morning stillness routine

About this practice

Use this when you sit at your kitchen table before the day begins. A guided session of about 12 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Sit on the edge of your chair, feet flat on the floor.
2. 0:30Close your eyes gently, as if you were lowering a window shade.
3. 1:00Take a slow breath in, feeling the air fill the space behind your ribs.
4. 1:30Feel your hands rest on your thighs, palms down.
5. 2:00Notice the soft hum of the kettle on the stove, waiting to boil.
6. 2:30Listen to the ticking of the wall clock, each tick a tiny pause.
7. 3:00Imagine a leaf falling outside, landing on wet pavement with a faint splash.
8. 3:30Turn your attention to the bridge of your nose, sensing the coolness of the air there.
9. 4:00Let your shoulders drop about an inch, releasing the tightness you may not have noticed.
10. 4:30Breathe out and hear the sigh of a dog sleeping nearby, a low, contented exhale.
11. 5:00Observe the rise and fall of your belly, like a slow tide moving in and out.
12. 5:30Shift your focus to the spot between your eyebrows, a quiet place without any picture.
13. 6:00Bring awareness to the temperature of the air on your skin, whether it feels cool or warm.
14. 6:30Allow any thoughts to drift by, like cars passing a streetlamp on a quiet road.
15. 7:00Gently notice the taste of the last sip of coffee you had, a faint bitterness on your tongue.
16. 7:30Now picture the texture of a soft blanket draped over a chair, the fibers brushing your fingertips.
17. 8:00When your mind wanders, guide it back with the distant sound of a bell you might hear from a neighbor's house.
18. 8:30If tension appears in your jaw, unclench it slowly, letting the muscles soften.
19. 9:00You might feel a faint ache in your lower back; acknowledge it without judgment, simply noting its presence.
20. 9:30Sense the rhythm of your heartbeat, a steady drum in your chest.
21. 10:00Ground your feet against the floor, feeling the solid support beneath you.
22. 10:30Inhale deeply, as if filling a glass to the brim, and hold for a moment.
23. 11:00Exhale fully, letting the breath leave like a sigh from an open window.
24. 11:30Open your eyes slowly, bringing the calm of this pause into the rest of your day.

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.