This will be an awareness of breath practice.
Here we are looking to deepen our capacity for focused attention and concentration on a single object.
Additionally,
We're beginning to establish the breath as an anchor to the present moment for a distracted mind,
And a safe refuge for an upset mind.
Finding a comfortable seat and closing your eyes or lowering your gaze,
Whatever is more comfortable for you.
And remembering what brings you here to practice,
Your intention for being here in stillness and silence today.
Committing for the next 12 minutes or so to bring a curious,
Good-natured awareness to the present moment,
Using your breath as an anchor.
And now taking a deeper than normal in-breath,
And an audible exhale to mark the transition into formal practice.
And allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm.
And stretching up with the in-breath,
And settling in on the out-breath.
And as you settle into stillness,
Noticing the experience you're having.
What is it like to be you right now?
What is it like to be you?
What is it like to be you?
What is it like to be you right now?
Present with whatever is here moment to moment,
With a kind curiosity.
Shifting attention to the body,
And what it feels like to be sitting.
Noticing the pressure of the seat,
Feet on the floor,
Hands resting in your lap or on your knees.
And then,
As you sit down,
You're going to notice the pressure of the seat.
And as you sit down,
You're going to notice the pressure of the seat.
Hands resting in your lap or on your knees.
Scanning the body,
And allowing it to be how it is.
No need to fix anything.
Now gathering up all of your attention and placing it on the direct experience of the body breathing.
Feeling each breath as it enters and as it leaves.
No need to control the pace or depth of the breath.
Simply being aware of the raw sensations of breathing.
Now observing the breath at the tip of the nose,
Noticing the temperature of the air as it enters,
And any change as it leaves.
Now shifting attention to the chest,
Noticing the expansion and contraction of the ribs.
Moving attention to the belly now,
Feeling the abdomen as it gently rises on the in-breath and falls on the out-breath.
Finally resting your attention wherever you feel the breath most easily in the body,
And staying here.
Now let's experiment with the practice of counting your breaths.
Softly,
Mentally counting one after the next inhale,
And two on the exhale,
All the way to ten.
If you reach ten,
Beginning again at one.
And if you find your mind has wandered,
Which will almost certainly happen,
Noticing this opportunity to practice,
Returning your attention to the breath,
And starting again at one with the next breath.
We'll continue this practice in silence for a little while.
Where are you now?
Simply noticing if the mind has wandered,
Which is completely normal,
And recommitting to counting your breaths.
Continue feeling and counting each inhale and exhale.
Now let's practice with the practice of counting your breaths.
Now dropping the mental counting practice,
But continuing to stay with the sensations of the breath throughout the body.
No need to go anywhere or do anything.
For the moment,
Just be.
.
And as our practice begins to draw to a close,
Taking a moment to acknowledge yourself for having spent this time,
Cultivating greater ease,
Focus,
And concentration.
Now taking one deeper than normal in-breath,
And with an audible exhale,
Opening the eyes,
Raising the gaze,
And orienting to the room around you.
Nice work.
See you back here tomorrow.
