Come into a position where you feel both comfortable and alert.
You could be lying down,
You could be in a reclined position,
Sitting upright,
Or maybe you have your legs up the wall in an inversion.
Try not to get caught up in what you think a meditation pose should look like,
But allow your body to lead you to the right shape.
Once you're settled in,
Close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the nose.
Continue to focus on your breath by thinking inhale as you breathe in and exhale as you breathe out.
Notice how your body moves with each inhale and exhale.
Try to allow your body to relax a little more with each exhale.
Throughout practice,
Your mind may bring up things for you to think about,
But try to allow those things to settle so you can focus solely on this experience.
Notice any sounds around you.
Let each sound come into your awareness and then let it go.
There's no need to analyze or label the sounds.
Tune into your body by doing a slow body scan that starts at your toes and goes all the way to the crown of your head.
Along the way,
Noticing any sensations or tensions that you're experiencing.
Taking any little adjustments that allow you to feel more comfortable.
Once you've finished your body scan,
Allow your focus to fall back on your inhales and exhales.
Perhaps you've found that you've reached a place of inner and outer stillness that allows you to feel the beating of your heart.
If your mind has not yet settled,
Remember you can continue to think inhale as you breathe in and exhale as you breathe out.
You can also add a count after each exhale,
Counting up to 10 then starting back at 1.
If you're able to settle your thoughts completely,
Perhaps you can let go of the counting,
Even let go of labeling the inhales and exhales and allow your entire being to just be.
As we bring this practice to a close,
Take a moment to reflect,
Recognizing what came up for you during this time.
Maybe it was thoughts,
Sensations,
Emotions.
Bring the palms of your hands together at heart center,
Slightly bowing your head,
Expressing gratitude towards yourself for taking time for meditation and self-reflection.
The accomplishment is that you made space to practice.
After that,
There is no judgment or success factor.
Whether you sat in silence or if your mind was racing,
The goal is simply to practice.
Begin to bring your awareness back to your physical surroundings and when you're ready,
Open your eyes and allow your body any movement that it needs.
