Please take a moment to make yourself comfortable.
You may choose to sit in the chair or the floor,
Whatever is easier for your body.
Get settled and begin to feel heavy and grounded in your seated posture.
Build a chair or floor under you as you notice your breathing.
If you're holding anything in your hands,
Please place it aside for this meditation and rest your hands gently on your legs.
Either palms up or palms down.
If it feels comfortable to do so,
Go ahead and close your eyes.
If you'd rather keep them open,
Gently rest your gaze a few feet in front of you.
As you settle into your seated posture,
Begin to rest your mind.
Let go of any thoughts about where you have just been or where you might be headed and arrive here in this moment,
In this space.
As your thoughts go to the past or jump to the future,
We are going to use your breath to focus your attention and bring you back to this moment,
To the here and now.
Begin to notice the breath coming into your body and the breath leaving your body.
There is no right or wrong here,
No need to change or alter your breath.
Just notice the breath coming into your body and leaving your body.
What is the quality of your breath?
Is it smooth,
Quick,
Slow,
Deep,
Shallow?
Just notice,
Observe it as it comes into your body and leaves your body.
If your mind wanders away from the breath,
Notice the wandering and kindly point the mind back to the breathing.
Notice where the body is breathing.
Are you breathing more from your belly,
Your stomach,
Your throat?
Again,
No need to change or alter,
Just notice what is occurring.
If your mind wanders away from the breath,
Notice the wandering and kindly point the mind back to the breath coming into your body and leaving your body.
Let go of any labeling,
Just feel it as you breathe,
The breath coming into your body and leaving your body.
As you focus on your breathing,
Draw attention to your nostrils and see if you can feel the breath the moment it enters you and the moment it leaves.
Just notice what the breath feels like coming into your body and leaving your body.
Now begin to deepen your inhales by a second or two on each inhale.
You may also want to extend the exhale,
Rest in your inhale and your exhale,
The breath coming,
The breath going.
If your mind wanders away from the breath,
Kindly point the mind back to the breath and do so in silence for the next few minutes as we rest in stillness.
Begin to bring awareness back into your body,
Feel the chair or ground beneath you.
You may want to wiggle about here,
Move your toes or fingers as you slowly open your eyes and refocus your gaze.
If it feels comfortable to do so on your next inhale,
Make this one the longest one yet and hold for a few counts.
As you move your toes or fingers,
Make this one the longest one yet and hold for a few counts before a nice,
Long,
Smooth exhale.
Thank you for sharing your practice.
