especially dis-embodied.  If we make the landmarks hard to find it can result in frustration, and while a little frustration or resistance is okay, we don’t want to overwhelm anyone.  For similar reasons, I might also omit the feeling out into the class group – you need to gauge if that will be activating or interesting to the group in front of you.

So as always, take whatever time you need to make this experience as rich as possible. Set yourself up so that you feel easy and comfortable. If you want to place a blanket under your back, make sure that it’s flat and smooth, so there’s no crease or wrinkle that can disturb you. You can put a bolster under your knees, or a rolled blanket if that’s a better fit for your body. And you can cover yourself up with a blanket, or put a rolled blanket under your feet.

Once you have your props set up as you prefer them, begin to make your way onto the floor. Sit on the mat with your legs outstretched and use your arms for support as you slowly roll back on the floor. And then see what happens as your body begins to settle. Our bodies change from day to day, sometimes from moment to moment. What was the perfect setup for you yesterday might not be quite right today. Take some time to explore and experiment and work out what is comfortable. See if there’s one small shift you can make in your body that will allow you to settle even a fraction more deeply. Maybe move your arms a bit further from your sides, Maybe tuck your shoulder blades a little bit under. Remember that you can always shift later on if you feel the need to.

To the degree that feels right today, take a moment and start to feel into your experience.  Begin by feeling whatever it is you’re sitting or lying on.  Is it firm or squishy?  Smooth or bumpy?

Feeling the actual blankets or props is a reminder of the support that’s offered to you in this moment.  Feel the support behind your back, notice support beneath your legs.  Can you feel the ground beneath your feet.  Taking a moment to really feel the support, the ground beneath you.`

Take a moment to recognize that you chose your set up, chose your spot.  Noticing what that feels like -  the choice of support.  You might even press down or back with your body to really connect with the felt sense of the support beneath you, noticing the relationship to physical support that you have, right now.

And as you take that in, you might experience a deeper breath.  Simply noticing your breath here,  curious and friendly, has it changed just from feeling the support beneath you? 

And meeting whatever answer is here.  We don’t need to change what’s here, we just want to meet it. “Oh, I breathed more deeply”, or “Oh, my breath is shallow”.  You’re just noticing the state, no need to change it, just meeting it…meeting yourself.

As you’re ready, broaden your attention.  What’s it feel like to be you right now?  Notice what’s already flowing, alive, relaxed, vibrant, even okay within your body, where are your bits of blue?  Could be the tiniest speck.  Spending a moment resting there.  And if you’re finding nothing, that’s okay too, maybe just feel the supports beneath you again.

Notice any amount okayness.  Our systems are designed to notice what’s not okay.  It can be helpful to spend a moment noticing what actually is okay, right now. 

We’ll move attention through areas of the body.  You can notice whatever sensations are present – there may be something, or very little at all.  There’s nothing to force or to make happen.  We’re inviting  curiosity as we begin a brief, gentle conversation with our bodies. Remember that you can always opt out at any time, letting go of my voice and maybe returning to simply feeling the supports beneath you, or feeling your exhales or even opening your eyes if they’re closed.  This is your practice.

As you’re ready, invite your attention to move to your head, your neck.  Make any small movements here that you would like to.

Maybe sensing into the features of your head – your mouth, cheeks, eyes.  What’s it like to sense the expression on your face from the inside?

Sensing into your jaw.  Noticing tightness, and relaxed.  What’s here?  Again, just noticing it, maybe even welcoming it as a piece of information about you.  Like, “oh!  Something’s tight there.”  And just letting it know, “I get that.  I see it.”

Noticing your throat, your neck and shoulders,  What’s relaxed, flowing, alive?  And noticing what’s not.  Again, allow any small, gentle movements you want. 

Moving your attention to your spine.  Is it okay to trace the path of your spine from the inside?  What’s it like to start at the base of your skull where so many nerve attachments are located?  Making that little bit of contact with your attention.  As you notice the base of your head, the top of the spine, what happens? Does anything straighten?  Broaden? Relax?  Welcoming any shifts or changes that occur simply from placing your gentle attention there.

And then, when it feels right, trace down your spine vertebra by vertebra.  Slowly and gently sensing in.

Feeling the muscles of your back.  Noticing what feels supported, what feels open.  Acknowledging any places that feel strained or tight.  Gently noticing the state of you today.  It’s good to know all this.

At your command, invite your attention to move to the front of your body.  Sense your chest and heart. Noticing places here that are soft and open.  Feel free to rest into those places a bit if you’d like.

And acknowledging any places here that are tight and constricted, you might give them a little compassion.

Now bringing your attention to your belly.  Noticing any amount of being soft, at ease or settled here.

And, is there anything unsettled?  If so, bringing a little compassion – let it know, “I feel you, I’m aware of you.”

And noticing too, if that felt new - bringing compassion to your body.  And if it does, simply noting the impact of that.

Moving attention to your hips and pelvis, go gently.  You might sense in just the smallest amount and come back up toward your belly or higher to your ribs.  If it’s right for you though, you can settle into this area, letting your attention rest in your pelvic bowl. Really take a moment though to notice what’s right for you today. 

It’s important to have a relationship with your body that lets you know what’s wanted, what’s okay.  Does it want attention right now, or not so much?  Whatever the answer, we’re honoring that.

As you’re ready, invite attention into your arms and hands, your legs and feet.  Sensing what they are resting on.  Feeling your limbs, could be one at a time or all together.  Notice what’s relaxed, flowing, and what’s not.  Acknowledging all of it.

Feeling your way, find what’s most settled within you, most centered. And take a few moments to rest into that feeling.

When it feels right, begin to sense out into the room around you.  Is it okay to sense out to the group we create together.  Do you feel excitement or nerves?  Openness or Contraction?  Just recognizing these things is good.  You might welcome information regarding the effect of things on you – it’s good information to have.

And again, invite your attention to move to whatever feels most centered in you, and then start to move gently outward.  Become aware of the room, the space you’re sitting in.  Orienting to the room around you with your feeling sense and noticing, what happens within you when you connect with the space around you?  Expansion?  Relaxation?  Pleasure? Restriction?  Whatever’s arising, you can let it know, “hi, I feel you”. 

As you’re ready, you can open your eyes.  Inviting your head and neck to move so that you can look around the room.  If your eyes are interested in taking something in, pausing to look at it and notice what happens inside.  You might look out the windows even further out – noticing what happens in you when you look outside.  Sometimes looking further away sometimes lets our nervous system relax a little bit.