How to Meditate
Let me take you through a simple mindful meditation of mine. I have it transcribed below, but if you would prefer to listen, attached is a 10 min recorded guided meditation to help you ease gracefully into your meditation.
Enjoy,
Bella
—
How to Meditate Step By Step:
Find a comfortable place to sit either on a chair or on the ground.
Make sure your spine is straight and your gaze is forward and soft
Completely relax without losing your posture.
Place a hand over your heart and the other over your stomach
Step One: Breathe
Take three, grounding three-part diaphragmatic breaths.
Begin by inhaling through your nose all the way down into your belly
then into your diaphragm
lastly up into your chest
Hold for 3
Exhale out of your mouth beginning at your chest
Out your diaphragm
And then all the way out of your stomach pulling your navel in
Repeat 3 times
On the final exhale close your eyes.
Relax your hands on your legs.
Step Two: Observe
Observe what is around you through your sense of sound, smell, and touch. No judgements just observations.
Listen
First listen to every sound you can possibly hear, beginning with the loudest
Do you hear cars? Talking in the distance? The washing machine?
Is there music? Do you hear the air conditioning?
What about your breath? What about your heartbeat?
Smell
Smell the scents around you.
Sometimes you think you don’t smell anything but most of the time we just become used to smells and if you pay attention you may be able to articulate them.
Do you smell a candle burning? Food cooking somewhere nearby?
Are you outside, do you smell the grass or trees? The smell of your shampoo?
Feel
Feel what your body is in contact with.
How do your sit bones feel on the chair or floor? What about your feet on the ground?
How does gravity feel pulling you down? What about the air around you?
Does it feel cold or hot on your skin? How do your clothes feel touching your body?
Analyze these senses and observed to your contentment.
Step Three: Scan your body
Beginning either at the top of your head or at your toes.
Imagine a laser is scanning your body from both the front and the back.
Scan slowly and notice how each part of your body feels, try not to move.
What parts of your body are tense? How does your tummy feel?
Are your legs tired or restless? Do your arms have energy or are they lethargic?
Scan every inch of your body without breaking focus until you finish
Step Four: Turn your attention to your breath.
Try not to change your natural breathing rhythm.
First, where do you detect your breath most obviously?
Maybe in your nose and nostrils?
Some feel it grazing their upper lip.
Do you feel it in your chest?
Maybe you feel your waistline expanding and contracting under your pants.
Focus on the place you detect it easiest.
Notice the quality of your breath.
Does it feel strong? Deep?
Shallow? And soft?
Is it slow or fast or somewhere in between?
Feel the breath flow into your lungs and out of your body.
Consciously focus on your breathe.
Now just focus on your breath.
Thoughts will come into your mind without end.
Let them come without judgement.
And then let them go.
Come back to your breath.
Inhale and exhale.
Occasionally your mind will wander.
You’ll forget your breath, but you’ll notice after a second.
No worries or judgments, just come right back to your breath.
Just inhale.
Just exhale.
Step Five: Rest your mind.
For the next minute let your attention to your breath fade.
Remain still with your eyes closed.
Let your mind relax and think as it pleases.
Hear sounds around you if you’d like.
Notice your body.
Think about the thing that keeps coming back.
Whatever your mind wants to do, let it.
Step Six: Come back to your space.
Keep your eyes closed.
Deepen your inhales and exhales.
Inhale, roll your shoulders up
Exhale, gently lets them fall back and down.
Notice how your body feels now compared to before.
Blink your eyes open.
Give gratitude to your mind and body.
Slowly move your body again.
Your meditation practice is complete.
—
I hope you enjoyed that practice and hopefully begin to integrate mindful meditation into your daily life.
Bella
