Settling in now,
Just taking a moment to gently close your eyes if that makes you more comfortable,
If you'd like to keep your eyes open during the meditation,
Just gazing downwards at a 45 degree angle.
You want your back to be upright,
Your shoulders back,
But relaxed.
Your eyes relaxed,
Your jaw relaxed.
Just starting now by taking three slow deep breaths through the nose and out through the mouth.
With your next out breath,
Just allowing your breathing to return to its natural rhythm,
To its natural harmony,
And coming into a place of stillness,
Of rest,
Of gentle awareness.
That only the present moment can truly offer you.
So just be still here,
Even if internally you may feel a lot of movement,
Thoughts,
Emotions,
Sensations,
This is okay.
Allow all that arises to come and go within the greater space of awareness.
I'm just turning your attention now to the breath once again,
Just noticing what it feels like for each inhale and exhale.
What does it feel like to breathe physically without changing anything,
Without making your breath into a certain pattern,
Without judging anything,
Just feeling where you feel the breath,
Whether it's in your stomach,
Your chest,
Your throat,
Your nostrils,
Where do you notice the breath the strongest now?
And if it's easier for you now,
You're welcome to use the next three to four minutes to gently count the breaths.
So each inhale and exhale is one.
And just counting all the way up to ten and starting again at one,
Remembering that each time you get distracted,
Be incredibly gentle and kind with yourself.
Distraction is part of the process.
Coming back to the exercise,
Coming to your breath is a big part of the process.
So just starting now on your own.
Remembering that each breath is an opportunity to be present.
Each breath is an opportunity to be here and now.
Okay.
Just be still here and continue to notice your breath.
Each time you get distracted,
It's a wonderful opportunity to practice kindheartedness towards yourself,
To come back to the breath,
To the counting,
To the exercise at hand.
And now just shifting your attention once again,
Allowing yourself to just notice how you feel.
Do you feel any differently than when you began the meditation?
Do you feel the same?
There's no need to make any strong judgments here.
Just broad strokes.
When you're ready now,
Just coming back to the body,
Coming back to the space that you're in,
Coming back to the breath and noticing the air touching your skin.
And when you're ready,
Just gently opening your eyes in your own time.
Have a wonderful day.
Thank you.
