When we meditate,
We're practicing the skill of gently paying attention,
Without force and without judgement.
In doing this,
It can be useful to use some form of an anchor or a home base that we can gently direct our attention towards.
The sensation of the breath is an anchor that we all have access to and it forms the basis of many meditation styles,
So that's going to be our focus for today.
Let's start by finding a comfortable position to rest.
You can relax your gaze or close your eyes completely,
Whatever feels most comfortable.
Bring your attention to the contact points between yourself and the surface beneath you,
Allowing yourself to sink in and to really be supported by the ground.
If you notice that you're holding unnecessary tension in any part of the body,
See if you can encourage that area to let go and relax a little.
Allow the muscles behind and around your eyes to soften.
Let go of any clenching in the jaw and the neck.
See if you can invite the shoulders to gently sink away from the ears a little bit.
Let the chest and the abdomen relax,
Soften and expand.
Soften your hands and your feet.
As you relax into your resting position,
Turn your attention now towards the sensation of the breath.
You don't have to change how you're breathing or breathe in any special way.
Just notice it as it comes in and then out.
So you might feel the flow of the air in and out through the nostrils.
You might notice the belly or the chest rising and expanding on the inhale,
Or maybe just the sound of the breath as it flows in and then out.
Whatever sensation stands out to you the most,
See if you can gently place your attention on it.
So you're not trying to change anything,
You're just observing things as they are right now,
In this moment,
In and out.
The mind will probably have other things that it would rather pay attention to.
Sensations in the body,
Thoughts about the past or the future,
Worries about whether you're doing this right.
See if you can notice when your attention wanders away,
As it will,
And gently bring yourself back to that sensation of the breath,
Back to your anchor and your home base.
In and then out.
You can stay here if you like,
Just paying attention to the sensations of the breath,
Or if you like,
You can begin to silently count the breaths.
One on the inhale,
Two on the exhale,
Three on the next inhale,
Four on the exhale.
Continuing at your own pace,
Up to the count of ten,
And then start the process again.
If your mind drifts away at any point,
And you lose track of the numbers,
It's important to know that that's completely normal.
Simply notice that the mind has wandered,
And without judgement,
Guide your attention back to the breath.
You can start the count again where you left off,
Or go back to zero.
Meditation isn't about sitting there with a perfectly clear mind and easily counting to ten.
It's about gently bringing your attention back when the mind inevitably wanders.
That's where the practice is,
Really.
After your next breath,
In and out,
Let go of the need to count or pay attention,
And just let the mind do whatever it wants to do.
If it wants to think,
Let it go ahead and think.
If it wants to be still,
Let it be still.
There's nothing to do,
Nothing to achieve.
Just rest and relax.
When you're ready,
You can start to slowly bring your attention back into your body.
Notice again that contact with the floor beneath you.
Start to wiggle your fingers and your toes,
And then in your own time,
Slowly opening your eyes if they were closed.
As you go about your day,
You might like to see if there are any pockets of time where you can pause,
Slow down,
And just practice bringing your attention towards your breath.
It only has to be for a few breaths at a time before you then move on with whatever it is you're doing.
It's a way to interrupt the busyness and potential stresses of everyday life.
Pause that thinking mind for a moment and reconnect with the body.
There's then a little bit more space for us to choose our response.
Things don't seem quite as overwhelming or heavy.
Thank you and well done for taking the time to slow down and practice.
Take care.
