Meditation 1 Mindfulness of body and breath.
This is a short meditation designed to settle and ground yourself in the present moment.
Following my words as guidance but only doing what feels comfortable and feeling free to stop at any time.
So finding a comfortable position whether lying on a mat or rug,
Sitting on a firm straight back chair or cushion or stool.
If you're sitting on a chair allowing your feet to be flat on the floor with your legs uncrossed and allowing your spine to be straight so that your posture supports your intention to be awake and aware.
So the posture can be dignified but comfortable not stiff or tensed up.
If you're lying down perhaps allowing your legs to be uncrossed with your feet falling away from each other and your arms lying alongside and slightly away from your body.
Having your eyes to close if that feels comfortable or lowering your gaze and bringing your awareness to the sensations where the body is in contact with whatever is supporting you.
Spending a few moments exploring these sensations.
Now gathering your attention and moving it to focus on your feet so that the spotlight of attention takes in the physical sensations in both feet and ankles.
Any and all sensations moment by moment.
Noticing how sensations arise and dissolve in awareness and if there are no sensations simply registering a blank.
This is perfectly fine.
We're not trying to make sensations happen we're simply paying attention to what is already here and now expanding your attention to take in the lower legs and then the knees and the rest of the legs.
So holding both legs now centre stage in awareness.
Now expanding attention again up the body to the pelvis and hips,
The lower back and the lower abdomen and gradually expanding attention to move up the torso to the chest and the back right up to the shoulders.
Noticing all the physical sensations in this region of the body.
Now expanding again to include the left arm and the right arm,
Then the neck and the face and the head until you're holding the whole body in awareness now.
Seeing if it's possible to allow the sensations in the body to be just as they are.
Not trying to control anything or wanting things to be different from how you find them.
Now if you feel comfortable bringing your awareness to the centre of the body,
To the sensations in the abdomen as the breath moves in and out of the body.
Noticing the changing patterns of physical sensations here.
If you like you can place your hand here for a few breaths and feel the abdomen rising and falling.
Being fully alive to the sensations of breathing for the full duration of each in breath and the full duration of each out breath.
Not trying to control the breath in any way at all.
Simply letting the breath breathe itself.
If you find the breath difficult,
Feeling free to return your focus to your body to something that feels grounding and safe for you.
Sooner or later you'll probably find that the mind wanders away from this focus to thinking,
Planning,
Remembering or daydreaming.
When this happens there's no need to criticise yourself.
Simply registering where the mind had wandered to then gently escorting your attention back to the body or breath.
This mind wandering may happen over and over again.
So each time remembering that the aim is simply to notice where the mind has been then gently escorting your mind back to the body or breath and using the stretches of silence now to practice this by yourself.
Coming back to the body or breath whenever the mind wanders.
And remembering that the body or breath is always available to you to help bring you back into the present moment when you find your mind scattered and dispersed by the rush and busyness of your life.
Always here as an anchor,
A place of stillness and peace.
Thank you.
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