Meditation y’all

Okay. Hey everybody, I just muted everyone so things stay quiet as people pop in over the next 5–10 minutes.

As people join, you may see the screen shift a little bit. For example, somebody named Jess just popped in. Once we officially get started, I won’t let anybody else in so we can stay focused and uninterrupted.

Also, before we begin, you’ll probably want to turn off your phone ringer, vibration, or anything else that might distract you during this time.

Welcome, Marsha and Jess.

Before we get started, I want to talk briefly about body positioning for meditation — especially if you’ve never meditated before.

My personal take on body position is this:
I’m sitting in a chair right now where I can comfortably sit upright. I’ve done a lot of meditation cross-legged before, but honestly, unless I’m properly supported, it becomes uncomfortable for me.

Typically, I meditate in chairs.
Sometimes I meditate lying down.
Usually, though, I use a comfortable chair that allows me to sit upright naturally without effort.

The most important thing is this:
You don’t want to be fidgeting after five minutes.

So whatever position you choose, make sure you’re comfortable enough to stay there for a while.

For example, if I sat cross-legged tonight, my legs would probably start hurting after 5–10 minutes, and that would distract from the whole point of meditating.

Some people would say, “Meditate through the discomfort,” but I’m not going with that tonight.

Right now, my feet are flat on the floor, my body is relaxed, and I’m sitting upright comfortably.

So over the next few minutes, just focus on getting physically comfortable.

And no, I’m not sick. I’ve just been very careful about social distancing and everything going on, but I’m not even going to talk about that tonight. Let’s just do the practice.

Tonight, we’re going to start with a few minutes of breathwork.

The breathing exercise is completely safe. It might feel strange or a little uncomfortable at times, but it’s safe.

We’ll do the breathing exercise for a couple of minutes, and afterward, you’ll probably feel:

* grounded,
* stable,
* calm,
* and very present in your body.

You can keep your eyes open or closed during the breathing exercise — whatever feels best for you.

After the breathwork, we’ll move into meditation.

Once we begin the breathwork, I won’t allow anyone else into the meeting because I don’t want interruptions.

After the breathwork, we’ll transition into about 15 minutes of meditation.

During the meditation, I’ll interrupt a couple of times just to guide you a little, especially at the beginning.

I use an app on my phone called the Insight Timer app.

There are many free meditation apps, but this is the one I use. It has guided meditations, though I personally don’t use the guided ones much anymore. I mostly do my own thing.

Most of the meditation I practice is called Vipassana meditation, and I’ll explain that in a moment.

When I press start on the timer, you’ll hear a bell. That bell simply means we’re beginning.

You’ll hear me talk for a little bit after the bell, and then I’ll become quiet.

At the 10-minute mark, you’ll hear a second bell. That means there are 5 minutes left.

For some people, 15 minutes will feel very long.
For others, it’ll feel like it went by in an instant.

When the final bell rings, we’ll slowly come out of meditation together.

I personally don’t like coming out of meditation abruptly. I like to do it gently because by then my body and nervous system feel very regulated and calm.

So after the final bell:

* I’ll start taking deeper breaths,
* move my neck a little,
* maybe move my shoulders or hands,
* and slowly open my eyes.

Usually after meditation, colors actually look brighter and more vivid to me.

You’ll have your own experience.

Afterward, we can stay and chat for a bit if people want to share how it felt.

If you have any questions, put them in the chat now before we begin.

Yes, the Insight Timer app is free, and I’ve used it for years. I love how simple it is.

You can even customize the timer however you want.

Okay, now I’m going to explain the breathing exercise.

The breathing style we’re doing is called a two-stage breath.

Basically, you breathe into your belly first, then into your chest.

It looks like this:

(deep inhale into belly, then chest)

We’ll do around 30 breaths.

Don’t worry if you lose track or fall out of rhythm with me. It doesn’t matter. Just come back to the breathing whenever you notice.

During the breathing, some of you may feel:

* tingling in your hands,
* warmth,
* cold sensations,
* or different physical feelings.

That’s okay. You’re safe.

After about 30 breaths, you’ll exhale fully and hold your breath on the exhale.

This is NOT a contest to see who can hold their breath the longest.

When your body wants to breathe again, simply breathe normally.

Your body will be very oxygenated, and the pause afterward helps rebalance everything.

Then we’ll do a second round.

After the second round, we’ll move directly into meditation.

