Taking a moment to find the right posture for you.
It might be sitting down,
Laying or even standing.
Maybe you can move your body a bit,
Connecting with the body in this moment.
Connecting the perfect posture for you right now.
And once you've found your posture,
Connecting with whatever is present right now,
Whatever is happening within you right now.
Acknowledging physical sensations,
Maybe feelings,
Emotions or moods.
Noticing as well the thoughts and just letting them be.
Kindly acknowledging whatever arises,
Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant or even neutral.
As welcoming experiences as they are.
And everything in this practice is an invitation.
So if at some point you feel you need to take a break from the meditation,
Please listen to yourself and to your own needs.
And if it feels right,
The invitation is to allow your attention rest on your breath.
Allowing every in-breath and every out-breath.
Allowing a soothing breathing rhythm to emerge by gently slowing down and deepening each in-breath and each out-breath.
Allow the out-breath to flow out entirely and then allow the in-breath to follow it.
And if breathing deeper is not ideal for you at this moment,
Then just allowing the breath to flow naturally without trying to control any part of it.
A soothing breathing rhythm maybe supported by sentencing and noticing what supports you at this moment.
Maybe noticing the touch point,
Maybe your feet touching the ground or the buttocks touching the chair or the ground.
The back resting either on the floor or feeling being supported by the back of the chair.
And maybe allowing your face muscles,
The jaw,
The mouth to soften a little bit.
Allowing your chest area,
Your heart area to open up.
And the soothing breathing rhythm might be accompanied with a gentle kind touch.
So it might be helpful to place a hand on the chest or maybe both hands or even just allowing the hands to touch another part of the body bringing warmth and kindness to yourself.
And when the breath has found a soothing rhythm,
You may allow it to flow naturally,
Follow its own course.
And maybe sometimes the mind wonders and if this happens,
Kindly becoming aware of this and becoming aware as well that this is just a quality of the mind,
That it is completely normal and human to have thoughts.
The moment that you become aware that your mind has wondered is already a moment of mindfulness.
And then gently guide your attention back to the breath,
If you have lost the soothing rhythm,
You may allow it to return.
And now feeling the entire body becoming aware,
The entire body breathing right now.
Breathing with yourself in this moment.
And once you've connected with yourself,
With your body right now,
Maybe asking yourself what would be a kind and supportive wish right now?
Maybe you would like to try some of the traditional loving kindness phrases.
May I be safe.
May I be healthy or as healthy as possible.
May I be happy.
May I be at ease.
Maybe these don't speak to you right now.
Maybe you need something different.
If that's the case,
Just allowing yourself to find what kind wish would be helpful for you right now.
Sometimes even a paradoxical wish is helpful.
For example,
May I feel this sadness.
May I allow myself to be with this unpleasant sensation.
Whichever wish comes from your heart,
Just allowing it to be there,
Maybe repeating it to yourself.
Maybe you notice the effects of this wish in your body.
Some physical sensations,
Maybe warmth,
Tingling.
Or maybe nothing changes.
That's alright as well.
Maybe you can accompany this wish with a gentle smile.
Or maybe just the idea of a smile.
As if your body was smiling,
The entire body.
Maybe it is like the feeling of giving someone else a present,
Seeing someone else happy with a gift that you're giving them.
And remembering again that every experience,
Either pleasant or unpleasant,
Or even neutral,
It can all be welcome as part of this practice.
And as the practice comes to an end,
Maybe you would wish to stay here a bit longer.
And if that's the case,
Just reminding yourself that this practice is always available for you.
You can always come back to your soothing breathing rhythm,
And to the kind wishes to yourself.
