Thank you for joining me for this five minute guided mindfulness meditation.
I'm Tanya Valle.
For the next few minutes,
I invite you to set aside your to do list.
Give yourself the gift of a few minutes to help calm your mind and body.
I'll be leading you through mindfulness of breath.
Mindfulness of breath is the foundation and most basic form of mindfulness meditation because the breath is always with us.
So we can choose at any time to bring our attention to our breath.
First,
Let's start with finding a comfortable position.
You may choose to lie down if you're able to do so or to sit in a chair.
If seated,
Place your hands comfortably on your lap with your back upright,
But not rigid,
Shoulders squarely over the hips.
You may choose to close your eyes or if you feel tired or drowsy,
To keep your eyes slightly open with a soft downward gaze.
Let's begin with taking a deep breath in and out through the mouth.
This helps to release stress and tension.
To help settle the mind,
Let's try counting breaths.
Inhale and exhale,
Silently counting one.
Inhale and exhale,
Silently counting two.
Continue up to 10.
Then inhale and exhale,
Silently counting nine,
All the way back down to one.
Let's take a few moments of silence to do that now.
When you're ready,
Now I invite you to find where you most comfortably and naturally feel your breath.
That may be at the nostrils where you feel the air flowing in and out,
Or you may feel your breath with the rising and falling of your chest or the rising and falling of your abdomen.
Take a moment to find that place now.
Gently place your attention on where you feel your breath.
Observe the in and out or rise and fall.
This practice helps to bring us into the present moment,
Which also helps to calm our minds and body.
This meditation also improves our ability to concentrate and focus.
If you notice your mind wandering,
Gently bring your attention back to your breath.
The idea here is not to get rid of thoughts.
It's the mind's job to produce thoughts.
The practice here is bringing our attention back to the breath without judging ourselves,
Our thoughts or the practice.
Simply noticing that your mind wandered is a wonderful achievement.
We simply seek to accept what is in the present moment without judgment.
If at any time you begin to feel any physical discomfort,
Make any adjustments you need to.
Let's take a few moments of silence here to pay gentle but firm attention to our breath.
If your mind wanders or you become distracted by thoughts,
Noise or sensations,
Notice it without judgment and gently bring your attention back to your breath.
As we bring this meditation to a close,
Take a moment to appreciate yourself for taking the time to do this.
Thank you so much for joining me.
