Hello,
My name is Stephanie Noble and I'm an Insight Meditation teacher.
Today I'm going to be sharing with you a guided meditation focused on concentration.
Concentration is really the heart of mindfulness practice.
It helps us to cultivate mindfulness to be able to stay present.
So it's a really valuable skill to develop.
First,
Please find a posture that is supportive,
Balanced,
Comfortable,
But erect.
Make any adjustments you need to make.
Closing your eyes or having them lowered.
You might notice whatever sensations are going on right now.
You might notice the pressure of whatever you're sitting on.
You might notice temperature of the air on your skin.
You might notice texture.
You can even move your hands a little on your lap just to feel the texture of your clothing a little bit.
Then once again check in with your posture and make sure it's as aligned and supportive and balanced as you thought it was.
Make any adjustments to make that true.
We're going to be doing a breath focused meditation and we're going to be focusing on the natural breath.
But the first three breaths we take will be very purposeful,
Very deep and each one will have a slight variation.
So breathe with me now the first breath.
Draw in through the nostrils in a purposeful way filling your lungs and then let it go in an easy way.
The second breath as you draw it in bring your shoulders up towards your ears and then back and down.
You can just feel how that opens up the chest area and allows the lungs more room to breathe.
With the third breath tighten every muscle in your body.
Squinch up your face,
Tighten your fists,
Tighten your buttock,
Pull in your belly,
Your toes,
Your legs,
Every muscle you can find.
Hold them really tight,
Really tight and then release.
Really letting go.
Let the breath just take all that tension with it as it goes.
So now just notice the overall energy of the body,
How it may have slightly shifted or even greatly shifted with those three breaths and especially that tightening and letting go.
We so often are carrying so much tension and we really need to know how to let it go.
Now just allowing the natural breath to return and focus on the breath and we'll focus first at the nostril where the breath is coming in and coming out.
You might notice that on the inhale the breath is cool and on the exhale the breath is warmer.
And then the next,
Bring your attention to the nasal passages.
A little further in and seeing where you can feel the breath.
Again just the regular breath,
It's just where we're putting our attention that changes.
And now bring the attention to the back of the throat.
See if you can feel the breath there passing through.
And moving down,
Noticing how it feels in the chest,
The inhalation and the exhalation.
Being present with the rising and falling of the chest,
The gentle movement,
The natural breath as it comes and goes.
And then if you can go a little deeper,
Put your attention down in the belly and see what effects the breath has on that area.
And now expand your focus to the whole body,
How the whole body seems to move.
With each inhale and exhale,
The sense of enlivening,
Relaxing and releasing.
And now return to the place that felt the most natural for you.
Many of these places that we've been trying out is an excellent place to rest your attention.
One is not any better than the other.
It's really up to you to feel that one feels just more natural or more interesting or keeps you more focused.
Perhaps it was at the nostrils or the back of the throat or the chest or the belly.
Sometimes the belly is considered a good place because it's so far away from the head where all that thinking,
Thinking goes on.
So if that's a natural place for you to go,
Then that's skillful too.
But wherever you're putting your attention on the natural breath,
Attend each inhale as if it were the first breath you ever took.
And attend each exhale as if it is the last breath you'll ever take.
In this way your practice deepens in appreciation and curiosity and awakening and you're better able to savor whatever arises in your experience.
As you continue paying attention,
Developing the ability to attend the breath in all its variations,
You may sense your whole being begin to soften,
Enlighten.
You may feel at rest but alert,
Relaxed yet energized.
You may feel your heart gladden,
The quality of joy.
And you can rest in that sense of gladness,
Of joyousness,
Just being fully present in this moment.
As you feel the expansion and contraction of the whole body,
This whole felt sense of breathing,
You might notice that you're very much in sync with all of nature.
All of nature is expanding and contracting.
You're in sync with the earth,
In sync with the universe.
Let rest in the perfect rhythm of all life.
When you allow yourself to simply be at one with the breath,
You're at one with all life.
That offers such a great relief,
Quality of letting go,
A freedom from the fear-based stress of always trying to hold yourself apart,
Make yourself separate,
Isolated,
Special,
But also faulty,
Poorly made,
In need of repair.
This is not who you are.
It's not who any of us are.
We are all beings of the earth,
Of the stars.
We're made of the same stuff.
We expand and contract in rhythm.
And when we allow ourselves to just naturally be present with this experience,
It gives us a great sense of ease and balance and joy.
So continue on with this focus for as long as you like.
May you be well.
May you be at ease.
May you be at peace.
May you be happy.
