Welcome to the mindful journey with Christine.
Thank you for joining me for an awareness of breath meditation,
Where we'll be calming the mind and the body and coming into the present moment.
I invite you to join me in settling into a comfortable position,
Gently closing our eyes or lowering our gaze,
Knowing that we can open our eyes at any time if ever we need to.
Let's begin right here,
Right now,
With a few deep cleansing breaths,
Taking a deep breath in,
And relaxing with the exhale,
And again,
A deep inhale,
Allowing the air to fill the belly,
And a long,
Slow exhale,
Allowing all of the air out.
And one more deep breath,
Breathing in calm,
Breathing out ease.
Now bringing a kind,
Gentle awareness to wherever you feel the breath most in your body.
Maybe you notice the air as it enters and exits your nose,
Noticing the cool air coming in,
And the warm air flowing out.
Or perhaps you notice the rise and fall of your chest as the air passes through.
Or maybe you notice the rise and fall of the belly with each inhale and exhale.
Perhaps even placing a hand on your belly to feel the natural flow of the breath.
We're bringing a kind,
Gentle awareness to wherever we notice the breath most and resting here.
Trying to notice the breath without trying to control it,
Being with it just as it is.
If thoughts arise,
Silently saying to yourself,
Thinking,
And then gently guide your attention back to the breath without judgment.
It's human nature for the mind to wander.
It's okay if thoughts arise.
This is what the mind does.
It thinks.
And we can always begin again and bring our attention back to the breath,
Back to the present moment.
Breathing in calm.
Breathing out ease.
Continuing to be with the breath,
Noting any thoughts that arise,
And silently saying to yourself,
Thinking,
And then gently returning our focus back to the breath without judgment.
Continuing to note thinking as thoughts arise and perhaps other distractions arise,
Such as noises that you hear in the background,
You may silently note hearing and return your focus back to the breath.
Or perhaps some discomfort is arising in your body,
That's okay,
We can silently name that as well.
Sensation.
And return our attention back to the breath,
Back to the present moment.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes,
Thank you for your presence.