Mindfulness 101: Guided Breath Meditation

Welcome to week one of Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation.

I'm Heather Stang and this is the second recording for the first week.

During this practice,

You will have 20 minutes of guided breath awareness.

You can use some of the same techniques that were offered in the class and the previous recording,

But during this practice,

Your breath is going to be the primary focus and you're going to start to learn how to deconstruct your breath.

So a lot of times we think of our breath as two simple parts,

The in-breath and the out-breath.

But the more you begin to pay attention,

You will notice how there's little spaces between each of the parts of your breath and also there are many nuances to each breath.

There's a beginning,

A middle and an end.

There's a location in your body.

For some people,

There's a temperature or a sense of texture.

So the breath is rich with opportunities to wake us up to the present moment.

During this practice,

There's a couple tips that can help you.

One teacher said,

If you find your breath becomes boring,

Hold it.

After some time,

You'll find your breath is very interesting.

Another technique is to shift your focus to the sensation of hearing or sound,

Taking yourself away from your breath slightly.

So you'll notice your breath while you simultaneously notice sound.

And this can open up your awareness,

Help you become a little more alert and then you can bring your awareness back to your breath.

Now,

Right now we are working on cultivating focus.

Eventually,

We will practice opening our awareness to more senses.

So right now,

Let your breath be the primary focus,

But if you need a tool to help you wake up a little,

You could also incorporate sound into your practice as well.

As with all meditations,

You are off the hook for doing it perfect.

So just try your best and begin again as often as you need to.

It is normal for your mind to wander.

It is normal for your mind to wander and it would be abnormal for your mind to be free of thoughts.

The point of meditation is not to get rid of thoughts.

Your thoughts are not the enemy.

It's about learning how to relate to your thoughts in a different way,

To let go of habits.

So tonight's intention really is to continue developing the skill of focus and concentration through a breath meditation.

So let's begin.

Find a place where you are going to be comfortable and undisturbed for the next period of time and choose a seat that is supportive for you where you can be alert but simultaneously relaxed.

It helps to have a relaxed body in order to develop focus and concentration.

So once you've found your seat,

Take a moment and connect with your physical body by sensing the bottom of your feet.

Maybe they are pressing into a floor or carpet or shoes.

Or if you are sitting cross-legged,

You might feel the places where the outsides of your feet are pressing into the floor.

So just take a moment to notice your feet and imagine that you could relax your toes,

Relaxing the arch of your foot.

And start to scan up your body,

Imagining that you could relax each major muscle group through your calves,

Your thighs,

Your buttocks,

Your belly,

Your shoulders,

Your face.

And feel the weight of your arms,

Your hands resting in your lap or by your side.

Recognizing that the sensations you are experiencing in your body are happening right here and right now.

Take a moment and dwell on the sensations dancing around your body and eventually allow your breath to come into focus.

Let it come to you.

You don't have to go out searching for your breath.

It will show up.

Just notice your breath naturally.

Notice the place in your body where your breath is the most noticeable right now.

It might be a really light,

Shallow breath or it might be full and labored.

Just notice it how it is without trying to change it or fix it or adjust it in any way.

Recognizing that like sensations in your body,

This breath is what is happening right now.

And if you start to get lost in thought,

You can invite yourself to come back.

Take a moment to remember what brings you to this practice.

What is your aspiration or your hope?

Now imagine that you could completely soften your stomach muscles,

Soften your belly.

Begin to take in a full,

Deep breath that swells up your belly like a balloon.

See if you can focus your breath just in this one area.

So breathing in fully into your lower belly and then exhaling when you're ready.

And do this a few times.

Feel the sensation in your muscles and skin as the breath stretches you in a way that you may not have stretched before if you haven't breathed so deeply.

And feel the breath empty out on the exhale.

You might start to notice how the little pauses between the in-breath and the out-breath,

That moment of transition.

If you're having trouble connecting with this sensation,

You can place your hand on your belly and feel it move.

Now let's add on by breathing into your belly and take in more air so that it fills you up to your middle section or your lower ribs.

You might feel your diaphragm stretching out.

Breathing into your lower belly and then your middle section and then exhaling when you're ready.

So just breathing into this lower half of your torso.

If you notice parts of your body where it feels like your breath gets stuck or is tight,

For right now just notice that.

Don't struggle against it.

You might notice that on the exhale you can try to imagine softening those places.

They may respond,

They may not.

Just using sensation in your body,

Whether it's pleasurable,

Unpleasurable or neutral,

Is another way to focus on the present.

Now let's create a full breath in by filling up your belly,

Your middle section and your chest on the next inhale.

Let the exhales start to fall out of your mouth with a sigh or sound,

A letting go.

And continue with this three part breath in,

Falling out exhale in your own rhythm and your own time.

And let each aspect of your breath be an opportunity for curiosity and focus.

Release the three part breath.

Let your breath come back to a natural,

Organic rhythm,

Letting the breath breathe itself.

And focus on your breath in its natural state just as you did when you exaggerated it.

So notice how there's a beginning,

A middle and an end to each inhale.

And what happens between each of these parts of your breath,

Between the inhale and the exhale?

What happens between each of these parts of your breath,

Between the inhale and the exhale?

If you lose focus,

Simply begin again with the next out breath.

Remembering that each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your meditation muscle.

You've improved your capacity to focus.

So notice how each part of your breath,

Each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

So notice how each time you return back from being lost in thought,

You've strengthened your capacity to focus.

Beginning again and again,

Relaxing and breathing.

Your breath is easy,

Mind focused,

And if it wanders,

You just ask it nicely to come back.

Silence.

The bell signals the end of our practice.

So take a moment to thank yourself for taking this time to develop your focus and concentration.

Silence.