Mindfulness Of The Breath

Finding a comfortable way to sit finding a posture that allows you to be present awake yet relaxed settling in feeling what it feels like to be here right now and remembering that there's nowhere else to be allowing the hands to rest wherever they're comfortable if you haven't done so already allowing the eyes to close softly and if that doesn't feel safe or comfortable simply using a downward gaze allowing the eyes to relax as much as possible allowing the body to simply relax allowing it to soften making any last-minute adjustments that may be necessary to sit comfortably for a while allow the breath to be natural and now turning the attention to the breath finding it in the body where it's most easiest for you to identify today oftentimes that's at the rim of the nostril sometimes it's in the sinus cavity you might also notice it in the chest or in the abdomen it may show up for you in some other place as well it may show up for you in some other place as well wherever you find it it's okay wherever you find it simply allowing all of your attention to go there without thinking about it without judging it simply observing the breath as you inhale notice the sensations involved in breathing as you inhale notice the sensations involved in breathing as you inhale notice the sensations involved in breathing again this isn't a mental exercise it's not a thought process again this isn't a mental exercise it's not a thought process again this isn't a mental exercise it's not a thought process it's simple observance it's simple observance it's simple observance being with the breath being with the breath being with the breath and as you exhale noticing the sensations and as you exhale noticing the sensations and as you exhale noticing the sensations that go along with exhaling what does it feel like to exhale what does it feel like to exhale and as you follow each in breath and each out breath and as you follow each in breath and each out breath and as you follow each in breath and each out breath and as you follow each in breath and each out breath and as you follow each in breath and each out breath you may notice the little pause you may notice the little pause you may notice the little pause in between when you become lost in thought or when you become lost in thought or when you become lost in thought or distracted by sound distracted by sound distracted by sound this is the moment of mindfulness this is the moment of mindfulness this is the moment of mindfulness this is the moment to this is the moment to this is the moment to come back to the breath simply seeing simply seeing simply seeing the experience as it arises recognizing thinking as thinking recognizing thinking as thinking recognizing thinking as thinking recognizing thinking as thinking there's nothing more to it than that there's nothing more to it than that there's nothing more to it than that it's always okay to use compassion it's always okay to use compassion it's always okay to use compassion to guide yourself back to the breath to guide yourself back to the breath to guide yourself back to the breath remembering that thinking is what the remembering that thinking is what the remembering that thinking is what the mind does mind does mind does when it's sound that distracts you when it's sound that distracts you when it's sound that distracts you just recognizing it as hearing just recognizing it as hearing just recognizing it as hearing hearing is happening it's okay this is hearing is happening it's okay this is hearing is happening it's okay this is what happens it's what the ears do what happens it's what the ears do what happens it's what the ears do and just using it as a moment of and just using it as a moment of and just using it as a moment of mindfulness mindfulness mindfulness and coming back to the breath and coming back to the breath and coming back to the breath kindness kindness kindness you might notice the mind nagging you might notice the mind nagging you might notice the mind nagging telling you that there are other things telling you that there are other things telling you that there are other things that are more important or trying to convince you that thoughts or trying to convince you that thoughts or trying to convince you that thoughts deserve your attention this is normal this is normal this is normal again it's what the mind does again it's what the mind does again it's what the mind does just noticing it just noticing it just noticing it noticing the urges noticing the condition thoughts noticing the condition thoughts noticing the condition thoughts simply coming back to the breath simply coming back to the breath simply coming back to the breath as you breathe in as you breathe in as you breathe in know that you're breathing in know that you're breathing in know that you're breathing in it's really that easy it's really that easy it's really that easy as you breathe out as you breathe out as you breathe out observing that you're breathing out observing that you're breathing out observing that you're breathing out it's really that simple oftentimes we're oftentimes we're oftentimes we're meant to thought that meant to thought that meant to thought that meditation is supposed to take us to meditation is supposed to take us to meditation is supposed to take us to some magical place some magical place some magical place when in reality it's really just being when in reality it's really just being when in reality it's really just being with this moment with this moment with this moment being right here with what is feeling the breath in the body feeling the breath in the body feeling the breath in the body feeling the way that affects the body feeling the way that affects the body feeling the way that affects the body feeling the way that affects the body feeling the way that it supports the body you may take a moment just to note if you may take a moment just to note if you may take a moment just to note if anything's changed during practice anything's changed during practice anything's changed during practice have you become more relaxed have you become more relaxed have you become more relaxed of tensions risen of tensions risen of tensions risen what's changed as you breathe in as you breathe in as you breathe in know that you're breathing in know that you're breathing in know that you're breathing in as you breathe out as you breathe out as you breathe out know that you're breathing know that you're breathing in know that you're breathing in and breathing out and breathing out and breathing out when you're ready coming back to your when you're ready coming back to your when you're ready coming back to your surroundings