To listen to the guided version of this meditation, please click here.
Today, I want to guide you through a moving meditation.
Often, we think of meditation as having to be super still, seated, or lying down. There is definitely a time + place for that + benefit to it. We don’t spend enough time in stillness. But today I want to invite you to really tap into your body’s sensations + maybe move around a little stuck energy in the body.
A lot of my work revolves around pain… so if you’re here for that reason, this will be really enjoyable I hope!
As always, listen to your body! Here we go.
Come to a seat - on the floor, on a chair, or on the edge of your bed. Find as much comfort as you can.
We’ll just start to sway - side to side. What I love about this practice is there’s no one to look at. So YOU get to create this practice + make up what the words mean to you. It’s your body, your practice - so you dictate the intensity, the movements, etc.
So let’s take a big inhale through the nose, big sigh out the mouth. Let it go.
Two more like that.
Now, start to take the shoulders around in circles. As I say that - your thought may be to take the shoulders up to the ears, down, back, + around. Or maybe you want to make big circles with the shoulders around the hips - kind of like you’re hula hooping with the top half of the body.
You can continue with those cleansing breaths - in through the nose, out of the mouth. Or I invite you to tap into your Ujjayi breath. Try to match the length of the inhale to the exhale - 3 or 5 seconds. Continue breathing in + out of the nose. Create just a little constriction at the back of the throat. Think of the motions it would take to fog up a mirror or make an “h” sound. Keep the mouth closed.
Now, we’ll come upright to a seat at center. Close the eyes if you’re comfortable. Notice any shifts or different sensations in the mind + body + breath.
Keep your awareness on the deep, intentional inhales, easy exhales.
Set up for a little twist here. We’ll gently move side to side - left to right. So from center, take a twist over the right shoulder. Depending on where you’re sitting - that left hand can come to your knee, the chair, etc. Right hand behind you. Big breath in + out.
We’ll repeat that twist to the left. Same setup - twist + the right hand can land to support you. Deep breath in + out here. Then head back to center.
We’ll take a few rounds like this - moving right to left. Notice the connection of breath + movement. Take three twists to each side.
If you’re comfortable, close the eyes. Take a moment here in the stillness to scan your body. Without judgment, notice any shifts in your physical body. Maybe there have been some shifts in your state of mind. Maybe you feel a little lighter or the body feels more at ease. Maybe not - and that’s okay too!
Bring the arms up overhead as you breathe in. Exhale - bring the arms down to rest on the Earth (or the chair). Repeat: inhale - lift the arms, exhale - arms come down. A few more times.
Now take a moment to move intuitively or organically for the head + neck. Roll the head around or look side to side. Roll the shoulders if you need to.
Start to orient yourself back to the room. Open your eyes + notice your surroundings. First, observe what you are seated on. Then slowly start to notice colors or sounds in the room. Are there smells?
Depending on your setup, you may want to extend the legs. Start to scrunch the toes - like you’re trying to squish a towel underneath the toes. Bring them in + then letting those toes release back out. Maybe start to roll the ankles some.
Notice as you looked around the room, did you lose that connection with the breath? That’s ok. It’s normal! Can you bring your attention back to the breath?
Let the feet rest. Take a deep breath in + out. Sit tall + firm.
Find a gentle movement forwards + backwards for the spine here. Maybe taking a seated cat cow… You can inhale, bring the chest forward + arch the back. Exhale, round the spine. Repeat 2-3 more times.
Check in without judgment. No labels needed - not good or bad. Just “hmmm, interesting”. Maybe you can simply say, “I feel different”.