In this guided meditation for mindfulness, find out the best scripts, how to do them, and why mindfulness is so important in today’s world.
Introduction
Meditation is one of the many practices of mindfulness. Then again, mindfulness is known to be an outcome of meditation. Whichever way you see it, one thing is certain –these spiritual and well-being practices are performed to connect deeper to peace, calmness and awareness.
If you want to direct your meditation practice into mindfulness, we recommend you delve into guided meditation. You will find support and discover ways to connect your awareness with fulfillment in tranquility and stillness. Mindfulness in meditation can be practiced and learned – we all can access it from within. In this article, we discuss how to go about achieving it.
Importance of Guided Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness keeps you present in a state of calm observance. We tend to get stressed and anxious about the past or the future, constantly going over the same images in our mind, planning, overthinking, imagining and repeating the same patterns in our thoughts. This may lead us to chronic stress and tension, sometimes without even noticing when and how we got it in the first place.
Mindfulness broadens your perspective and provides tools to observe life and find solutions rather than focus on helplessness and avoidance. We develop many thought patterns along the way, not all useful in supporting us on our path of self–discovery and peace. But what we have learned can be unlearned or transformed. Mindfulness brings space and light into the places we fear and has been trying to keep away from, which is the first step to change and recovery.
Mindfulness brings us to understand the nature of control we have over our lives and how to approach it with acceptance and gratitude. We stress over unexpected outcomes whenever something does not go how we wanted it to and when our efforts have gone to waste. These feelings are entirely normal and are there to teach us patience and gratitude for what we already have. Mindfulness allows us to be more open to changes, even “failures,” which may be seen as another path of learning and growing.
Mindfulness matters to all of us, even if we have not yet been practicing and taking care of it. The moment we reach out for more knowledge and learning is when our practice begins.
Methods to Achieve Mindfulness
As with any other well-being and spiritual practice, there are specific exercises and ways to practice mindfulness. We are all different and there is no one right way to practice and discover oneself in mindfulness. Below we will talk about how we can achieve mindfulness and find tranquility in our past, present and future.
Start the Day with an Intention
The first moments after you wake up are an important space where you can practice profound and clear mindfulness. Beginning the day with a few deep breaths in a relaxed position and setting an intention is a great step to practicing mindfulness.
An intention could be a thought, mantra or phrase we would like to incorporate into our life. It could be as general as “Today, I intend to speak kindly to myself and others.” Or “Today, I intend to be more mindful and aware.” You can choose any subject that needs attention to focus your intention on.
Eat and Drink – Mindfully!
In the busyness of life, we tend to rush through the things we do – including our meals. Nourishing and hydrating our body is one of the most important self-care practices we can incorporate into our mindfulness journey.
Being conscious and aware of our meal times, noticing our hunger, feeling gratitude for the food we eat and use as energy, and enjoying the flavor and texture of the food are great ways to practice mindfulness.
Find Time and Space to be Mindful and Still
Mindfulness can be drawn from each moment in our lives if we care to experience it. It is easier to start being mindful when we don’t have too many distractions. Having the time and space to be mindfully self-aware and listen to ourselves is a beautiful and profound practice.
Meditation or relaxation with an extra dose of mindfulness is one way to incorporate a sense of presence and tranquility into our day.
Mindful Movement
How often do we savor the opportunity to exercise and move our bodies? Many people exercise only because the doctor orders them to do it. They treat exercise as a chore they have to incorporate into their routine to stay fit or look in a certain way.
The mindful movement is about finding joy and energy even as we do what we need to do to take care of our physical body. Feeling strong and relaxed, experiencing a sense of happiness and joy while moving and noticing how our body is responding to our effort is the essence of practicing mindfulness in movement.
Guided Meditation for Mindfulness
Meditation is a mindfulness and self-awareness practice involving deep relaxation, mindful and conscious breathing, and an accepting and kind attitude toward the present moment.
A mindfulness-guided meditation will focus on sensory experiences, feeling the body and scanning through how it feels when relaxing and tensing, as well as noticing a conscious observation of our emotional and mental well-being. It is a great practice to incorporate into your daily well-being routine, especially in moments of anxiety, stress or simply when looking for a peaceful connection to the present of your true self.
Best Scripts for Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation focuses on the present moment and the sensations which follow through the meditation. Mindfulness is about here and now, without judgment or restricting one’s thoughts and emotions. During a guided mindfulness meditation, we are encouraged to feel and experience whatever comes in our moment of meditation. Still, we are also asked to maintain an objective distance from it. Being able to observe and listen is one of the objectives of mindfulness meditation.
Loving-kindness Mindfulness Meditation
Begin by finding a comfortable seated or lying position where you can fully relax. Find your breath and become aware of the movements of your body while inhaling in and out. Without doing anything, observe your breath and its natural rhythm.
