Welcome to this guided Zen practice in which we'll use counting of the breath as an anchor for our focus.
So just settling into your natural comfortable position,
Either seated,
Kneeling or lying down.
Feeling a deep connection with the ground.
Allowing tensions to release into the area that's supporting you.
The lower part of the body is grounded.
The upper part is open and free.
Letting go of the feet and ankles and legs.
Allowing the belly to soften and relax.
Shoulders can release.
Chin gently tucks in,
Releasing the back of the neck.
Tongue can gently rest on the roof of the mouth.
And we're breathing gently through the nose if possible.
Letting go of the jaw.
Temples relaxed.
Eyes relaxed.
Open the eyes either slightly open and resting downwards or gently closed.
And allowing yourself now to open up to the environment that you're in.
Opening your senses to the space you're in.
Noticing distant sounds.
Noticing sounds closer to you.
Perhaps even noticing sounds inside the body.
And just checking in now with how the body feels in this moment.
You're not changing,
Just noticing.
As you relax into stillness.
Making any last adjustments as mindfully as possible.
And coming to the breath.
Notice the natural breathing of your body in this moment.
Feeling the breath entering and leaving through the nostrils.
Paying attention to the sensations of the breath in the nostrils.
Feeling now the journey of the breath in through the nostrils,
Down the throat,
Into the chest and back out again.
We're not controlling,
Just being inquisitive.
And perhaps noticing too the natural pauses at the end of each in-breath and at the end of each out-breath.
Noticing now the natural movement caused by the breath.
The breath naturally moving the chest,
The solar plexus,
Perhaps the belly.
And bringing the awareness fully down to the lowest point in the body.
You can feel the natural movement of the breath.
Just remaining aware.
And with the focus resting gently on this lowest point of movement.
In a moment we'll begin counting the breath.
Each in-breath and out-breath,
Up until ten.
And then starting again at one.
So beginning now with our counting.
In-breath,
One.
Out-breath,
Two.
In-breath,
Three.
Out-breath,
Four.
And so on up until ten.
In your own time.
Using the natural breath.
Until you reach ten.
And just starting again at one.
It's perfectly normal to get distracted by our thoughts or memories or emotions or sensations.
Our job is simply to notice when we're being distracted from our counting.
Just starting again from one.
All very simple.
Counting each breath.
Awareness focused on the belly or the lowest point of movement.
An open presence in which anything at all can arise and everything can be allowed to pass on by.
No judging or worrying about what comes up.
Not trying to stop anything from arising.
Just allowing it all to come and go without attaching.
And continuing our counting from one until ten.
And simply starting again.
Nothing else to do.
Nowhere else to be.
Just enjoying the here and now.
Using the counting of each breath as an anchor for awareness.
You may feel like important things arise during this practice.
A moment of clarity.
Realization.
Treating all these things the same.
Just allowing them to come and go.
Knowing that anything important will be there after your practice ends.
And returning to the breath.
Just breathing and counting.
Using the natural rhythm.
Gently mentally counting.
Noticing any distractions.
And bringing the attention back to the breath.
And every lost count,
Starting again from one.
Releasing the counting now.
Just enjoying the sensation of the body breathing.
Understanding how the natural breath makes us feel.
Perhaps enjoying the way it can connect us to the present.
Connect us to a sense of just being.
And starting to notice now the edges of the body.
Noticing the fingers and toes.
Giving them a little wiggle.
Stretching the body back to life.
Relaxing meditation practice is now complete.
