Mindfulness of breath and body.
Here we can move on to the next stage which is mindfulness of breath and body.
Here allow your attention to expand from the fairly narrow focus of your breathing into the wider focus of your breathing and of your body.
Think of this more as an open,
Wide and spacious awareness of your body as a whole,
Unified and strong presence.
You might like to think of your body being like a mountain,
Strong,
Grounded and stable.
Let yourself be aware if you can of breathing into your whole body.
In effect your whole body breathing which of course it does through your skin.
So your breathing is also part of your whole body.
Once again you may find that your awareness wanders away from your mind and body.
If this happens just mentally note where your awareness goes into worries,
Feelings or thoughts and then non-judgmentally and without self-criticism bring your awareness back to your body and breathing.
Notice whether any parts of your body start to feel uncomfortable.
If they do just imagine that you can breathe into those parts and then just do so.
Remember that this practice like all mindfulness can be best thought of in the realm of being rather than something that we need to do to fill our lives.
We are non-doing rather than doing.
We are just being.
The being realm implies a deliberate slowing down and paying attention.
And if necessary change your position to allow relief from discomfort if possible but do this mindfully and mindfully aware of the parts of your body that you are moving.
Again just allowing your breathing and body awareness to continue for up to five minutes.
