So settling down into our chosen posture,
This is going to be a three-step breathing space.
So first of all,
Just bringing to mind our intention for this practice,
Which might be recognizing and acknowledging all of one's current experience,
Our thoughts,
Our emotions,
Our body sensations.
Bringing to mind the attitudes,
For instance,
Acceptance,
Awareness,
Non-judging.
So gently moving into step one,
Becoming aware.
Stepping out of automatic pilot.
So just asking ourselves,
What is my experience right now?
What body sensations are here right now?
Perhaps quickly scanning the body,
Noticing any tightness or bracing or lack of any particular sensations.
Just gently acknowledging.
In thoughts,
What thoughts are going through the mind?
As best you can,
Acknowledge thoughts as mental events.
Maybe putting them into words like planning,
Worrying,
Remembering.
What emotions are here?
Acknowledging,
Turning towards any sense of unpleasant emotions.
Acknowledging them.
Any pleasant emotions.
Acknowledging them.
Or maybe no particular emotions at this moment present.
In step two,
Gathering our attention.
Gathering is onto the breath,
Onto the sensations of the breath.
Getting in close to the sensations of breath,
Wherever you feel it most,
Maybe in the abdomen.
Senses of expansion on the in-breath and everything coming back to neutral on the out-breath.
Using the breathing to anchor ourselves in the present moment.
In the third step,
Expanding our awareness out into the whole of the body.
If we become aware of any sensations of discomfort,
Tension or resistance,
Just practice taking your awareness there by breathing into them on the in-breath.
And breathing out from those sensations,
Softening and opening with the out-breath.
And in our own time,
Bringing this short meditation,
This three-step breathing space to a close,
With the intention of taking this expanded awareness into the next moments of your day.
