Fresh Start Meditation

By: Emily Ridout, 889 Yoga Co-Founder, Meditation Teacher

“The truth about morning is that it is the small light of the beginning breaking through, again and again.” ~Mark Nepo

I am so grateful to have a fresh start each day upon waking. Nightfall and sleep give me the gift of waking up each and every day. This meditation is a beautiful way to have a ‘fresh start’ anytime during your day (it doesn’t have to be exclusively in the morning!) and break that small light through again in the middle of your day. It revitalizes your system when you are exhausted or overwhelmed and let’s you reconnect with yourself, refreshing the spirit and energizing your body. It helps you to let go of what WAS (stress, anxiety, being overwhelmed, anger, frustration) and helps you to move into what IS (be here and now with a fresh start!)

FRESH START MEDITATION

Screen Shot 2014-08-20 at 12.59.09 PMThe Posture:

Come into a comfortable seated position, you can also do this seated on a chair with your feet flat on the ground. Wrap your arms around you and give yourself a big hug. If it is comfortable for you, lean slightly back and tilt your head slightly back the same way you would if a ray of sunlight were beaming down onto your face.

The Breath: just breathe normally in this posture.

The Gaze: eyes are closed and in a position as though you were soaking up rays of sun on your face.

The Song: we practiced this meditation in our 889 Meditation Circle listening to “Ra Ma Da Sa”. You can download it on iTunes under the album title “Grace” and the Artist “Snatum Kaur”.

Time: practice this meditation for a minimum of 3 minutes. Listen to the vibrations of the song as they heal you and give you a fresh start. You can also sing along and get the vibrations going in your body! This is so refreshing and uplifting.

The Meaning of the words:
ra=sun
ma=moon
da=earth
sa=infinity
say=totality of infinity
so hung=i am thou

To End: take one last inhalation breath, hold the breath and squeeze every muscle in your body as tightly as you can. Then release.

Optional Prayer Practice: The end of a meditation is a great time to do a prayer practice for a few moments, or for as long as you have! The most simple form of prayer could be something as simple as a prayer for peace. “May I be peaceful.” Or you could do a more in depth lovingkindness meditation as follows:

May I be peaceful (3 times)
May I live with ease (3 times)
May I be filled with lovingkindness (3 times)

Do the same three prayers/well-wishes above for someone you love, picturing their face off the tip of your nose. “May you be…”
Do the same three prayers/well-wishes above for someone who you don’t know very well but whom you see regularly. Visualize their face at the tip of your nose. “May you be…”
Do the same three prayers/well-wishes above for someone who has been challenging for you recently. Visualize their face at the tip of your nose. Someone who is causing you frustration or pain. “May you be…”
Do the same three prayers/well-wishes above for all living beings and things on this planet. I like to picture a white light spread across and shared by all living beings. “May we be…”

Come and sit with us!

At 889 we believe in the power of meditation in your life. I welcome you to join us for our one-hour seated meditation practice every Monday from 5-6pm. The practice is comprised of 2 guided meditations, discussion (with tea!), and concludes with a short meditation. This is a karma by-donation class. We do not collect money for 889, rather donations for New Leaf Yoga Foundation.

Much love to you all!

Namaste,

Emily XO

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