Cat owners, or anyone watching a cat rest, can’t help but notice how peaceful and relaxed a sleeping cat can appear. The following guided meditation invites one to relax and let go like a sleeping housecat by watching and imitating the cat.
Preparing for the Cat Meditation
Find a full body image of any sleeping cat, including wild cats such as lions or tigers. If own a cat, wait for a time when the cat is sleeping peacefully.
Take a little bit of time to imagine what it would be like to be a cat. What concerns would a cat have? What does a cat experience when it naps? Consider this information as one begins the cat meditation.
Directions for the Cat Meditation
Set aside five to ten minutes without interruptions to sit peacefully and observe the cat or image of the cat. Have no expectations except wanting to relax as fully and completely as a sleeping cat.
- Sit comfortably in a position where one can observe the cat or image of a cat.
- Focus on the cat. How does the cat look? What aspects or details make the cat relaxed?
- Notice how the cat sinks into the surface of where it is laying. Relax the body so that it, too, sinks into the chair or piece of furniture. Let the arms and legs go limp. Rest the head on the chest or to one side, whatever is most comfortable.
- Try to clear the mind, and think of nothing except sinking deeper into the chair or furniture. If a thought comes up, repeat a mantra a cat might use, “I have food. I have a nap. What more do I need?”
- If losing focus or struggling to relax, open the eyes at any time and look at the cat or cat image for inspiration.
- When completely relaxed, imagine the self purring like a giant cat. One can even make a purring noise if desired, though it might wake up the real sleeping cat.
- When ready, open the eyes and slowly get up. Don’t move too quickly, in case the body needs some time to adjust.
- One might also try this exercise lying down. If one falls asleep, consider the catnap the ultimate cat imitation.
Other Suggestions for the Cat Meditation
The cat meditation offers a child an easy way to learn to meditation and take a quiet break without actually napping. Parents or other caregivers might share the meditation together with a child to calm him/her down after a busy day or upsetting situation.
On a beautiful day, one might watch a giant cat nap in a zoo and, if the zoo is quiet, practice the meditation on a bench in sight of the cat.
A sleeping cat is quiet and relaxed. With meditation, a stressed out human can imitate a cat's position and relax with a cat any time.
For another meditation for relaxation, one may enjoy the Meditations with Food: Exercises to Relax and Enjoy Eating.
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