20 Minute Mindfulness Meditation for Listening Within | Mindful Movement

Hello, and welcome to this guided meditation for listening within. I am Sarah Raymond from The Mindful Movement. Thank you for choosing me as your guide for your practice today. In today's busy, often high-stress world, it can be difficult to hear the signals from within. When the noise of the outside world is too loud, it can drown out the messages from our own heart. By taking this time for yourself today, you can begin to listen inward, so you can be more present and responsive when listening outward. You can live in alignment with what matters most to you. Thinking is the process of the mind talking, while meditation is the response of the mind listening. The skill of listening is one that can be practiced and developed. Let's begin by welcoming a state of comfort. Make any adjustments to your posture or your surroundings, so that you can come into a place of effortless ease. Once you are settled, allow your eyes to close, as you bring the lens of how you view the world from the outside to your inside experience. Begin with five deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth at your own pace. Breathe in this way with the intention to soften and let go. And now, I will guide you to use your sense of hearing to broaden your field of awareness. Listen to the sounds in your immediate surroundings. What noises can you hear that are close to you? Are there sounds of the heat or air conditioning running? Is there a clock ticking? Do you hear birds or other animals? Are there cars or other vehicles bringing noise to your awareness? This is the practice of observation without judgment. It is not about what you find, but that you are looking. Listen to the layers of the sounds around you. How the energy of sounds coexist and mingle together. Begin to let the intensity of your listening fade, as if you could now let the sounds just come to you, as if the sounds blur into the background of your focus. Allow your intention to listen outward, soften, as you now turn your listening inward to contemplate what your physical body is experiencing right now. Listen to the sensations, the vibrations of your energy. What is the volume of what your body is telling you? Are there areas that are louder than others, asking for you to listen? Are there any subtle messages being offered within you? Listen inward for contentment. Is it there for you now? What are the other qualities you are hearing when you listen? Look inward, not in words or labels, but in sensations and feelings without judgment. Words are from the brain. These sensations and the awareness of the sensations, the inward listening, allows you to connect with your body and your heart. Listen to your heart. What do you hear from your heart right now? It is okay if it seems nothing is coming to you right now. It will. This is the practice of listening and opening to the possibilities of what you may find in the future as you are more connected. When you find the brain thinking, when your thoughts have diverted your attention, allow the words to drift off and remind yourself that you are listening to sensations. Take yourself gently by the hand and lovingly guide yourself back to feeling, back to the sensations. Do this as many times as you need. Now, listening to your physical body as you scan each part of your body with a relaxed awareness, letting go of tension even further. Begin with your feet. Sense the soles of your feet, your toes, as well as the top of your feet. What are the sensations here? The energy of your feet. Can you sense energy, vibrations, or buzzing? Do you feel warm or cool here? As your focus lingers on your feet, let go of any tension you are holding here. Soften here. Now, moving your relaxed awareness up to the length of your legs from ankles to hips. What are the sensations here? Without words or labels, what do you feel? Release your legs. Allow your legs to be fully supported by the surface beneath you. Sensing now your hips as they release their hold. Notice the quality of feelings at your lower back and abdomen. Invite a softening here. Expanding your field of awareness now to your chest and shoulders. Letting go of any tension here. Perhaps feeling the relaxation travel down the length of your arms now. Welcoming your focus to linger a little longer as you notice your hands. What do you feel at the palms of your hands? Is there energy, vibrations, or buzzing there? Do you feel a certain temperature through your fingers? Oftentimes, we can connect to our own innate energy simply by attending to the energy of our hands. Allow this relaxing energy to move into your neck and throat. Notice now the sensations in your face, your jaw, cheeks, eyes, and forehead. The feelings in your face can sometimes reflect your thoughts. As you soften your facial expression, your thoughts can also fade into the background so you can listen more easily. For the next few moments, continue listening inward to see what is there for you now. Take another deep breath in with your eyes still closed as you slowly invite your field of awareness to broaden outward once more. As you are beginning to listen and sense your surroundings, see if you can do so while you continue to stay connected with your inward experience. Come back to this practice regularly to develop a strong relationship with the deepest part of yourself. When you are ready, gradually let a little light in through your eyes and take in your surroundings. Thank you so much for practicing with me today. I hope you have a wonderful day.