Coming to stillness, sitting in a way that enables you to be present to your body, shoulders dropping, sinking into the chair.

Bring attention to breath, using its movement to centre ourselves and come to a still place. Breathe in deeply filling the lungs. At the top of the inhale a small pause, before exhaling, a small pause again.

Stay with these breaths for a few rounds ending oxygen to every part of the body.

If the activity of the mind interrupts this meditation bring attention back to breath as a way to re-centre.

How do you come into this space today?

We’re going to focus on the body first.

• How does it feel?
• What do you notice about it?
• Allow attention to go from feet to head, scanning the body.
• Become aware of places of tension or  different sensations. As you scan the body observe those places of tension or discomfort. Give them space to speak, to be.
• If you come across anything in the body that feels “off” you may want to ask if that sensation is telling you anything about what you need or where you’re at.
• If you sense a need or desire surfacing, name it as a prayer.
• We welcome kindness and compassion towards those places within you.
• We welcome the kindness and compassion of God towards you.
• Receive the love, tenderness and compassion of God towards your body and what it may be telling you.

We now bring our attention to our emotions.

• If you can, stay away from the head space where thoughts are happening.
• Come into the space of the heart, to what you’re feeling, to what emotions are present to you now, today, recently.
• As they come, observe them, providing a compassionate space for them to be seen and held.
• Allow the emotion to be what it is without judging it.
• We welcome the compassion and love of the Spirit towards those emotions.

We now turn towards our thoughts.

• Be aware of some of the thoughts you’ve been having today and those that may have been on repeat recently.
• They may have been random or obsessive.
• Observe them with compassion and kindness knowing that they matter and that God cares about them.
• As they come now you may want to release them as prayers that have been heard.
• It may help to think of them as butterflies or balloons rising to God in prayer or as boats floating in and through you, then on down the river.

Now to silence.

As we approach these moments of silence, stay in the place of stillness and rest. If you find thoughts return and wanting attention, let them go.

Remain in a space of compassion and kindness, instead to by love and tenderness.

After 5 minutes silence, we end with the Welcoming Prayer.

Welcome, welcome, welcome.

I welcome everything that comes to me today

because I know it’s for my healing.

I welcome all thoughts, feelings, emotions, persons,

situations, and conditions.

I let go of my desire for power and control.

I let go of my desire for affection, esteem,

approval and pleasure.

I let go of my desire for survival and security.

I let go of my desire to change any situation,

condition, person or myself.

I open to the love and presence of God and

God’s action within.

Amen