Don’t worry if you don’t remember every detail — you’ll be able to follow along.

Okay.
Any questions before we begin?

Alright.
Here we go.

I’m closing the participant window now, and nobody else will be admitted after this point.

We’ll start with the two-stage breath:
belly, then chest.

Try to take full, smooth breaths.

( breathing exercise )

…

Hold your breath on the exhale.

Breathe normally whenever you’re ready.

If you want, you can type in the chat how you feel.

Personally, I feel tingling in my hands, warmth in the front of my body, and very grounded overall.

We’ll start the second round in a moment.

“Tingly and warm.”
“Warm.”
“Awesome.”

Okay, here we go with round two.

( breathing exercise )

Last one.

Breathe normally whenever you’re ready.

Any final comments or questions before we start the meditation?

Otherwise, we’ll begin the 15-minute meditation now.

If at any point you want to stop, that’s completely okay.

After 10 minutes, you’ll hear the second bell letting you know there are 5 minutes remaining.

After the final bell, we’ll come out of meditation slowly and gently.

Okay.
I’m starting the timer now.

Whenever you’re ready, you can close your eyes.

…

Usually when I begin meditating, I first think about anything I need to clear from my mind.

Sometimes I set an intention or say a little prayer.

Tonight, my intention is this:

I hope everyone is healthy and safe.
I hope everyone experiences healing.
And I hope all beings on Earth move toward a healthier, happier place.

In this meditation, I’m going to guide you through noticing your body.

We’ll start at the top of the head and slowly move downward.

At this point, notice the top of your head.

Then notice:

* the right side of your head,
* the back of your head,
* the left side,
* and your forehead.

Maybe you notice:

* temperature,
* pressure,
* tension,
* or the feeling of air on your skin.

Now notice your eyes.

Your eyes work very hard all day long.

Allow the muscles around your eyes to soften.
Let your eyes relax deeply into your head.

Now notice:

* your cheeks,
* your jaw,
* your tongue,
* your lips,
* your nose.

Allow your whole face to soften.

From here, continue on your own.

Notice your neck.
Your shoulders.
Your arms.
Your chest.
Your stomach.

There’s no rush.

You do not need to reach your toes before the meditation ends.

The goal is simply to notice.

If you feel an itch, notice it.
If you feel discomfort, notice it.
If you feel tension, notice it.

And if possible, soften around it.

You may also notice your mind wandering — what some people call the “monkey mind.”

That’s okay.

Whenever you notice your mind drifting, simply come back to noticing your body.

( meditation continues )

…

5 minutes left.

…

You did it.

Whenever you’re ready, feel free to share in the chat how you’re doing.

You can turn on your microphone or camera if you’d like.

I’d love to hear how the experience was for you.

Linda:
“It was amazing. I started with a lot of stress, but by the time we moved through the body scan, my whole body relaxed. I felt like I was floating.”

Very nice.
That’s a great example of the nervous system calming down and regulating itself.

For kids especially — kids who struggle emotionally or feel dysregulated — this can be an incredible tool.

Another participant:
“I kept losing track and drifting, but I came back each time and still felt relaxed.”

That’s meditation.
That’s totally normal.

Another participant:
“I got emotional. I felt sadness at first, then gratitude.”

That happens a lot.

Meditation and breathwork can bring emotions to the surface because we spend so much of our lives distracted.

When we finally become still and notice what’s happening inside us, emotions naturally emerge.

Sometimes they’re joyful emotions.
Sometimes difficult emotions.

But the point is to notice them safely and gently.

Another participant:
“I couldn’t believe how long I could hold my breath afterward.”

Exactly.

It’s especially surprising because we’re holding the breath after exhaling completely, not after inhaling.

That grounded feeling afterward can feel incredibly calming.

Someone asked:
“Why do we hold the breath on the exhale?”

The idea is that during the breathing exercise, your body becomes highly oxygenated.

Holding after the exhale helps rebalance oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

I’m not claiming to be a scientific expert on it — I just know the technique works well for many people.

Another participant said:
“I didn’t want to start breathing again because I didn’t want to lose the feeling of stillness.”

I completely understand that feeling.

Another comment:
“I always think I should just keep working instead of meditating.”

That’s very common.

If sitting for 15 minutes feels overwhelming, start with one minute.
Or three minutes.
Or five.

The important thing is building the practice consistently.

Even one minute counts.

Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply begin.