Welcome to this journey into exploring the wisdom of your breath.
I invite you to find a comfortable seated position where you can feel both grounded and relaxed.
Allow your feet to rest naturally and your spine to be gently upright,
Allowing your hands to gently settle wherever feels most comfortable for you.
Taking a moment to make any final adjustments creating the foundation of comfort and stability and groundedness.
And when you're ready gently closing your eyes or softening your gaze downwards.
This time belongs entirely to you,
A gift of presence you're offering yourself.
Imagine crossing a threshold into your inner sanctuary,
Letting go of whatever was on your mind previously and stepping into this present moment of compassionate awareness.
Being instead of doing,
Allowing yourself to feel held compassionately in the guidance of this invitational practice and in the guidance and presence of your own awareness and attention.
Let's begin by simply noticing that you are breathing,
Without trying to change anything,
Without making any judgments about your breathing,
Just becoming aware that this essential rhythm flows naturally within you,
Wisely and continuously.
Your breath has been your faithful companion since the first moment of your life.
Your breath's an invitation inwards towards the landscape of the inner world inside your precious body.
With a gentle curiosity,
Beginning to notice where you most naturally feel your breathing.
Perhaps it's the cool air touching your nostrils on the inhale or the warm release on the exhale.
Maybe you're drawn to the rise and fall of your chest or the movement of your belly's gentle expansion and relaxing.
Just trusting in wherever your attention wants to flow and remember that there is no right or wrong way of following the breath.
When your mind wanders,
And it will,
Simply noticing this too.
Thoughts,
Memories and plans are all natural.
It's what our minds do.
When you notice just gently with kindness,
Guiding your awareness back to the flowing river of breath that continues within you.
Exploring your breath with a beginner's mind,
As if experiencing your breathing for the very first time.
What does this breath feel like?
What kind of feeling is that?
Perhaps noticing its texture,
Temperature or rhythm.
Is there a quality of flow to the breathing?
Perhaps an opening and closing,
A speed,
Or a noticing of a changing turbulence of the breath.
Just resting completely present to the noticing of any of the sensations of your unique flowing breath.
From this focused awareness,
Slowly expanding now,
Your attention to include the whole of the journey of your breath.
Right from the initial impulse to inhale,
Through to the fullness of the in-breath,
To the natural pause at the end of the in-breath,
And then the complete unhurried letting go release of the out-breath.
Following this whole cycle with compassionate awareness,
Noticing your breath's natural wisdom,
Its own perfect rhythm.
And now expanding even further to sense your whole body breathing.
Noticing how your entire body participates in the flow of the breathing.
Perhaps noticing how your ribs expand,
Your shoulders subtly rise and fall.
Or noticing how your back participates in each breath too.
Maybe you notice movement in your pelvis,
Your belly,
Your hips.
Just allowing yourself to gently follow the flow of your breath.
Follow wherever your awareness of your breathing body takes you.
Resting in this expanded awareness of the wisdom of the whole of your body breathing.
Noticing and trusting how your attention and awareness naturally ebb and flow too,
Just like your breath itself.
Take a few more moments with your whole breathing body,
Noticing how each breath is unique.
You're witnessing the ever-changing flow of life itself,
Constant renewal happening effortlessly within you.
Your breathing is your life force and the Alexia that's supporting your very existence.
Take a moment to appreciate yourself for this curious and kind awareness you've cultivated towards your breathing.
You've practiced something profound,
The gift of awareness and connection.
To the compassionate wisdom of your breath.
In your own time,
Expanding your awareness now back out towards the whole of your body.
Beginning to wriggle your fingers and toes.
Slowly opening your eyes in your own time if they've been closed.
And orienting yourself back into your surroundings.
And as you're doing this,
I'd like you to remember that the wisdom of your breath is always there within you.
Accessible whenever you want to bring your awareness towards you.
A constant invitation back to the presence,
Back to the flow of life within you.
And with regular practice,
You can become even more connected to this wise flow of life.
Your very breath in this moment,
Always with you.
Thank you for joining me in this practice.