Notice how you feel and what emotions or thoughts may be coming up and let them be. Without judging, accept them and send kindness towards them with your next inhale and exhale. You are here and now, perfect just the way you are.
Calm your breath, take deep and gently inhales, then softly let them out. Once you are settled in, train your mind to the image of a person you deeply care for and from whom you have received unconditional love and kindness. See that person in your mind, and feel the trust and warm feelings flowing over your body with each breath.
Concentrating on the person you feel gratitude for, begin to send the energy of love and kindness towards them by repeating the following phrases:
I wish you happiness.
I wish you peace.
I wish you safety.
I wish you love and kindness.
Feel the sensations grow in your body and mind while you repeat those phrases. Breathe slowly, and breathe out gently with your mouth open. Notice the relaxation and other sensational feelings you may feel without judgment or connecting deeply to what is happening. Just be in the here and now as an observer, breathing in and out.
After focusing on the sensation of love and kindness towards a close person you care for, shift the awareness towards yourself. Notice any changes in your emotions, mind and body and, without judging, breathe in deeply and repeat the following phrases:
I wish myself happiness.
I wish myself peace.
I wish myself safety.
I wish myself love and kindness.
Feel the sensation that grows in your body and mind while you repeat those phrases. Breathe in slowly, and breathe out gently with your mouth open. Notice any sensation your body and mind are going through without judgment or connecting too strongly to what is happening. Just be in the here and now as an observer, breathing in and out.
After focusing on the sensation of love and kindness towards a close person and yourself, shift your awareness to someone you know casually, without a strong connection. It can be someone you saw today on the street, a cashier from the market, or a neighbor you just said hello to. Notice any changes in your emotions, mind and body and without judging, breathe in deeply and repeat the following phrases:
I wish you happiness.
I wish you peace.
I wish you safety.
I wish you love and kindness.
Feel the sensations growing in your body and mind while you repeat these phrases. Breathe in slowly, and breathe out gently with your mouth open. Notice the sensations your body and mind go through without judgment or connecting too strongly to what is happening. Just be in the here and now as an observer, breathing in and out.
After some time of focussing on the sensations of love and kindness towards a close person, yourself and someone you know casually, shift your awareness now towards someone you may feel resistant to or have negative emotions for. Again, being an observer, you will notice your mind and body feeling differently. Try to relax while you go through this phase of meditation. Breathe in deeply and repeat the following phrases:
I wish you happiness.
I wish you peace.
I wish you safety.
I wish you love and kindness.
Feel the sensations growing in your body and mind while you repeat these phrases. Breathe in slowly, and breathe out gently with your mouth open. Notice the sensations your body and mind go through without judgment or connecting too strongly to what is happening. Just be in the here and now as an observer, breathing in and out.
After connecting love and kindness to four different people in your life, it’s time to let go of any urges, tension or sensations which might have entered your body.
Breathe deeply and begin visualizing peace, kindness and happiness overflowing through the entire world to every person, animal, plant and living being around you.
Stay with this sensation for as long as you wish, keeping your mind calm and clear, simply observing the sensations here and now.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. May all living beings be happy and free.
Awareness of the Breath Mindfulness Meditation
Begin by finding a comfortable seated or lying position where you can fully relax. Find your breath and become aware without doing anything. Observe your breath and its natural rhythm.
Mindful breathing is about relaxing in the present moment, your present breath. Allow it to be as natural as it is, not opinionating if it’s too fast or too slow, too shallow or too deep. It’s your breath. Let it be as it is, just as you have the right to be the way you are now.
Begin to follow the moment your inhale begins. Notice the tip of your nose and the sensation of air entering through it, flowing down the throat and filling your chest and lungs. Stay with this movement, visualizing the air nourishing your body, opening your chest and moving your belly.
When exhaling, follow the same movement backward. Feel the air leaving your chest area, moving up through the throat and cooling your nostrils as it leaves your body.
Breathing in and breathing out naturally repeat this visualization of inhaling and exhaling. You may continue breathing in and out, repeating the phrase “breathing in” and “breathing out” on your exhales.
If your mind begins to wander, send kindness and acceptance to your thoughts, thank them for being with you and come back to breathing. Breathing in, opening the chest, and breathing out, letting the air leave your body.
Stay with this sensation for as long as you wish, keeping your mind calm and clear, simply observing the sensation of breathing in the here and now.
Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. May all living beings be happy and free.
The Bottomline
If you want to connect and be more aware of the present, searching for a calm and peaceful attitude toward life, you may find some of the answers in guided mindfulness meditations. Focussing on the moment and space you are in, building acceptance and a wider perspective on life is a truly mindful way to discover life. We invite you to check out our online meditation challenge, Calm Your Spirit, Sooth Your Mind, and learn more about meditation and how to bring more light and knowledge into your spiritual and well-being journey.
