Find a comfortable position either seated or lying down and settle your eyes to a close or a half-close.
Begin by taking a few deep breaths,
Inhaling through your nose and exhaling through your mouth,
Allowing tension to melt away as you connect with the rhythm of your breath,
Returning to breathing in and out through the nose,
Finding an anchor in this breath,
In its rhythm or at a particular place in the body you feel it the most.
Now,
Beginning to broaden the scope of your attention to not just the breath but to all parts of your internal and external experience.
This is open awareness,
Knowing you can always return to the anchor of the breath at any time in today's practice,
Moving back and forth between focused and open awareness as many times as you need.
Hearing the subtle birdsong in the background,
Noticing the different pitches,
Rhythms and melodies that are here with you.
Letting the sounds of the birds be a reminder that you're right here.
As thoughts pass through the mind,
Simply observing,
No need to follow a line of thinking.
Imagining thoughts as clouds in the sky,
Watching them pass by as they are.
Some stormy and gray,
Others fluffy and white.
If your mind begins to wander,
As minds often do,
Gently acknowledge this drifting and without judgment,
Without making it mean anything about you or your practice,
Simply guide your focus back to this present moment.
Notice the moment when you've lost track of the birdsong,
Recognizing this as an invitation to come back to yourself,
Not just the breath but your whole self.
Resting in open awareness.
Neaton,
Every time you return to the present,
Connecting with that birdsong once again,
Offer yourself a congratulations for noticing the wandering mind,
Knowing that this is the entire point of the practice.
Fasting in this calm,
Abiding presence,
Holding space for every part of your present moment experience,
Internal and external,
For a final few moments of practice.
As we conclude this meditation,
Take a moment to appreciate the simplicity of being present with the birds.
When you're ready,
Gently opening your eyes,
Carrying this sense of mindful awareness into the rest of your day.
