Welcome to this 30-minute awareness of breath and body meditation.
This is a sitting meditation so let's begin by finding a comfortable sitting position for you.
You might choose to sit onto the ground,
Onto a meditation cushion or onto a chair.
In case you are sitting on the ground or the meditation cushion you can sit in a cross-legged position.
In case you are sitting on a chair just make sure your legs are not crossed and your feet are flat on the ground.
The upper body is straight,
The shoulders slightly tucked back and the head balanced on top of the spine.
The hands can be placed on your laps or knees,
Palms can face up or down.
When you are ready gently closing the eyes or if you prefer you can also let your gaze fall unfocused a couple feet in front of you onto the floor.
The intention of this meditation is practicing waking up to the automatic pilot and coming to awareness.
The attention we first bring it into the breath then into the body and then into the breath and the body.
The attitude we are practicing during this meditation is trust,
Beginner's mind and kindness.
And now we are getting started with this 30-minute meditation.
So simply arriving now in this meditation and maybe noticing the gentle movement of the breath right now.
Actually feeling the sensations as the breath rolls in and rolls out.
Our breath is such a constant feature of life that it's easy to ignore.
So taking time with it now,
Simply sensing the rhythm of our breath,
Nothing to do and nothing to change.
Maybe our mind has wandered,
So simply recognizing this and in a non-judging way gently bringing our awareness back to the breath.
So allowing to move our breath through its cycle of in-breath and out-breath without controlling.
Perhaps sensing the rise and fall of the belly or the feeling of the air in the nostrils or upper lip.
If it feels right,
You might also place a hand onto your belly and just feeling the movement of the belly.
And if it feels right,
You might also place a hand feeling the movement of the breath,
Of the rhythm.
As good as you can,
Simply being with the breath right now.
Letting the breath roll in and roll out.
There's nothing to do,
Nothing to change.
We are practicing to simply be with this breath right now.
And if at any time thoughts carry us away to the past or the futures or emotions are present,
That are difficult,
Remembering that it is always possible to return to the breath to the breath or to the places our body touches whatever we are sitting on as a safe place.
An anchor for us to rest in.
Until we are ready to return to the meditation and listening to the sound of my voice once again.
So simply riding the waves of the breath once again from moment to moment.
Can we notice how there are four elements to each breath cycle?
First,
We are breathing in.
Then there's a slight pause before,
Then then there's a slight pause before,
Then we are breathing out.
And then there's another pause before we breathe in again.
Simply becoming aware of this cycle and how it just repeats right now.
Letting now go of the awareness of the breath and moving our awareness to physical sensations in the body.
How does our body feel like right now?
So simply investigating the experience of our body.
What sensations can we notice in this moment?
What sensations can we notice in this moment?
Is it maybe cold or warm?
Are there pressure points?
Are there points of pain or discomfort?
Is it rather relaxed and loose or maybe tight and hard?
And if unpleasant sensations are present maybe we can allow ourselves to simply observe them.
Allow them to be here and then letting go of them.
And in case the mind has wandered,
Simply becoming aware of this and then gently but firmly bringing our attention back,
Back to my voice and back into the physical sensations of the body.
So even if unpleasant sensations are present,
Maybe we can allow ourselves to simply observe them.
Allow them to be here and then letting go of them.
Being with things as they are right now.
Maybe breathing into those areas of unpleasant sensations and breathing out of them.
Softening,
Allowing and letting go.
What is our experience right now?
Maybe focusing our attention onto the sensations of touch,
Contact and pressure within the body.
And where it makes contact with whatever we are sitting on.
So the contact with the ground,
Meditation,
Cushion,
The bed,
Mat or chair.
Simply exploring what can we sense.
And when it feels right,
We are expanding now our focus and also bringing our breath again.
So combining breath and body now.
Feeling the movement of the body while we are breathing.
Can we notice how the chest or belly expands with every inhalation and contracts with every exhalation?
There's no need to breathe in a certain way.
Simply becoming aware of the movements of our body as we breathe.
Noticing the changing patterns of physical sensations in the body.
Where in the body can we feel the breath most vividly in this moment?
Maybe in the throat?
The nostrils?
The belly?
The upper lip or the chest?
And if our mind has drifted off and gone into the past or the future,
Simply letting go of this.
Bringing our minds back to my spine.
The sensations we notice in our breath and body right now.
So what can we notice right now in this moment?
Simply dropping into our bodies and becoming aware of the sensations that we are feeling.
Notice right now in this moment simply dropping into our bodies and becoming aware of how the air flows in and out.
As best we can,
Inhabiting the breath and feeling it in the body for the full duration of the in-breath and the full duration of the out-breath.
Perhaps again noticing the slight pause between an in-breath and the following out-breath.
And between an out-breath and the following in-breath.
When thoughts come into the mind and we got carried away,
Which is what minds do,
Simply noticing the thoughts and letting them drift on.
Choosing to come back to the breath and the body.
Back to our anchors.
Those are our safe places to rest in.
As we draw this meditation to a close now,
Expanding our attention to include the entire body sitting here from the soles of the feet to the top of the head.
So being present to the totality of our experience in this moment.
We are simply here breathing and sensing into our body.
And when we are ready,
Gently coming back to the room now.
So turning our awareness to sounds in the room.
Sounds outside the room.
And maybe start to wiggle the toes and hands,
Moving the hands.
Moving the head from side to side.
Or simply move or stretch in whatever way feels good to you right now.
And when you are ready,
Gently opening the eyes and fully coming back to the room.
Perhaps taking a few moments to notice what sensations are present in the body right now.
The awareness of breath and body meditation is now complete.
