Welcome to this sitting meditation awareness of breathing.
Just taking a few moments to find a comfortable position,
Either on a chair or on a cushion,
Or maybe on a meditation bench.
If you're using a chair then moving towards the front of the chair,
Allowing the spine to be supported rather than relying on the back of the chair to support you.
And now the legs to be uncrossed,
Knees hip distance apart and feet firmly planted on the floor.
If you're using a cushion,
You should elevate the buttocks so that the knees are lower than the hips.
And crossing the legs so that the knees are resting on the floor and the pelvis is slightly tilted forward.
If your knees don't touch the floor then you may place a folded blanket underneath for more support.
And if you're using a bench then maybe have a blanket or a mat underneath the bench so that your knees are not resting directly on the floor.
So choosing a posture that can support this intention to be awake and relaxed.
So I invite you now to close the eyes,
Spine straight but not stiff,
And take the next few moments to just check in with the sensations of the body.
Noticing how the head is supported by the neck,
Allowing the shoulders to release of any tension and also softening the muscles of the face.
Just settling into this posture.
And while we're noticing this posture that supports the possibility of being here and now being present,
Also seeing if you can bring to the moment an attitude of gentleness and curiosity.
And whilst sitting in this seated posture,
Becoming aware of body sensations such as heat,
Coolness,
Any ease,
Any tension,
Maybe a feeling of tingling or vibration.
Then bringing awareness of the length and breadth of the body sitting here and the contact points that the body is making with the chair,
The bench or the cushion,
Maybe against the floor itself.
So gently becoming aware of the sensations of breath,
Exploring where you naturally sense the breath within the body.
This may be the breath entering the nostrils,
This may be the movement of the breath in the chest,
The belly.
Just being present with the sensations of the breath as they appear moment by moment.
You're right,
Calm down,
Calm down.
Okay.
Maybe noticing the sensations of the in-breath and the movement of the out-breath,
Focusing on that area where the breath feels most present for you.
What is a few steps you can take to this agenda?
.
And if you notice that the mind has wandered,
Then just gently noticing where the mind has gone and then letting the distraction go and returning the attention back to the movement of the breath.
Allowing the breath to breathe breath itself.
No need to change or alter anything.
No need to change or alter anything.
No need to change or alter anything.
And once again if the mind wanders,
There's no need to judge this movement of attention.
And now in yourself,
The recognition that this habit of the mind is really part of the practice and waking up to this is in itself a moment of mindfulness.
And here the choice emerges to return the attention to the anchor which is the breath.
No need to change or alter anything.
And then we recognize that the attention has drifted maybe to thinking,
Worry,
Boredom,
Aditation,
Stories in the mind.
Continuing to adopt a sense of kindness and becoming aware of this natural tendency and then letting it go by returning the awareness to the breathing.
No need to change or alter anything.
No need to change or alter anything.
No need to change or alter anything.
Now in a moment or two,
We'll be coming to the end of this sitting meditation practice.
If you have the eyes closed,
You may like to gently open them,
Taking in the surroundings of the room.
Bringing this awareness to your next few moments.
