Hey everyone. I am Shannon Gonter. I am a mental health counselor here in Louisville, KY and today I am going to guide you all through a type of meditation today called a body scan.
A mantra meditation is repeating a word, phrase, prayer or fragment of a poem for meditation. This can be really great because you can easily personalize the mantra you want to use for the day to fit what is going on. Suggested to choose something that is uplifting and that inspires you to engage and connect with your heart.
Just some basic meditation tips and tricks before we get started in case this is your first attempt at meditation or mindfulness-based practices.
Don’t get so caught up in the “how” – just do. Pretty much everyone has thoughts of “I am doing this wrong”. Don’t worry, you aren’t. There is no right way to do it. Don’t stress about where to sit, how to sit, what cushion to use … this is all nice, but it’s not that important to get started. Start just by sitting on a chair, or on your couch. Or on your bed. On the ground. Whatever is most comfortable for you.
Don’t worry about clearing the mind. Lots of people think meditation is about clearing your mind or stopping all thoughts. It’s not. This can sometimes happen, but it’s not the “goal” of meditation. If you have thoughts, that’s normal. We all do. Our brains are thought factories, and we can’t just shut them down. Instead, just try to practice focusing your attention, and practice some more when your mind wanders.
Judgement free zone. When thoughts pop up or you and you find yourself distracted. That’s okay. Don’t judge yourself and be like “oh crap go away thoughts I supposed to be focusing on her voice”. Just thank those thoughts for being there, let them know you see or hear them and will check back in with them after. Bring yourself back to your breath and repeat when it happens again. Not if it happens again, but when. Because it will and that’s okay.
Meditation is not about clearing your mind and stopping all thoughts. It’s about giving your mind something to focus on and about the practice of bringing yourself back to that intention over and over again. Building that muscle throughout that meditation or mindfulness-based activity.
Okay, okay so let’s get comfortable and ready to begin. It is going to be about ten minutes long.
SCRIPT:
It is going to be about ten minutes long. I am not going to be participating in the meditation because I need to keep track of the time and focus on my script but if you have your camera on or anything just move it to the side and make sure it’s in a space that you can hear me but that it isn’t distracting for you to see me.
Okay. Let’s all take a deep breath in through our nose and out through our mouths.
Welcome to this mantra practice, you can either do this sitting or lying down. Whatever is most comfortable for you. If you are lying down, lie on your back and if you are sitting just settle in and get comfortable.
This is an internal practice, so you are welcome to close your eyes while doing this practice, but you don’t have to. If you want to keep your eyes open just keep a dull gaze towards the floor or the ceiling so that you are not staring at anyone or anything in specific.
Let’s begin by taking a few deep breaths.
Long pause.
For this meditation I will simply repeat a phrase over and over and over again. You can focus on the words that I am saying and repeat them back to yourself in your head. Half way through the meditation I will switch up the word “I” with the word “you”. When I do this I would like you to try and switch your focus from yourself to a specific person in your life that you love.
Remembering that we are here to focus on our breath and relax. Leaving the judgements and expectations at the door. Breathing in and breathing out.
Today’s manta will be:
May I be happy. May I be well. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease.
(repeat for 4 minutes)
May you be happy. May you be well. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and at ease.
(repeat for 4 minutes)
Short pause.
Concluding the meditation with a deep inhale through your nose and a long exhale through your mouth. Moving your body and stretching in any way you may need and opening your eyes and coming back into the room whenever you are ready.
Short pause.
Thank you everyone. Your body appreciates you taking the time to intentionally be with it for a few moments today.
Written by Shannon Gonter
I specialize in working young adults. I am passionate about my career and want to work with you to create positive change. I also strive to create a counseling environment where men and young adults can relate, feel heard, and find new solutions to their negative patterns. Some issues that I most commonly work with are stress, relationship issues, difficulty saying “no” to others, difficulties recognizing emotions and emotionally connecting to others, anger, and intimacy issues, among others.
The information and resources contained on this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to assess, diagnose, or treat any medical and/or mental health disease or condition. The use of this website does not imply nor establish any type of therapist-client relationship. Furthermore, the information obtained from this site should not be considered a substitute for a thorough medical and/or mental health evaluation by an appropriately credentialed and licensed professional.