12-minute meditation to make mindful movement with Kara Bradley

Our bodies come in all types, and we all have different interests, skills, and abilities. But as Today’s teacher Kara Bradley notes, movement of any kind—from the slightest glance to the most intense exercise—can be deliberate.

This simple meditation helps you celebrate your body through practices for connecting with your breath and body, expanding your awareness, and appreciating the gift of life.

Meditation to make movement conscious

Read and practice the guided meditation text below, pausing after each paragraph. Or listen to audio exercises.

1. The goal of this practice today is to stabilize our bodies and minds, To synchronize our breath and movement, activating all aspects of physical, emotional and mental health. The important thing to remember in all of this is that when our bodies are calm, our minds are calm. When our bodies feel stable and stable, our minds feel stable and stable. What happens physically is also reflected mentally. In fact, in many ways, our nervous system is a reflection of what is happening in our minds. So, if you’re feeling really busy, I’d encourage you to look at your nervous system first using some of the tools I’ll teach you here in this meditation.
2. We will move and breathe rhythmically. This helps us facilitate the so-called Cohesion. Coherence is a way of coordinating our nervous system, heart rate, and brain waves. Research shows that when we are coherent or in a coherent state, we feel better. We feel calm and clear. We feel more energetic. Our minds are calmer. The best way to find coherence is to find your breath and breathe in rhythm.
3. Don’t worry about perfection, it doesn’t exist. Don’t worry about big or small, advanced or beginner, it’s not about that at all. This is it Practice conscious movementthis is your practice of developing awareness of the mind and body. We’ll move for six to seven minutes, which are simple movements that anyone can do, and then we’ll take a break. Now I encourage you to give yourself the time to take a minute or two of rest. When we start integrating. It is where we integrate and truly allow ourselves the opportunity to experience ourselves in this coherence. In a more stable and stable state. You are worth it and your life is worth it.
4. Place your feet hip-width apart, get into a comfortable position, and here we go. Let’s just find that rhythm. Inhale, extending your arms forward and up. Turn your palms open, and exhale your arms out and down. Inhale, reaching forward and up. Open the palms, and exhale out and down. once again. Inhale, reaching forward and up. Rotate palms, exhale outward and downward.
5. Next is what I call it Body and mind drowned. Exhale, reaching to your left. Inhale, and return to center. Exhale, sway to your right. Inhale, reach up. So we’re moving slowly on purpose, everyone. Exhale, and reach to the left. Inhale, reach up. Exhale, reaching to the right. Again, inhale. Exhale, and laugh. Inhale. Correct exhalation. Inhale, reaching back. Exhale to your left, we’re going to hold, put your hand on your hip. Inhale, reach, exhale. So just after breathing in, take a gentle and deep inhale. Reach up, exhale, press your hips to the right, and inhale. Just one more, inhale.
6. If you can, reach a little further. Inhale, raise your arms up. Exhale, sway to your right. Inhale. Exhale, reach. Just keep breathing. Inhale. Exhale, reach. Great side stretch here, inhale. Exhale, last, inhale, exhale, reach, hold, inhale, raise your arms up.
7. Now, place your hands on your knees like a baseball player. With straight arms, pull your butt back, and now extend your arms back. As you inhale, extend your arms forward, up, look up, exhale back and down, inhale extending up, swing, then exhale back. Inhale, reach up, exhale again. once again. Inhaling, I reached up. Exhale again. Extend your arms overhead, this time interlacing your fingers behind your head. Send your hips forward and tip your head back for a moment here.
8. Now, root through your feet and send your hips forward. Can you really leave your head on your hands? What does that look like? Open your elbows a little wider, take another breath, inhale, and expand your lungs significantly. Exhale, and reach your arms up. Again, place your hands on your knees like a baseball player. This time drop your elbows to your knees if you can. If you have some low back stuff, stay here. Otherwise, you can drop your elbows here and look down, with a nice forward bend.
9. Let’s take three breaths here. Inhale, pull your hips back, exhale. Again, find the breath. Inhale, hips back. Exhale. Again, take a deep breath, and lower your hips down slightly. A little dynamic movement, inhale, straighten the legs. Exhale, bend your knees. So they don’t have to be completely straight. Inhale, straighten, and match movement and breathing. Exhale, bend. Three more, inhale. Go find this breathing, this is coherent breathing. Exhale, gentle, deep and rhythmic. Inhale. Exhale. That’s it. Last one. Inhale. He exhaled, leaned deeply and held.
10. While we’re here, let’s get it down to the ground. Come all the way to your belly. Dynamic backbend, so extend your arms out to the sides together. On the inhale, lift. Exhale, lower halfway. Inhale, lift, up. Exhale, low. So this is very healthy for our spines, for everyone. Inhale, rise, exhale, and lower. Last one. Inhale, lift, hold. Hold, access. Access through your fingers. Lift your chest, lift your legs, and then lower.
11. We’ll carry it on our backs until we’re done. So lie on your back, spread your legs out, and then work dynamically again. Pull your right knee in, give yourself a good hug here, and give good pressure. Really beneficial for your hips. Now inhale, exhale, switch legs, left knee in, and inhale. Exhale, switch legs, inhale. Exhale. Again, alternate, inhaling, squeezing, and exhaling. Insert both knees, just press yourself, and I’ll raise your knees to 90 degrees. Take your arms out to the side.
12. Take the final spine twist here, our final movement. As you inhale, lower your knees to your right. Look to your left. Exhale, rise to center. So they don’t need to touch. Inhale into your lift, which is a good twist for your spine. Exhale, center. After breathing and movement, inhale, and right. Exhale, center, inhale, left. Exhale, center. once again. Inhale, right. Center exhale, inhale left. Exhalation center. Now put your feet on the floor, straighten your legs, separate your feet, and roll your palms up until you’re like a snow angel, big and wide, and close your eyes here and allow yourself for the next few minutes to connect with your body.
13. As you lie here still, notice any sensations, any sensations of cold or heat. Maybe something tingles. Our body speaks to us through the language of sensation. By connecting body and mind through breath and movement, our awareness increases.
14. We begin to become more fluent in that language of sensations. So what do you feel in your body? Finally, notice your breath. Just notice how your body breathes, what you feel when you inhale, what changes in your ribs, around your back, and what happens when you exhale. Just notice, using your body, breath, pulse, and sensations as the anchors of your awareness in this mindfulness practice.
15. Now just open your eyes and notice how it feels to be you right now in this moment. Do you feel more clear and calm? Or stable, or at ease. You may feel more energized and ready for your day. Pull your knees to your chest and then turn to one side. We roll up, and sit for another moment. With your chin up and your gaze upward. Thank yourself for doing this through this practice. Thank yourself for giving yourself the gift of movement, deep, consistent breathing, and some stillness and silence.