Since the free app that I recommended for my curriculum guided meditations, Stop, Breathe & Think, went out of business earlier this year, I want to offer some lovely alternatives for you to use instead. I love this nurturing meditation by Jonathan Fishler. Feel free to read this aloud in the group, which may be more time efficient if there are fussy babies present, or click on the link to access the free audio available on mindful.com
“ Find a comfortable position. Adjust your posture to bring a little bit more comfort in. Set the spine upright and relaxed. Take a few nice deep breaths into the abdomen, filling up the belly and exhaling slowly. Take a deep breath in through the nostrils. As you breathe out, let your eyes gently close or gaze softly in front of you. Arrive fully in this moment. Let go of thoughts or stories as we return back into this body.
Feel into the soles of your feet or wherever your body makes contact with your seat. Notice any sensations, any vibration, pressure, tingling in your body. Feel a sense of support from the ground or seat beneath you. Shift your attention to your thighs and feel gravity pulling you down slightly. You may remember that you’re supported and safe in this moment.
Now, bring awareness to your shoulders. Allow a sense of relaxation and softness throughout your body. Bring attention to the space between the eyes and the muscles of the face and jaw, just allowing them some kindness now. Allow them to relax. Listen into the space around the heart. Listen deeper into the space of the heart.
Ask yourself: What am I needing most? See what arises. Perhaps it’s a sense of calm or balance. Or maybe it’s growth or strength or self-trust. Perhaps it’s a sense of connection. Maybe it’s love. Whatever it is, allow that intention to grow in strength. Allow that intention to fill up the space of the heart. Like a golden light, let it fill up the space of the chest. Allow that intention to find what you are most needing right now to fill up your body.
Let your intention spill out beyond you. And in this next moment, offer yourself some compassion. Compassion for the challenges that you’ve faced and continue to face. Offer yourself a sense of ease, a sense of nurturing. See whether you can begin to treat yourself like you would treat a child or a close friend who is going through a difficult moment. And in any difficult moment asking yourself: Can I simply be kind to myself right now? Even in this moment of uncertainty, pain or discomfort, even in this moment of fear.
Now, let go of that intention. Come back into the body, into the environment, feeling supported by your feet on the floor or your thighs on the chair. Offer some gratitude to your body sitting here breathing, and gratitude for the community that is sitting here together. Just breathing. Just being with a sense of connection. When you’re ready, gently open your eyes and bring some movement back into your shoulders, fingers, and hands, if that feels right.”