Many mindfulness practice,
Beginning by sitting comfortably.
Try to find a way of sitting so that your spine has its full length,
But the muscles around the spine and the rest of your body are as relaxed as possible.
Lay your hands comfortably in your lap and in your own way,
Take a few moments to settle into your body.
Take a few deep breaths and as you breathe out,
Allow your shoulders to drop and your muscles to soften.
On each out-breath,
Releasing any tension in your jaw,
Around your eyes and in your chest.
Gently closing your eyes and becoming aware of the space before your eyes,
Like a field of darkness.
Perhaps there are some muted shapes and colours,
Simply resting your attention there.
Now slowly bring your attention around from your eyes towards your ears and become aware of any sounds that are coming and going.
You may notice the mind wanting to label them.
Instead just noticing how the sounds arise and then pass away,
Perhaps becoming aware of their volume or pitch or whether they're continuous or intermittent.
Allowing these sounds to arrive at your ears without going out to find them,
Simply receiving them.
Feeling any distant sounds and any sounds from close by.
And now drawing the focus of your attention closer,
Perhaps you can notice the sound of your own quiet breathing or even the subtle sound of your heartbeat pulsing softly in your ears.
Simply listening with a gentle curiosity,
Without judgement or attachment,
Letting the sounds come and go,
Just listening.
Now opening your awareness to the feeling of the breath in your body,
Seeing if you can feel the physical sensation of the breath passing in and out of your nostrils.
Becoming aware that when you breathe in,
The breath feels quite cold,
But once it's moved through your lungs and you breathe out again,
It feels slightly warmer.
And now see if you can notice where in your body it's easiest for you to feel the sensations of your breathing.
Where exactly in the body are these sensations of breathing most vivid to you?
As you breathe,
Can you feel your belly expanding and contracting?
Or is that rise and fall happening a bit higher up in your chest?
Or is it easier to feel the breath as it's coming in through your nose or past the back of your throat?
And if you can't feel anything anywhere,
Try putting a hand on your chest or your belly and feel it rising and falling softly as you breathe in and out.
Breathing softly and feeling the slight movement of your chest and your belly rising with the in-breath,
Sinking with the out-breath.
Finally noticing the feeling of each breath,
Following each breath.
If you notice your attention wandering or becoming caught up in a stream of thought,
Simply acknowledge the thought and gently but firmly bring your attention back to the next breath,
Being aware of the feeling of the breath again and seeing if you can stay with the full cycle of each in-breath and out-breath.
And now as we come to the end of this practice,
Allow your breathing to become a little stronger,
Perhaps a deeper breath or two.
Start to reactivate your body by moving your fingers and toes.
Give a stretch and when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
