Mindfulness of Breathing (20 mins)

Mindfulness of breathing.

In this meditation we'll be bringing awareness to breathing.

This is a really powerful practice because when we're aware of the breath we're anchored in the present moment.

And often in the meditation we realize that we're no longer in touch with the breath,

That we're lost in thought.

And this is also a very powerful aspect of the practice as it teaches us to be more aware of what's happening in the mind.

The guidance in this recording assumes that you're sitting on a chair but as an alternative you're welcome to lie down and adapt the guidance accordingly.

Posture brings slightly different qualities to the practice.

So sitting upright brings a sense of alertness to the meditation.

Lying down has a more relaxed feel.

So let's begin by taking your seat and arranging your feet so that they're flat on the floor.

If your feet don't reach then maybe just putting something underneath them,

A cushion or a yoga block.

And just bringing the body into an upright posture.

So allowing the head and neck to rise upwards.

And sitting with a sense of dignity.

Having your hands resting on the thighs with your palms facing up.

Choosing whether you want to close your eyes or you can have your eyes open and lower your gaze.

And as you sit here just gradually becoming aware of the feeling of the body sitting on the chair.

Feeling the parts of the body in contact with the chair.

Perhaps the back,

Bottom,

The backs of the thighs.

Perhaps just noticing what does it feel like to be in contact with the chair.

What sensations are here in the body right now.

Just really allowing the weight of the body to begin to drain down into the chair.

Letting go of the weight of the body.

Also feeling into the soles of the feet where they're in contact with the floor.

Whatever surface is supporting them.

Just seeing what it's like to really let go of the weight of the legs.

Let's just briefly scan our attention through the body now.

Inviting the body to release and soften as we go.

So bringing the attention into the jaw.

Allowing the jaw to loosen and soften.

Attention coming to the eyes and the area around the eyes.

Just allowing that to soften too.

The forehead to become smooth.

Attention coming down into the shoulders.

Just inviting the shoulders to drop away from the ears and the neck.

Shoulders releasing.

Noticing any sense of gripping or holding in the hands.

Just allowing the palms of the hands to soften and open.

The chest and belly open and soft to receive the breath.

Buttocks heavy on the chair.

The legs and feet heavy resting on the floor.

As you sit here breathing is happening.

The body is breathing.

And the invitation is to just begin to gradually allow your attention to come to the sensations of breathing down in the belly.

Allowing your attention to come to settle on the breath.

Perhaps beginning to explore without any judgment the quality of the breath.

Are the breaths long or short?

Are the breaths fast or slow?

Is the in-breath the same length as the out-breath?

Or do you notice a difference?

Does a breath seem shallow or deep at the moment?

Is it smooth or jerky or jagged?

Remembering that there's there's no right or wrong way for the breath to be.

Breathing is happening and we're simply bringing awareness to how the breath already is.

There's no need for it to be different in any way right now.

And then really having a sense of diving into the stream of the breath.

Feeling the whole of the inhalation from the very beginning.

Riding with the inhalation all the way to the top and then staying with the exhalation.

Flowing out to the end of the out-breath before joining the new inhalation.

So really feeling and experiencing the cycle of the breath.

And you might notice if there's a sense of trying to control it as you rest your attention on the breath.

Maybe a sense of unease or anxiety even.

And if this is the case for you then the invitation is to really just let go of the need to control the breath in any way.

Just allowing the breath to flow freely in and out of the body.

A sense of expansion on the in-breath and a sense of the belly deflating and collapsing on the out-breath.

Sensing the body breathing in.

Feeling the body breathing out.

Perhaps noticing the natural pauses at the end of the out-breath.

Perhaps you might notice that sometimes the breath pauses for a longer period of time.

What is it like simply to trust that the next breath will come?

Riding here.

Attending to the body breathing.

And every time you notice that you've got distracted,

That the mind has pulled you away somewhere.

Perhaps just taking a moment to acknowledge where the mind has been.

And then without any judgment and a sense of real kindness towards yourself.

Gently bringing your attention back to the breath.

Remembering that mind wandering is all part of the practice.

At each time we find that we've become distracted,

This is an opportunity to notice what's happening in the mind.

And then practice bringing the attention back to the breath.

Back to the present moment.

When the mind wanders,

Pausing,

Registering where you've been,

And then redirecting your attention back to the feel of the breath right now down in the belly.

Gently coming back to the breath whenever the mind wanders.

And whatever else is going on,

Whether it's feelings of irritation,

Frustration,

Feeling restless or maybe relaxed.

Just letting that be there,

Whatever it might be.

Choosing to bring the sensations of breathing into the foreground.

You can think of your thoughts or anything else that might be passing through awareness.

It's a bit like a radio playing in the background.

You're aware of it,

But you're choosing to bring the breath into the foreground of awareness and allowing all other experiences just to play out in the background.

So you can choose to stay with the breath a while longer and you can pause the recording if you like.

Otherwise we'll begin to bring this practice to a close.

So perhaps now beginning to let go of the breath and gradually widening out the awareness to take in the rest of the body.

Sense of the whole body sitting here.

Bum on the chair,

Feet on the floor.

Sensations of contact between your clothing and your skin.

Perhaps also beginning to take in a sense of the room around you.

Temperature of the air in the room.

Perhaps also opening to receive any sounds that are present in the environment.

And then as we end the meditation,

As you get up and continue with your day or night,

Think if it's possible to remember that your breath is always with you.

It's always here as a valuable resource to help you come back to the present moment and anchor your attention here.

So whenever you become aware that you're becoming triggered in some way,

Perhaps feeling anxious or irritated,

You can think of your breath as your home base to return to.

So just taking some quiet time now,

Maybe allowing the body and the mind to process this practice.

You might want to write anything down that you've experienced in your journal.

And then when you're ready,

Carefully getting back up and continuing with your day or night.

Thank you.