Let's enjoy a few minutes of mindfulness of the body breathing,
Finding a comfortable place to sit,
Sitting upright if possible or allowing yourself to recline,
Either semi-reclined or fully reclined,
Finding a position that is easeful for the body.
And you could take a few deep breaths to begin,
Breathing deep down into the belly,
Allowing it to expand and open,
Fill the chest,
Relax the shoulders and face as you exhale fully.
Taking a few breaths in this same manner.
Notice how the exhalations trigger the body to relax,
To settle.
You could bring a small smile to the face,
Turning up the corners of the mouth,
Encouraging a sense of ease.
Allowing the body to breathe naturally,
Begin to track,
Noticing the exhalations,
Emphasizing awareness of the exhalations and the sense with each breath out,
They become a little more relaxed.
Allowing the exhalations to be the only small effort that you make,
Giving the body the opportunity to inhale as needed and then gently exhaling.
We allow the body to breathe without interference,
Without controlling it and we train the mind to follow the sensation.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Breathing in,
I'm breathing out.
Notice where you've chosen to place the mind.
Is it at the tip of the nose?
Is it in the sensation of the air gently touching the skin around the nostril or the upper lip?
Another option is the movement in the chest,
The lift and expansion of the inhalation and the softening and descent of the exhalation.
Or you might find the attention in the belly,
Noticing the breath moving deep in the belly.
Repeating to yourself in as you breathe in and out as the body exhales.
See if you can keep the attention in the body breathing,
Following a complete round of breath.
Follow the breath all the way in,
All the way out.
If you notice the shoulders relaxing or any other part of the body releasing and softening as you focus on the breath,
Allow that to deepen,
Kind of lean in to the sense of ease as it develops.
Notice where the ease is felt in the heart,
In the belly,
Throughout the body.
If you're inspired to sit longer,
You could linger now with the breath for as long as you like.
And when you're ready,
Allowing the eyes to open if they've been closed,
Beginning to move the body slowly,
Rousing yourself.
When you move into the next activity,
Seeing if you can bring with you a sense of being settled and relaxed.
