In this meditation, we explore how gentle movement can become part of our contemplative practice.
While meditation is often associated with complete stillness, the Christian monastic tradition has long incorporated simple physical movements—such as bowing, kneeling and prostration—to help cultivate deeper awareness. In this practice, we combine the rhythm of the breath with the gentle opening and closing of the hands.
Beginning with grounding and awareness of the breath, we settle into the still point between each inhale and exhale before allowing our hands to move in harmony with our breathing. As we breathe in, the hands gently close; as we breathe out, they softly open again.
This simple practice offers another anchor for attention, making it especially helpful during times of distraction, stress or anxiety. By uniting breath, body and awareness, we discover another pathway into the stillness that lies at the heart of meditation.
This meditation supports mindfulness, contemplative prayer, stress relief, emotional regulation and developing deeper concentration through embodied awareness.
It can be used as part of a daily meditation practice or whenever you find it difficult to settle into stillness through the breath alone.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: Movement within meditation
01:08 – Opening bell
01:20 – Entering the here and now
02:03 – Centring on the breath
02:36 – The still point between breaths
03:19 – Bringing awareness to the hands
03:42 – Breathing with opening and closing hands
04:50 – Noticing breath, movement and stillness
06:40 – Pausing to notice sensations in the hands
08:05 – Movement as an anchor for anxiety or distraction
09:41 – Returning the hands to stillness
10:19 – Resolution for the day
10:32 – Closing bell