Hi, welcome to Hope Mindfulness and Prayer.
We're so excited you decided to join us.
Words like mindfulness or meditation can be a little
strange and intimidating at first, but that's OK.
We totally understand that feeling.
When learning how to meditate, it's best to find a nice, quiet
place. Eventually this won't be
necessary, but right now it may make learning a little bit
easier. We also encourage you to anchor
this practice to some other activity you do every day, like
brushing your teeth or showering.
You can make a mental note to yourself, I need to meditate
before I brush my teeth. Over the next 12 days, we'll
teach you how to quiet the noise in your mind and experience
God's love each day. We'll begin with a lesson to
help you set an intention. Once you are present and open,
we'll follow that with the Bible verse, repeating it twice,
allowing the words to sink in. Following the verse, we'll
continue the meditation. We'll close with the verse again
and guide you out of the meditation.
We'll let you know when the meditation is over, so just sit
back and relax. All of our meditations are
around 10 minutes long, so make sure you have enough time in
your schedule. Just like anything new, you
won't be perfect at first. The most important thing is to
keep meditating. Be easy with yourself.
There's no set destination. The practice will grow and
change as you do. OK, let's go ahead and get
started by getting comfortable in your chair.
And when you're ready, take a few nice deep breaths and allow
your eyes to slowly close. As you slow your breath, I want
you to consider that life is like an oak tree.
With each passing day you grow and change.
With each passing season you adapt to the weather never
staying the same. The one thing that is needed to
withstand these changes is healthy roots.
Your life will change, but as long as your roots are strong,
you can survive any season. Just like water for your roots,
connecting with God is water for your soul.
Your roots will grow stronger and deeper.
They become strong enough to withstand any storm.
As your body begins to settle, take a moment to consider this
verse. That person is like a tree
planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever they do prospers.
And again, that person is like a tree planted by streams of
water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not
wither. Whatever they do prospers.
Now gently bring your awareness to the breath.
Allow your breath to deepen and fill the lungs.
Big deep breath in and then taking twice as long on the
exhale. Let the inhale come easily and
effortlessly, and then exhale, controlling the breath.
Allow yourself to be here in this moment.
This is all that matters right now.
Whenever you need to let go of let it go, release it to God.
Today is a new day with new opportunities.
Allow your breath to renew your spirit and connect you to your
Creator who loves you. Deep breath in through the nose
and out through the mouth. Remember, this is a place of
love. Let this practice be whatever
you need it to be. God's calming presence is always
accessible to you. Let your awareness rest in the
loving presence of God. With a gentle curiosity, begin
to notice the breath. Make the breath deep and full of
life. Allow that fresh air to fill up
the lungs and then relax the body as you exhale.
Let your body become heavy as your mind continues to relax.
You are exactly where you need to be.
And now come to the heartbeat. Maybe even listen for its
rhythm. Just relaxing and releasing.
If the thoughts take you away, that's OK.
When it's easy, bring your awareness back to the heartbeat.
Just listen to your heartbeat and the gentle sound of your
breath. Let your breath act as an anchor
to this moment and this practice.
With each breath, allow yourself to rest further into the calm of
God's love. Take this verse with you.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever they do prospers. Gently bring your awareness back
to the body and when you feel ready, slowly open your eyes and
take a nice deep breath. Sit back and relax for a moment.
How do you feel? I hope you feel a little better.
We'll see you next time with hope, mindfulness, and prayer.