So finding your way now into a comfortable position,
Whatever that might look like for you as you make your way into this period of formal practice of seated meditation and this practice of awareness of breath is one that very much helps us move into that space of more simply being rather than the constant notion of doing that we so often find ourselves in a practice to really start to look within ourselves with more mindfulness,
More sense of equanimity and as we enter into this practice together now,
Having carved out this time to be both with yourself establishing yourself as best as you can in a position that is both comfortable and upright beginning to allow your eyes to gently close or for the gaze to remain stable and unfocused out in front of you establishing that gentle yet firm intention to remain as awake as possible and stay as in touch as much as possible with the present moment just as it is however that may be for you,
This practice and as we move through seeing if you can use my words as pointers to your own interiority a guide towards your own innate inner experience from moment to moment to moment and at this point perhaps bringing to mind what that deep motivation is for you to take this time out for yourself in the first place what is it that really brings you here,
What is it that really really brings you here and as you find that now gradually starting to allow your attention to rest on your breath just as it moves in and out of the body beginning to shift the focus perhaps to some area of the body where you feel the sensation of breath most vividly and that may be at the belly where you feel the rise and fall of the diaphragm as you breathe in and out or maybe it's the breath at the nostrils where you feel the passage of air as it enters into and out of the body or maybe now it's more of a larger sense of the entire body breathing as it draws in through the nostrils and right down into the belly or anywhere really where the breath feels most alive,
Most vivid to you without forcing,
Without striving,
Gently riding on the wave of the breath moment to moment just like a leaf may ride on the wave of a stream feeling the sensations in the body of the breath coming in and wherever it is in the body that you may feel the breath as it draws back out without pushing or forcing whatsoever,
Just allowing this breath to be as it is moment by moment by moment and breath by breath by breath allowing your attention to include the full embracing of each breath gently,
Mindfully,
So that each breath is experienced in its entirety at each moment the full unfolding of the in-breath,
The complete falling away of each out-breath each breath held,
Embraced,
Met fully in awareness just as best as you can moment by moment by moment just this breath and now this one and then again just this very moment with the breath moving as it is breath by breath sitting here resting in awareness in that observing space itself featuring in this moment in this breath and and sooner or later it's pretty inevitable that we will discover that the mind has in fact a mind of its own it's fully active,
Busy,
Inquisitive and sometimes incessant mind and so much so that we maybe discover that even with the best of intentions it's hard not to notice that after a while that attention may get side-tracked,
Hijacked,
Diverted maybe becoming absorbed in some other activity of the mind,
Some storyline the endless stories,
The scenarios that play out,
Maybe it's even anticipating or worrying about events or planning,
Fantasizing about some future or recollecting past events,
Getting carried away by what's been maybe arguing with ourselves or someone else for that matter about this or that it could be virtually anything and in this process,
The breath,
This breath that we're paying attention to it can rapidly disappear from our awareness despite our commitment to simply be with this awareness of breathing and if in any moment you do discover that the mind is not with or not on the breath not condemning yourself,
Putting yourself down,
But simply and open-heartedly affectionately,
Just noting what's on your mind if the breath is no longer centre stage in the field of your awareness,
Then what is?
And then the noting,
The labelling,
Just seeing,
Feeling and sensing what else is here and then allowing the breath to be right part of it in this moment because it's also here right now if the mind has wondered,
If the attention has waned,
See if you can now re-establish the primacy of that attention right again at the belly at the nostrils or at that fluxing of the breath sensations in the whole body right in this very moment of now just this breath just this breath and again just this inhale just this exhale and then again and perhaps sensing that this very act of attention of showing up,
Of being present in this way,
Of sustaining,
Maintaining your posture and your focus in this way is not only a deliberate and intentional act of kindness,
But also compassion towards yourself just to meet and embrace the breath and the fluctuations of your own mind in this way sitting,
Moving,
Being,
Breathing as if your life depended on it which of course it does just resting here fully awake with no other agenda than to be awake to be the knowing of this breathing allowing each in-breath to be utterly fresh,
A new beginning each out-breath then a real opportunity to find a complete sense of letting go each breath just met as it is just this in-breath just this out-breath and again just this in-breath just this out-breath and again just this out-breath and again just this out-breath and again just this out-breath a full letting go of the past,
The last breath and the future,
The next breath and being utterly present with this breath moment by moment by moment and breath by breath by breath and in these final remaining minutes of practice if your posture or attention has in some way collapsed or waned just seeing now if you can re-establish with the lightest of touches in your embracing of the breath just as it is,
Just as you are,
Just in this moment just this breath,
This drinking in and flowing of the air in the body this fullness,
This unfolding of life moment by moment by moment held in awareness breath by breath by breath breath by breath by breath breath by breath by breath breath by breath by breath remaining here being here,
Breathing here showing up,
Just meeting yourself and your breath in this way fully present,
Fully awake,
Fully here until you can no longer hear the sound of my bells you are ready beginning to find some gentle movement in the body reeling the fingers,
The toes finding a deeper breath and as you are ready starting to slowly and gently blink the eyes open as you make your way back into the rest of your day and just knowing that you can take this experience of presence with you into whatever it is that the rest of your day finds hopefully to invite a little more ease,
A little more space
