Breath, body, sound, thought, emotion

Ometer Begin by finding a position that's both upright and dignified,

One that promotes both awakeness and alertness while also allowing your body to feel at ease.

You might choose to close your eyes or if it's more comfortable,

Leave your eyes open and soften your gaze directing it at the floor.

Beginning by taking a few deep breaths in and out just to focus our attention,

Setting the intention for the next several minutes to direct our concentration and our attention to the present moment.

And beginning by bringing attention to the breath,

Following the full in-breath and out-breath as it enters the nose or the mouth,

Flows through the back of the throat into the chest and belly and then leaves the belly through the chest and the nose or mouth,

Settling into a natural and relaxed breathing rhythm.

And perhaps beginning by noting one as the breath enters the nose or mouth,

Two as it enters the chest and three as it enters the belly and then noting three as it leaves the belly,

Two as it leaves the chest and one as it leaves the throat,

Mouth or nose.

This should be a silent and gentle noting,

Allowing us to more easily focus our attention as we begin the practice,

Following the breath in its natural rhythm while noting one,

Two,

Three,

Three,

Two,

One.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

Three,

Two,

One.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

Bringing the mind back whenever it's wandered without judgment or story.

One,

Two,

Three.

Three,

Two,

One.

And now if you choose releasing the noting method and bringing your attention to wherever you feel the breath most strongly at this moment,

Perhaps noticing the sensation as the breath enters your nose or mouth,

As it flows down the back of your throat,

Noticing the expansion and contraction of your chest or the rise and fall of your belly.

Just directing your attention to the one spot where you feel the breath most strongly and resting your awareness there as you follow full in-breath and out-breath.

Noticing how the sensations change in that one area through the full breath.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

And bringing the mind back whenever the attention is wandered without judgment or story.

Always able to begin again with the next breath.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

Each time noticing the mind is wandered and bringing it back gently but firmly to the breath and perhaps even congratulating yourself for having noticed the wandering,

For having practiced mindfulness of being aware in this present moment.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

And now perhaps taking a deliberate and deep breath in and out and as you exhale releasing the breath from your awareness,

Bringing your attention to rest on the body,

On the legs and the feet.

Pain whatever sensations are present for you right now on your legs and feet.

As we bring awareness to the body and notice the sensations that are present now,

We are here in this present moment as we can only feel the sensations that are present at this moment.

One,

Two,

Three.

As we direct our attention to the body,

Perhaps there is a part of the body that is no longer with you or never was,

In which case perhaps bringing gratitude for the time that that part was there or for the rest of the body that is still present,

Helping you and supporting you through each day as best it can.

One,

Two,

Three.

One,

Two,

Three.

And now taking a deliberate deep breath in and extending that breath from the chest to the belly,

Down the legs to the toes and as you exhale from the toes up to the legs and belly,

Releasing the legs and feet from your awareness and bringing our attention now to rest on the torso,

On the belly and chest,

On the lower and upper back.

Finding the torso in a gentle and compassionate awareness and noticing whatever sensations are present.

Bringing the attention back whenever the mind is wandered,

Gently but firmly back to the body,

Noticing whatever sensations are present now in the torso.

And if discomfort is present in any area of the body,

Perhaps investigating that discomfort,

Noticing that sensation with a sense of playful curiosity,

Investigating to notice what that sensation actually feels like,

Where exactly it's coming from and following it over time perhaps to see if it changes in intensity,

In quality,

Approaching it again with a sense of gentle and compassionate awareness.

And when you're ready,

Releasing that area and coming back to the torso,

Holding it in your awareness as a whole.

And now taking a deep breath in,

Filling up the whole torso with breath and as you exhale,

Releasing the torso from your awareness and bringing your attention to focus on your arms and hands,

On the neck,

Shoulder and head,

Holding this uppermost part of your body in a gentle awareness and noticing what sensations are present there now.

And if discomfort is present in any area of the body,

Perhaps investigating that feeling Bringing the mind back whenever it's wandered,

Noticing if stories,

Thoughts or judgment are present,

Perhaps even noting the story is present,

Memory is here,

Judgment is here,

And bringing the attention back to the arms,

The hands,

The shoulders,

Neck and head,

Holding the area in awareness as we direct our attention to the sensations of the body in this moment.

.

And now taking a deep breath in and extending that breath down the arm.

And as you exhale and breathe up from the fingers to the arms and shoulders,

Releasing the upper body from your attention.

And bringing awareness now to the sensation of hearing.

To noticing sounds as they enter into your awareness.

Perhaps noticing sounds from outside or inside the body.

Choosing to focus on the loudest or the most subtle.

Noticing the tendency of the mind to label the sounds that enter.

Investigating with a sense of curiosity.

If you can notice the sounds before the mind has gone into labels and stories.

And when the mind does go into labels and stories,

Noticing and bringing it back gently but firmly.

Back to the raw sensation of hearing.

Insider Each time the mind has wandered,

Noticing and bringing the attention back to hearing.

背Thank you for your attention,

Dear friends,

For the different perspectives and techniques And now releasing sounds and the sensation of hearing from your attention and bringing awareness to thoughts.

Bringing thoughts as they arise and as they fall away.

Perhaps noticing the absence of thoughts as soon as you try to observe them.

And then bringing attention to the next thought that arises.

For some it might be helpful to bring to mind the image of a stream.

Water flowing through the stream as if you were standing on the banks looking down at the water and noticing leaves floating past you on the water.

Observing thoughts and placing each thought on the leaf as it flows into your awareness and out.

Some thoughts might be larger,

Smaller,

Heavier or lighter than others.

Just bringing awareness to the thought and placing it on the leaf as you watch it pass through your attention.

Noticing the nature of the thought without getting lost in the content and perhaps labeling each thought as it passes through.

Worry,

Planning,

Worry,

Allowing and accepting whatever arises and placing it on the leaf without getting caught in the story and without judgment.

Noticing the nature of the thought without getting lost in the content and perhaps labeling it as it passes through.

Watching the thoughts as they arise and pass through the mind as if they were leaves floating past on a stream.

Seeing if the mind has become caught in a story or a memory and bringing the attention back to observation,

To noticing the thoughts from a distance.

And now releasing the thoughts from the attention.

And bringing awareness to any emotion that you might be experiencing right now.

Perhaps checking in to notice any sensations in the chest or the belly,

Any tension or relaxation in muscles.

And noticing and perhaps naming any emotion that's present now.

There might be one or more than one.

Calmness is here,

Sadness is here.

Just naming whatever emotion is present,

Allowing and accepting it to be here.

Just turning attention into the body sensations that come with that emotion.

Just noticing what it feels like to sit and be present with whatever emotion is here right now.

And now breathing in deeply,

Filling the chest and the belly.

And as you exhale releasing the emotion from your awareness and bringing attention back to the breath,

Noticing what it feels like through full inhale and exhale.

Slowly and gently expanding your awareness out to include the rest of your body and the room around you.

And when you're comfortable opening your eyes at the sound of the bell.

And now breathing in deeply,

Filling the chest and the belly.