Get yourself in a comfortable position,
Either lying down on your back or seated position.
And then from here start to settle in.
Scan through your body,
See where you can relax.
Shoulders melting down and away.
Back of the neck is long.
All those little face muscles relaxing,
Forehead,
Temples,
Eyelids.
Relax the cheeks,
Unhinge the jaw.
Release all the way to the root of your tongue.
Let your fingers be nice and soft.
Notice your stomach area and see if you can soften there with each exhale.
Letting go in that gut instinct area.
Softer again.
Relaxing your lower body.
Feeling down through your legs and softening in your toes.
Start to bring your awareness to the muscles you use to take each breath.
Notice with each inhale and with each exhale where you feel the breath most.
Just stick with that sensation for the next couple of breaths.
See how many breaths you can take where you notice that breath.
Without your mind wandering.
Just watch what happens.
The first couple of breaths,
Fairly straightforward.
If your mind wanders,
When it wanders,
Totally natural.
Normal part of meditating.
The key is to just gently usher your attention back to your breath each time it runs away on you.
Building up your focus and your concentration.
Each time you patiently bring your attention back to your breath.
See if you can notice that split second where one breath ends and the next begins.
And then at the top of your inhales,
See if you can notice that split second shift.
When you stop inhaling and begin exhaling.
Follow it all the way through to your exhale.
Notice when you're completely out of breath and then notice that tiny moment where it switches to your next inhale.
And return once again to the muscles that you use to take each breath and to let each breath go.
Probably your diaphragm and your stomach.
Your chest muscles as your ribs expand and contract.
Maybe your throat,
Your nose,
Your mouth.
See if you can soften those muscles.
With your next few breaths,
Do as little work as possible.
Breath doesn't have to be long or shallow here.
So to be as natural as possible might help to think about the air falling in and then falling out like water.
The air is doing the work,
Pours in and then it leaves.
Do as little work as possible.
Focus in on that breath.
Continue to soften those muscles.
With your next breath,
See if you can do even less work.
The air just falls in,
Falls out.
One cue that might help.
Think about the air breathing you.
Continue that work.
Nice and slow.
Doing as little work as possible.
Maybe one last patient breath.
Then when you're finished,
Just keep your eyes closed and let your breathing return to normal.
Once again,
Scanning back through your body so you can relax anywhere.
More attention cut back in,
The face,
The shoulders,
Fingers,
Stomach,
Toes.
Just sit with how you feel for a moment here.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
And go on with your day.
