Mindfulness is a conscious practice of calming the mind and coming into the body and the present moment, and its benefits are measureless. As someone who felt like I absolutely could NOT "meditate" most of my life, I have come a long way in both my understanding of mindfulness practices (how to do it) and my appreciation for them (how it can help).

 

Through my studies in yoga, Reiki, and Ayurveda, I have received the gift of multiple trainings that have helped me realize that even just 5 minutes a day to breathe and be in our bodies can make a transformative difference in our lives, from bringing groundedness and lessening anxiety to improving mental clarity, creativity, and quality of sleep.

 

Here's a brief and relaxing 5-minute mindfulness practice I recorded for you to give you something to support you taking that 5 minutes for your mental and creative health, whenever you like and wherever you are.

 

 

 👉  Listen to My 5-Minute Mindfulness Recording Here.

 

 

 

 

 

SEE BELOW FOR A TRANSCRIPTION OF THE RECORDING

 

This is a guided mindfulness practice that you can do anytime throughout your day to calm the mind, calm the nervous system, feel more grounded, and help your whole being come back into alignment where you can better solve problems and come up with meaningful creative work. Plus it feels good to give your senses this break and your mind this guidance to drop in and feel supported amid all of the tasks and to-dos you are handling all day long every day. So let’s take this small gift of time, which is something that can do a whole lot of good for your mental clarity, sense of wellbeing, and even your ability to wind down and get good rest at the end of the day, just because you made time earlier for this practice.

 

First, find a comfortable place to sit or lie down. Allow your eyes to close, and take a deep breath in through the nose, and release it out through the mouth with a sigh. Take a few more long, slow breaths here, just coming into your body. This is a moment just for you, and in it is the nourishment of space and rest, which nurture and refresh your whole being.

 

On your next inhale, breathe deeply into your belly, allowing the diaphragm to expand outward and the belly to rise. You might like to place a hand over your diaphragm or solar plexus to just feel this gentle rise of the body as you inhale, and the gentle fall as you exhale. Release any tension in your face. Release any tension in your jaw. Maybe gently roll your neck over to one side, and slowly allow your head to rotate downward and over to the other side. Breathe in as you reach one side, and breathe out as you slowly rotate through the middle to the other side. Inhale again here, and exhale returning your head to center.

 

As you breathe here, visualize a soft, glowing, warm light gently flowing down through the crown of your head, flowing into your body, bringing rejuvenation and relaxation first to your scalp and forehead, then down through your jaw and neck, flowing down each shoulder and arm all the way to your fingertips, bringing a deep sense of love and calm. Feel this warm light flow down through your chest and back, down through your core, hips, and down each leg through to the soles of your feet. As light flows out of your body, it takes with it any tension, worries, or thoughts into the ground, grounding you and freeing you to just be. More light is flowing slowly down through the crown of your head and down through the body, connecting you to higher consciousness, benevolence, and universal guidance, as it flows down through every cell of your body and out through your feet, leaving you feeling deeply peaceful and refreshed. 

 

Now bring your attention to the center of your chest, the heart center. Light is flowing in and glowing here as your chest and heart bloom open, which feels like a deep sense of compassion for yourself and for all beings. You are loved. You are grounded. You are guided. You are steady. You deserve every kindness just for being alive, and you can receive good things with total ease. This light inner calm washing over you is available to you anytime and anywhere, and you can access it easily through bringing your awareness to your breath.

 

Take a deep inhale now, and exhale, slowly becoming more aware of the surface beneath you, of the sounds in the space around you, of the feeling of the air entering your lungs and the light you can sense through your eyelids. Rub your hands together back and forth a few times to generate some warmth between them, and then place a cupped hand loosely over each of your eyes. Flutter your eyes open inside your hands, and slowly, as your eyes adjust to the light, remove your hands. Take another deep breath, and feel calm and refreshed. Slowly rise and return to your day.

 

Please feel free to use this recorded mindfulness practice anytime you’d like support in making some space to come into your body, to cultivate calm, and become present. If you enjoyed this practice, let me know. I love to hear from you, and I welcome any requests for future audio recordings too. Message me directly on Instagram @nectar_and_bloom or email me personally at jen@nectarandbloomfloral.com. I look forward to practicing with you again soon.

 

 

 

 

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