Hello and welcome.
My name is PJ and today we're going to explore a simple breath meditation.
The simplest one I know.
This is for you for when you want a clear,
Simple practice that you can lean on when you need a clear guide in the midst of life's noise.
This meditation comes out of a moment where I was stuck.
I felt tight,
Like I had to perform.
I felt pressure to get it right,
Create something profound,
Something new,
Something dramatic.
And with a smile on his face,
My meditation coach coached me and said,
Hey,
Why not make it simple?
Make it the simplest possible.
His name is Lou Redmond,
By the way,
And you can find his recordings here on Insight Timer and I highly recommend him.
So that's what this is.
A breath meditation that is purposefully simple.
And maybe you're here because you're feeling your own version of the pressure to get it right.
Maybe you're worried about mastering meditation or whatever it is for you.
My message to you is like the one I received.
Let's keep it simple.
Let's just breathe together.
In this practice,
We're going to lean into following the breath and we're going to lean into our wandering mind.
And note that I'm saying it that way.
It's when your mind wanders.
The next part,
The noticing that it's wandering,
That's the practice.
Just noticing.
It's as simple as that.
For these few minutes,
I want you to know that you don't have to solve anything.
You don't have to master anything.
You don't have to try to be calm.
We're keeping it simple.
We're just noticing.
If you can breathe,
You can meditate.
That's it.
Simple.
So I invite you now to find a comfortable position for your body.
Sitting is a great choice as it helps keep you awake,
But you can try lying down or even standing.
Find what feels comfortable and sustainable for a few minutes of stillness for you.
Again,
Let's keep it simple.
And I invite you to gently allow your eyes to close.
And if you're more comfortable with your eyes open,
You can try softly gazing at the floor or ceiling.
Just allow your eyes to relax,
Either closed or resting on one spot.
So let's find the breath together.
Start by bringing awareness to your stomach.
Relaxing the muscles there,
See if you can feel the natural rising and falling.
Imagine the body is breathing itself.
Notice the movement with each breath.
So take a few deep breaths like this,
Just watching yourself breathe.
Now move your awareness up to the chest.
And as you inhale,
Tune in to how your chest rises and falls with the exhale.
Just allowing,
Not forcing anything here.
Allowing,
Noticing.
Noticing.
I invite you now to follow the feeling of the breath from the beginning of your inhale through the end of your exhale,
Whatever that is for you.
Just focus there,
Following.
Now bring your attention to your nostrils.
The feeling might be subtle,
So it might be harder to notice.
Try taking a deeper breath to see what's here for you.
You might notice a slight sensation at the tip of your nose.
Rest your awareness now on the body breathing in one of those three spots,
That's either your chest,
Your stomach,
Or your nose.
Just noticing,
Not changing anything,
Not doing anything,
Just noticing.
And when your mind wanders,
Bring attention back to the breath.
Just simple breathing,
Simple noticing.
And that moment,
That moment of noticing,
That's mindfulness in action,
Right there.
That simple.
If your mind wanders,
Simply return.
Watch your breath.
If your mind wanders,
Simply return.
Breathe.
Just an inhale.
Just an exhale.
Simple.
Let's let go of the breath for now.
What did you notice about simply watching it?
And here's something to take with you today.
Meditation doesn't have to be complicated.
What's more simple than watching your breathing?
And note this,
Your breath will be here later today.
In a hard conversation,
In a stressful moment,
It doesn't belong just to this meditation time.
It belongs to you.
And please,
Let me know what you noticed or how this meditation landed for you.
I'd love to hear about what you experienced here today.
Thank you,
And I hope to be with you again soon.
