Merry Christmas 2018!
Here is a 10 Minute ‘Goodwill’ Guided Breathing Meditation for you to enjoy over the festive season and beyond.
You can stream online below, or if you wish to download and practise offline please click on the arrow in the top right-hand corner, this will then save the file to your device for offline use.
In the first five minutes, we are going to bring our attention to the natural sensation of the breath following its flow as it enters and leaves our body.
In the second five minutes we are going to wish goodness and health for ourself now and in the future. Then we are going to turn our attention around and send our goodwill to the people in our life, society and across the world.
Combining this goodwill feeling with our breath helps to keep us focused and concentrated.
Please sit in a comfortable position.
Relaxing your hands in your lap or on your legs.
Take a few moments to gather your attention to where you are.
Whatever has happened in the past.
Whatever you need to do later.
Leave to one side.
Start to notice your breath.
As it comes into your body and as it leaves.
Try to follow its natural flow.
Whatever is happening to our breath try to become aware of it.
Allow yourself to start to unwind as you connect with its flow.
Take your time to settle into this calm space.
Using your breath to heal your body.
Let go of any tension that has built up.
As you start to connect with the breath, allow your body to relax.
Allow your hands to loosen and your shoulders to drop
Settling into the present moment.
Not needing to rush anywhere.
Give yourself the opportunity to become mindful.
Try to notice the entire journey of your breath around your body.
As you breath in allow your face to loosen.
Allow a gentle smile to appear.
All tension around your face and forehead starts to unravel as you breath in.
We are starting to become the calm within the storm of this busy world. Now we are beginning to find our calm.
We deserve to be mindful and live our life fully.
Focus on this blissful sensation of the breath: just the inhalation and the exhalation.
As we start to settle into our meditation, we can now add the goodwill element to our practice.
As we breathe in we can reflect:
May I be well
May I be present
May I be peaceful.
We direct these words, these gentle thoughts to our self.
May I find freedom and peace in my life.
Gently focusing on the in-breath.
Direct these thoughts to who we are now and who we will be in the future.
May I be well.
May I be mindful.
May I find peace in my life.
Connecting with that natural in-breath, we focus.
Turning our attention outwards
We consider the people in our life, family, society, and across the world.
We extend the feeling of good will to them.
May you be well.
May you be mindful.?May you be peaceful.
As we breathe out, we extend these wishes to others.
Focusing on the out-breath.
May you be well,
May you be mindful.
May you be peaceful.
Then we can start to combine the two practices.
Breathing in and generating goodwill to ourself.
May I be well
May I be mindful
May I be peaceful.
Breathing out extending to others.
May you be well
May you be mindful
May you be peaceful.
As the session comes to a close, we can reflect on how we can carry this practice into our daily life when we rise from our meditation.
Thank you for practising and have a wonderful day.