Begin by coming to a comfortable seat,
Either in a chair or on your mat.
Place your body in a way that feels steady and stable.
Notice the points of contact your body makes with the ground,
The chair,
Or your mat.
Invite these places to firmly root downward.
In the opposite direction,
Lift up long in your spine,
Up through your heart,
Soft palate,
And the crown of your head.
Now turn your attention to your breath.
Breathing in and out through your nose.
Begin to encourage the length of your inhale and exhale to become more or less the same.
And as you tend to your breath,
Creating equal length from inhale to exhale,
Notice if any unneeded effort arises in the face or mouth,
And invite these areas to soften.
With each inhale,
Allow your rib cage to expand in every direction.
And with each exhale,
Encourage your lower abdomen to gently hug in and up towards your spine.
And acquaint yourself with the sensations of breathing in and breathing out.
And as your breath now begins to feel a little bit more familiar,
Begin to become curious about the transitions between each breath.
With as little effort as possible,
Begin to smooth and steady these transitions,
Gently guiding the breath from inhale to exhale.
And as you begin to feel the transition,
Begin to engage in the movements,
Gently guiding the breath from inhale to exhale,
And from exhale to inhale.
If at any point you become aware that your mind has drifted away from the breath,
In a way that is kind and reassuring,
Redirect your attention back to noticing the inhale,
The transition to the exhale,
The exhale,
And the transition back to the inhale.
And now with curious attention,
As you continue to smooth the transitions of your breath,
Notice if there is a brief invitation for a pause at the bottom of your exhale before the inhale begins.
And with time you might find the space to explore this pause,
To lean into this moment of groundlessness between each breath.
Allow your attention to ride each transition,
Settling deeper and deeper into the sensations of breathing.
And explore the possibility of a brief pause at the bottom of your exhale,
A brief moment of stillness in the body,
In the breath,
And in the mind.
And with your next exhale,
Release the effort in your breath,
And with your attention,
Trace the breath as it moves within you at its own pace,
Becoming the witness of your body breathing you just as you are in this moment.
And when you are ready,
Please open your eyes.
