Find a comfortable position seated in a chair with your feet on the floor,
Seated on the ground with a cushion or other prop under the hips,
Or even lying down.
Begin to notice the quality of your breath.
Without any judgment,
Simply notice how the breath is showing up today.
Is there a staccato or ragged quality?
Or does each inhale flow smoothly to the exhale?
Is your inhale longer than the exhale or vice versa?
While we simply want to get curious about the breath,
By bringing your attention to it,
You might notice that it naturally begins to shift.
Continue watching the breath,
Noting if it begins to evolve.
Now let's begin to direct the breath with more intention.
Try breathing in and out through the nose if that's comfortable for you.
For today,
Let's also try making the exhale a beat or two longer than the inhale.
So taking an inhale through the nose,
Then an exhale through the nose,
Slow and steady for maybe a second longer than the inhale.
Notice how this style of breath feels in your body.
As you continue to breathe,
We will mark this moment of transition with some intention.
Think about what came before in your day and how you could sum it up in one sentence of completion.
For example,
The statement could be,
I am finished with my work day,
Or my morning is complete.
Think of a statement for yourself.
Speak the statement aloud or repeat it in your mind three times.
Or repeat it in your mind three times.
Now repeat the following statement.
In this moment,
I am practicing meditation.
As you continue with a steady rhythm of breath,
Rest your attention in the space between the two eyebrows.
When you finish this practice,
You might choose to say,
I have completed meditating,
Followed by a statement of what you want to do next.
Give yourself permission to slow down and mark transitions throughout your day,
Signaling to yourself when it's time to let something go and move to something new mindfully.
