A follow up to the last meditation offers

Have you practised with one of the two or even both guided meditations I recommended in the last chapter of this mindfulness journey? Here are a few follow-up questions and ideas that you can ask yourself:

• How does it feel to take time for yourself? Especially when it’s harder to find?
• How does the body react to sitting or laying down, when you give yourself more space to observe what’s happening in and around you? That’s a particularly interesting question – do (stress) signals in the body, worries or thoughts stay the same? Or do they change, disappear or do new ones arise?
• Do you tense up or find relaxation when you’re focusing on the breath?

Let me tell you about my meditation approach

Letting go and welcoming in new experiences via the breath is a rewarding exercise, and one that I can always practise. No matter where I am or how I feel. I don’t need any additional tools or apps. And no one telling me what to do because it is so simple.

When you practise with me or join my guided online meditations you often hear sentences like “The breath is always with us.” or “The breath can be an anchor to the present moment, grounding you and keeping you safe.” And they are here for a reason. You dive into your own experience. You, let go of exhalations and welcome inhalations. With practice you find the breath to be your steady companion.

And in case that the breath is a challenging anchor for you? We explore other grounding points in the body, like feeling the feet or the back touching the ground beneath us.

Whatever helps us to stay present helps us be aware of our options and ability to act.

Finding choice and meaning in meditation

Things show up, stay for a while, leave for good.

• During meditations we warm up to the fact that we can look at things from a safe space. Even if it’s only during shorter moments. But it’s available to us, and it could be the beginning of exploring that in a longer and more present way!
• What are the things in life that you’d like to observe? To subsequently either let go off or pick up again?

• Both in meditation and life, what do you actually have to pick up again? Or let go?
• Realising that choice that you have – read that again – what does this fresh perspective mean to you now?

Let’s not overthink though

Sure, there might be a wish to understand and contextualise everything at this part of the journey. But let’s “simply” watch the breath, and perhaps anything else that’s going around us.

It’s more powerful and helpful to stick to the breath, this simple but effective rhythm, rather than allowing thoughts to overpower these real experiences.

Let’s keep it simple, and let’s not overdo it for now.

A short reminder to revisit the meditations from last time

Go ahead and find them here!

Did you enjoy the meditation on letting go, but ..

.. found it too long for a regular practice? At least it was to me when I saw that it was 30 minutes long. I guess you too need shorter and more accessible meditations?

Say no more. Let’s try again, with a shorter Awareness of Body and Breath meditation that lasts around 10 minutes and can be a great way to start your day.

Enjoy, and until next time!