Welcome Zen , friend . I hope you're doing well . I'm so glad you've joined me here for a drop of Zen , a short guided meditation designed to help you feel more calm and grounded . Since this week's episode has been all about hu ga , which is a Danish practice where you embrace simple pleasures and comforts and coziness , I thought today's meditation would be just a super simple one , where we can just be , just really be present and just get quiet and just allow ourselves to not have to do much of anything at all . So go ahead and start out by getting a little extra comfortable .
Speaker 1Hu ga is all about comfort , so you can pause the podcast and get your warmest , softest blanket , your coziest socks , maybe a fur baby to snuggle up with you . Whatever , you need to get super comfortable . Maybe you've got a neck wrap or a heated blanket or a heating pad that you want to even warm up first , if you're in a cold wintery climate right now . Or maybe you want to put a couple drops of your favorite essential oil into your hand and just rub your hands together and breathe in that aroma , just making sure , of course , that that oil is one that's safe for the skin . Whatever , it is that you need to get extra cozy , let's do it . And then , when you're ready , I'll invite you to close your eyes or just have a nice soft gaze down and just start by checking out how you feel .
Speaker 1Notice how you feel in your body . Notice if there are any aches or pains or tension or discomfort . Just notice . We're not going to try to change it , we're just going to be with whatever is and just be super neutral , just noticing , with no attachment , not trying to change anything . And then start noticing what emotions you feel in your body , or even sensations as far as . Is there a tightness in your chest ? Is there a fluttering in your belly Right ? Because emotions are feelings , we feel them . Maybe you're feeling anxious , or maybe you're feeling stressed , or maybe you're feeling comfortable . How do you know what you're feeling ? Just really notice that , with no judgment whatsoever , just allow it , just let it be .
Speaker 1And now I'll invite you to really start noticing where your body is making contact with wherever you're sitting or lying down . So notice that chair or floor beneath you , or couch or bed , whatever it is . Notice the areas of your body that are making direct contact and notice a sense of heaviness as you're sitting or lying down . Notice the space that you take up and just be here in this present moment .
Speaker 1If you have thoughts that are coming up , allow them , notice them and then see if you can let them go and just return more to the sensations that you're noticing in your body , that connection with the ground , the floor , the chair , the couch , the bed , whatever is beneath you , and just letting yourself be here now , in this present moment , in this present moment , and then see if you can notice what feels good , what feels comfortable . Is it the weight of the blanket ? Is it the smell of essential oils ? Is it the position you're curled up in ?
Speaker 1Whatever it is really bringing your attention there for just a little while , reminding yourself that you are worthy of comfort , of pleasure , of taking time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life . You are worthy of doing that now and you are worthy of doing that in the future . We'll take one nice deep belly breath here , inhaling deep into your belly , and exhale , release it , let that breath go . Of course , you can stay here as long as you'd like , or you can start bringing your attention to the room around you by gently and softly opening your eyes . I'm so glad you took some time for yourself today and until next time , friend , I hope you'll continue to take time , today and every day , to do something kind for yourself .