Hi there,
Dr.
Adele Stewart here from Winoona with an awareness of breathing practice with some movement.
This can be a really nice way to start if we've been had a very busy day or we're a bit agitated,
Thoughts going everywhere or if we're not really kind of feeling like sitting still and meditating.
Having some movement with the breath can help shift us from the fight-flight mode into a more kind of gathered calm state and having some movement can can help us bring attention to something a bit more vividly as it just gives it gives us a bit more stimulation.
So finding yourself a comfortable posture,
Might be sitting on a dining room chair with your feet flat on the floor,
Your hips just slightly higher level than your knees,
Having a nice grounded base with your upper body rising up in a kind of dignified way or you might have your usual posture on a stool or a cushion or you can even modify this practice by lying down.
Let's start with some small movements.
As you breathe in,
Pressing down with the feet.
As you breathe out,
Releasing that.
Pressing down,
Breathing in,
Releasing that,
Breathing out.
Synchronizing the breath with the pressing into the earth with the feet.
You may want to stay with that or you could try lifting up the heels on the in-breath.
Place them down again on the out-breath,
Really noticing the sensation of the heels coming off the ground and then the contact with the ground as they come back down.
And if you like you could,
Especially if you're sitting in a chair,
Try extending the lower legs out in front of you,
Straightening them a bit on the in-breath and lowering them back to the ground on the out-breath.
Following your own breath,
Your own rhythm here and choosing the movement that suits best right now.
Particularly if you've been,
Had a lot of thoughts going on,
You might find that you lose that movement quite often as the mind drifts.
There's no need to give yourself a hard time here,
This is,
This is human nature,
This is part of the meditation.
You notice that your minds drift,
Just allow the thoughts to stay in the background and bring the movement of the body along with the breath into the foreground of your attention.
Breath comes in and out and the feet or legs move.
So if you've got yourself into a nice rhythm here,
You might want to continue this for the whole meditation.
Or you might like to explore how it is to move your upper body instead.
As your hands rest on your lap,
You might allow your fingers to open on the in-breath,
A little bit like flowers opening and then closing a little on the out-breath.
Allowing the movement of the fingers to be just the right speed and size to synchronize with your natural breath.
Opening on the in-breath,
Closing a little on the out-breath.
No need to manipulate or change the breath at all.
Just following your own breath,
Your own natural rhythm.
Choosing the size of the movement.
You might like to stay with these small movements or perhaps you might like to explore making the movement bigger.
You might like to raise the arms in front of you on the in-breath,
Up to the shoulders height or even higher.
Releasing them down to the lap on the out-breath.
Raising on the in-breath and lowering on the out-breath.
Finding your own natural rhythm and length of breath and size of movement.
You may even find there's a real gracefulness in the movements of the arms.
Gently rising on the in-breath and falling on the out-breath.
At some point perhaps your mind might settle a little into the wave of the breath.
It might feel right to to release the movement or you're very welcome to keep going with it.
How is it to notice where you can feel the breath in the body?
Right now,
Right here.
No need to analyze it or imagine it or visualize it.
Actually feeling the breath in the body.
Allowing the attention to be wherever it's easiest to notice.
It might be the nostrils,
Cool breath coming in,
The warm breath coming out.
Might be the chest moving,
Feeling the ribs expand and contract.
The solar plexus area rising,
Lowering.
Perhaps the belly,
That slight increase of tension and expansion on the in-breath.
The belly deflating,
Releasing on the out-breath.
Or perhaps you notice more the rhythm of the breath in the whole body,
Like waves lapping the shore.
The breath ebbing and flowing and knowing that the meditation is coming to an end.
Perhaps getting yourself some appreciation for taking the time to do this meditation.
See if it's okay to just notice whatever your experience is right now.
You may feel calmer and more peaceful or maybe not.
Just noticing and only when you're ready you might like to start gently moving parts of the body.
Keeping a soft gaze as you open your eyes and going about your day.
