By Gina Ramirez

About This Session:

Whether you're a seasoned meditator or new to the practice, this Guide will help you start or deepen your practice. Maybe you've always wanted to start a meditation practice, but your monkey mind just won't let you.  Take these 5 tips and watch your practice blossom.

How do you meditate when you've got monkey mind and you just can't sit still?
You've always wanted to try meditation, but every time you do, it just ends up poorly.
You're there two or three minutes and then you start thinking about what's for lunch.
You just can't seem to be still for long enough to get that sensation of dropping into stillness.
Sitting in the lotus position just isn't for you.
Well, my friend, you are not the first person to tell me that.
Hi there, I'm Gina Ramirez, a licensed therapist and certified health coach.
And I've been teaching people meditation for years.
And it's the number one thing I hear most often is I just can't sit still.
My mind is going and going and going.
And so what I want to tell you about today is that the job of the mind is to think.
So we're not asking the mind to do anything else in meditation other than what it's supposed to do.
We're not here to get a completely empty mind.
So let's take that off the table. That stressor.
We're not reaching for complete emptiness or stillness per se, but what we do want is replenishing
energy.
We do want to come into calm.
And there is so much chaos out there.
People are looking for calm.
And I know that's why you have clicked on unlocking the deeper stillness within this meditation
guide.
So wanted to talk a little bit today about that.
What are the benefits of meditation in the first place?
Well, definitely mental health, physical health, we know this for sure.
Research and science says that we are just better mentally and physically when we are in the state
of meditation, when we have a meditation practice that we're doing on a regular basis.
But it's also great for self awareness.
Things get brought up within meditation that we can definitely tap into.
Emotional regulation is another big one.
You know, when that person cuts you off on the highway instead of road rage, you take a deep
breath, a deep centering breath, tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system that rest and
digest space.
It's also great to help with memory and reducing pain.
So if any of these things speak to you or if you've just had the inkling of, gosh, I really want to try
this, but it's just not working for me.
This is for you.
So welcome in to creating unlocking this deeper stillness.
So what do you do if you've got the monkey mind that just won't shut off?
I want you to consider the next time you sit in meditation to make your mind like a screen door,
which basically means any thoughts that come into the mind, we're just gonna let them go.
Any emotions that come up for you, again, you're just gonna let those pass through that screen
door.
So we're not holding onto a thought here.
We're really just letting it pass and bring our focus back to whatever it is that you are focused in
on, on that particular meditation.
Whether it's your breath, a mantra, an affirmation, whatever theme that you're coming into this
meditation with, consider coming back to that in those moments of focus that we're focusing on
something else.
So monkey mind is totally normal, but we are going to bring ourselves back.
We're not going to hold on to a thought.
Now, the other objection people have to meditation is that they are just too busy.
How do I have a practice, a consistent practice, when I am so busy with life, with work, with kids?
And I'll tell you a little secret.
Meditation does not have to be sitting in the lotus position for an hour at a time.
It can simply be three deep belly breaths.
So what I want you to do now is put your hands on your belly and take a deep breath in, feeling the
belly expand.
Hold it for a beat and let it go.
Now be sure that all the air has come out of either your mouth or your nose, and you feel that belly
pulling in.
Taking three deep belly breaths, just like that, actually brings down your emotional temperature.
It brings down your heartbeat, your blood pressure.
It has a physiological response.
Three deep breaths.
So when you don't have a whole lot of time, you can start your day with those three deep breaths
to start the intention of the day, to set yourself up for success, or when you are feeling a little
chaotic, like life is throwing you a curveball.
Three deep breaths.
That's it, my friends.
Now, let's say you are a seasoned meditator.
You've been doing this for a while.
You have your routine.
How do you go deeper?
Change it up, friend.
Decide to go longer in your meditation.
That's one way to change it up.
Decide to do a different type of meditation.
So if you are familiar with sitting in stillness, why not decide to do a guided meditation instead?
Completely different. Change up the music, or if you typically don't like music, add music.
Add a different element, and add an element that's going to pique your senses.
We experience the world as human beings with our senses.
So it is really important to pull that in to your meditation.
It's part of becoming self aware.
So if you like sitting in stillness.
Maybe a different way to meditate would be movement.
And movement is a great way for those of us who have trouble meditating.
And, you know, some days your meditation will be spot on and you will feel fantastic.
