Sitting up tall,
Lengthening through the spine,
Allow your shoulders to soften and roll back just slightly,
Creating space across your chest.
If you're seated in a chair,
Maybe uncross your legs and place both feet flat on the floor,
Grounding through all four corners of each foot,
Resting your hands on your lap,
Gently on your thighs with your palms facing up,
Or allow them just to rest wherever they feel most comfortable,
Most natural for you.
Feel the surface that's supporting your hands.
Softly begin to close your eyes,
Or if you prefer,
Simply lower your gaze to a point just in front of you.
And now begin to notice your breath just as it is.
No need to change anything.
Simply observe the natural rhythm,
The inhaling,
The exhaling,
The breath arriving,
The breath releasing.
And now take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling your lungs completely,
And exhale fully,
Letting everything go.
Once more,
Breathing in deeply through the nose,
Drawing in fresh energy,
And releasing through the mouth,
Letting go of any tension you might be holding.
And now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Gently flowing in and out through the nose,
Easy,
Effortless.
And notice where you feel the breath most vividly in your body.
Maybe it's in the rise and fall of your chest.
Maybe it's in the back of your throat,
Or at your nostrils,
Feeling the subtle rush of air.
And without changing anything,
Simply observe.
Become curious about the sensations of breathing,
This process that sustains you every moment of every day.
Notice the brief pause at the top of each inhale and the soft pause at the bottom of each exhale.
Notice these quiet spaces between the breaths.
And if your mind begins to wander,
And it will,
This is perfectly natural.
Simply notice where it's gone and gently guide your attention back to the breath.
No judgment,
No frustration,
Just a kind return to the breath over and over again.
And now begin to gently deepen the breath,
Lengthening the inhale,
Perhaps counting slowly to four as you breathe in,
And letting the exhale expand to match it,
Counting to four as you breathe out.
Inhaling for four.
Exhaling for four counts.
Feel your belly rise with each inhale,
Expanding fully.
And fall with each exhale,
Drawing gently back towards your spine.
Your breath is like a wave,
Flowing in and flowing out,
Soft and steady,
Continuous and rhythmic.
Continue with these full,
Nourishing breaths,
Each one an anchor to this present moment.
With each inhale,
Imagine you're breathing in a sense of calm.
With each exhale,
Letting go of any worry.
Breathing in what you need.
Breathing out what you're ready to release.
Continuing at your own pace,
Finding a rhythm of your breath that feels good for your body.
And while maintaining this gentle awareness of your breath,
Begin to expand your attention to the rest of your body.
Notice all of the places where your body meets the port.
Your feet on the floor.
Feel the weight,
The pressure,
The contact.
Your seat on your chair.
Your legs resting.
Your hands supported.
And notice the texture beneath you.
Is it soft?
Is it firm?
Smooth or rough?
Notice the temperature.
Is it cool?
Warm?
Or neutral?
And feel the simple gift of being held,
Being supported.
You don't have to hold yourself up.
The earth,
The surfaces beneath you,
The floor,
They're doing that for you.
And so bring your awareness now to the sensations within your body.
Beginning at the crown of your head,
Notice any sensations there.
Maybe tension.
Maybe ease.
Maybe nothing at all.
Whatever you find here is perfectly fine.
Moving down to your forehead and your eyes.
Your jaw.
If you notice any tightness in your jaw,
See if you can soften it.
Letting your teeth rest apart just slightly.
Your neck and shoulders,
Often places where we hold on to tension.
Just noticing what's there without needing to fix or to change anything.
And now let your attention move down your arms,
Through your elbows and your forearms,
All the way to your fingertips.
Noticing any tingling or warmth or energy there.
Your chest and your back,
Rising and falling with each breath.
Your belly,
Soft and relaxed.
Your hips,
Your thighs,
Your knees.
Your lower legs,
Ankles,
Feet,
All the way down to your toes.
Taking a moment now to feel your whole body sitting here,
Breathing,
Alive in this moment.
And now expand your awareness even further,
Beyond the boundaries of your body.
Feeling the air touching your skin.
Maybe there's a slight breeze,
Or maybe the air is perfectly still.
Notice the temperature.
Is it warm?
Is it cool?
Listening to the sounds around you.
Perhaps you hear sounds nearby.
The hum of the room you're in.
The sound of your own breath.
And maybe sounds further away,
Outside.
You don't need to identify or label anything,
Simply let sounds arise and pass.
Aware of them,
Like clouds moving across the sky.
And notice if there are any scents in the air.
Again,
No need to name them,
Just observe.
All of these sensations.
Touch,
Sound,
Smell.
The felt sense of your body.
All of these sensations are happening right now.
Not in the past,
And not in the future,
But in this present moment.
Each breath you take is happening right now.
A completely new breath each time that's never existed before,
And will never exist again.
Every sound that you hear is happening in this present moment.
Arising and dissolving.
These sensations are your direct connection to now.
To presence,
To aliveness.
And in this moment,
Notice that you are okay.
Right here and right now,
You have everything you need.
You're safe.
There's nowhere else to go.
Nothing else you need to do.
No problem you need to solve right now.
Right here and right now,
You have everything you need.
You are safe.
You are held.
You are enough.
Let yourself rest in this knowing.
Even if just for these few moments,
Let yourself fully arrive in this present moment.
Continue to breathe softly,
Resting here in simple presence.
This moment is a refuge.
If thoughts arise,
That's okay.
Simply notice them like clouds passing through the sky.
And then return to the breath.
Return to the body.
Return to now.
This moment is always here.
It is always available to you.
You can return to this moment anytime in the middle of a busy day,
In a moment of stress,
And even in times of peace.
Your breath is always with you.
A faithful companion inviting you back to presence.
Take one more deep,
Full breath in through your nose,
Filling completely.
And let it go,
Releasing fully.
Beginning to deepen your breath.
Becoming more and more aware of your body in this space.
Bringing small movements back into this body.
Moving fingers and toes.
Maybe gently rolling your shoulders.
And when you are ready,
Slowly and gently blinking your eyes open.
Returning your gaze to the space around you.
Take a moment here before you transition back into your day.
Notice how you feel.
And carry this sense of presence with you.
Knowing that you can return here whenever you need.