You'll drop into that deep sense of knowing quickly.
And other days you've got monkey mind and it's not working.
So take your meditation on the road.
In other words, get walking, put your walking shoes on, go for a walk and do it that way.
There's all kinds of different types of meditation that you can get into here.
So it's not just sitting in stillness.
It could be movement meditation, it could.
Could be a praying meditation, it could be a mindfulness meditation.
There are so many ways you can practice dropping into a deeper sense of stillness, a deeper way
to hear your heart voice.
The point is to do it, my friend.
So I've given you some things to think about here, and I hope that you choose to download the
PDF, because it's going to give you even more ways to drop into that stillness that we all seek so
that we can hear our heart voice more clearly, more in depth.
All right, my friends, you know where to find me.
And I hope that this meditation guide gives you a little bit more of that stillness of that creativity
that you have been craving, a little more of that calmness in the chaos of your day.
All right, let's begin with our meditation.
With your feet flat on the floor, your hands flat in your lap, I want you to get into a comfortable
spot, find a place in your home that is quiet and that you feel safe and comfortable in.
Maybe you're even in your car if you feel comfortable there, wherever that may be.
I'm going to share my screen with you so that we can have some sound, beautiful sound.
And let's see.
Hopefully you can hear this and hear my voice at the same time.
Want you to have some music as well as we go through here.
So you're in your comfortable space spot.
Want you to close your eyes if you feel comfortable doing so.
You have the color at the top of your head that you feel is related to your stress.
And I want you to gently close your eyes, focus in on that color.
And we're going to begin by grounding.
And that is noticing three things.
And it just allows your body and your mind to recognize that we are going to spend some time
meditating.
So it prompts you.
It prompts your mind and your body.
Okay, this is the time to get quiet.
This is a time to come into my body and recognize what's going on there, so we have our eyes
gently closed.
Notice the firm foundation under your feet, the fabric beneath your hands, the sound of the music
for a moment.
I want you to take two deep breaths here.
Notice that color at the top of your head.
Notice the weight of it, how it feels.
And I want you to watch as it goes down your forehead and all the tiny little muscles of your
forehead.
I want you to make them relaxed, make them soft as you feel that color come around your eyes,
down your cheekbones, around your nose, around your mouth, and relax your tongue.
Take two more deep breaths here.
In through the nose and out through the nose.
Now we're going to see that color at the back of your neck again.
Let it rest there.
Feel the weight of it at the back of your neck and watch it as it comes all the way down and sits
right on top of your shoulders.
Make those shoulders warm and heavy.
Allow them to come away from your ears.
Watch that color as it goes down into your biceps, around your elbows, down into the forearms.
And now your whole upper body hangs heavy.
Allow the relaxation to come around that upper body, around those arms, and you hang heavy.
Now see that color at your heart center and feel the weight of it on your chin, chest.
Allow the muscles of your chest to relax.
Watch it go down into your belly, down into your hips.
Any tension, let it go.
See that color go down to your thighs.
Make those thighs warm and heavy.
Watch it circle the knees, down into your shins.
And now your lower body hangs heavy.
See that color circle your ankle.
And just like water, I want you to watch as it drips right out of your toes.
And with each drop, you become more and more relaxed.
Take a moment to scan your body from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.
And any place that's tense, let it go.
Feel your body, weightless and completely relaxed.
This is your sacred space.
This is your safe space.
Notice what you feel and where you feel it in the body.
Any tension, any hurt, release.
Feel what it feels to be completely relaxed.
Now bring your attention back to your body.
Bring your attention back to the weight of your body in your chair or lying down.
Notice how good you feel.
Warm, comforted, peaceful.
We'll end by grounding again, so I want you to notice the firm foundation under your feet.
Wiggle your toes.
Notice the fabric beneath your hands.
How does it feel?
Silky, scratchy, smooth.
For a moment, listen to the sound of the music.
And when you're ready, open your eyes.
How are you feeling, my friend?
Hopefully, you are feeling as good as I am.
Nice and relaxed, less tension.
Ready to start my day.
Know that you can come back here and relive this meditation anytime.
That suits you.
Know that you can do it on your own.
Know that you can do a walking meditation.
If you feel like you just can't sit still long enough for this one, know that you can do it longer.
Whatever suits you, whatever level that you're at, connect with with your mind and your body.
Allow the calm mind and body to rule the day instead of chaotic spinning, right?
So as you go forward in your day, I wish you peace in your heart, in your mind, in your words today.
And please let me know how you're feeling after this meditation.
Have a great day, friends.