Body Focus & Breathing Connection

In this guided meditation, we practice keeping our focus on the breath while we are noticing the awareness in the body. There are some spaces in silence where we use it for noticing the unique sensations and the whole experience. I hope you enjoy the practice!

Transcript

Welcome to your meditation practice.

My name is Helena Stockstill and I invite you to take your seat,

Whether you are on the ground,

You have the option to stay in a chair,

Maybe at the edge of your bed.

Feel comfortable but at the same time start to bring in your awareness and wakefulness into this practice.

If you're having any discomfort in your body like in your lower back you are always free to adjust,

Modify or maybe support your body.

And when you're ready start just noticing your body,

How you're feeling in this moment from head to toes.

And while you are sitting in this posture,

In your posture,

Find yourself at home noticing that your home is a place of stability,

Calm,

Support,

Feeling safe.

The beauty about meditation and these practices is that it brings a strong connection to your body.

Using your body as this place,

This sanctuary of calm and peace,

It's a wonderful place for building,

A wonderful place to keep it tidy and clean and giving the respect that it deserves.

And by tuning with your body it's important to be aware of what's happening in so many different levels,

Different layers.

And while we're trying to tap into the wisdom of the body,

It's also a practice where we start to understand the language of the body,

Whether it's explicit or implicit.

It brings up the enormous emphasis on being embodied,

Being present in our body.

And for some people,

Especially maybe you are new or some people that are just completely new in these practices,

They might find that these practices may be boring or interesting.

And sometimes because our life has concerns and worries that it can be in our thoughts,

Maybe ideas,

Plans or memories.

And that takes us away from the present embodied moment experience.

These practices will also build some intimacy with ourselves.

Where it's not necessarily all about you being aware of your body but intimately connected to the mind and understanding that the mind is also connected with the body.

So mindfulness is kind of like a doorway that is connected with these two realms.

And it's all about finding harmony between the mind and the body.

So as usual,

The most common support for this practice is going to be the breathing.

That it helps us,

We're grounding ourselves in the body to be fully awake.

And we do it by breathing and we do it by breathing with the body.

Having the sense that while you are breathing,

Your breathing is also happening in your body.

That you are able to rest in the experience of breathing and in the sensations of your body.

It also requires some balance,

Not getting stuck or easily fixated,

Maybe resistant with the mind or maybe with experience that is happening on your body.

So always we try to keep the balance and the rhythm as it comes with the breathing.

The flow of coming and going.

Just like maybe the sea,

Maybe just noticing the wind,

Just moving through the leaves or anything that comes into your mind that it might have this gentle and strong support and peaceful rhythm.

Just start noticing your breath.

Appreciating your posture,

Your body,

Your breath.

Maybe noticing the familiarity with your breath.

Whether in this moment it is fully relaxed or maybe starting to just finding its own pace,

Coming back home.

So start by taking a few long slow deep breaths,

Maybe a little more deeper and fuller than usual.

So you can notice how much your body can expand,

Stretching out.

Noticing how the air goes in all directions,

Expanding,

Opening.

And with your exhale,

Start to find the relaxation,

Just letting it go,

Settling in,

Breathing in deeply and then fully relaxing.

How about you're just letting go your breath and your exhale.

Maybe you can also send the intention of letting go your thoughts and maybe even concerns.

And then little by little to adjust your breathing to a normal pace.

Or you can continue with this breath wherever it feels comfortable or necessary for you.

So start placing your attention on the inhale to your face and just feel.

When you are excelling you're softening your face as the same as the shoulders,

Fully relaxing without trying too hard or elaborating too much on your body.

Just let the body to follow its own pace and start noticing the center of your chest as you inhale and exhale,

Softening that center.

And notice the sensation on your ribs,

Maybe the skin gently expanding and let the shoulders to stay fully relaxed.

And continue with your belly,

Maybe you can notice the bridge,

The diaphragm,

The soft part of your body.

And just breathing,

Inhaling and relaxing as you exhale again and again and again.

And while you're breathing just notice what is bringing your attention to your face when you inhale,

Maybe to the muscles of the upper body.

Whatever comes to your mind just notice.

And whatever is just there you are just breathing with it.

When you're breathing,

Feeling that part of your body as you exhale you're also letting that part of the body to fully relax.

Inhaling,

Whatever is a way that is easier for you just take it.

And while you're exhaling,

Feeling the whole body fully relaxed.

Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant or maybe your breath has changed.

Just continue breathing,

Noticing.

And continue noticing the rest of your body,

Your hips,

The muscles,

The cushion supporting the body.

Maybe the weight,

The skin,

The blood irrigation,

Maybe tingling sensations.

And wherever is happening,

Wherever is just asking for your attention,

Stay centered with your breathing.

The sense that you're breathing is also accompanying that part of your body.

And continue just noticing the lower part of your body,

Your legs,

Noticing the muscles,

Maybe the hands on top of your legs.

Just take a moment for just noticing either it's pleasant or unpleasant.

And just breathe with it.

While you're breathing,

You are just accompanying that part of your body with your breath.

Breathing in,

Exhaling,

Noticing just fully centered.

As you move with your knees,

The lower part of your body as your shins or maybe calves,

Just continue feeling the body while you are still noticing the rest of your body as the upper body,

Your face,

Your shoulders,

The back.

Trying to share the feelings and the connection of your body with your breath.

Revels in focus.

And notice your feet,

Notice the skin,

Maybe the feet fully supported on the ground.

And without moving your body,

Just notice every single toe.

Without wiggling or shaking,

Just simply notice.

Just as you are placing your attention to your toes,

You are also continuing with the focus with your face,

With your scalp,

With your hands.

Breathing in and breathing out.

Breathing to your body and breathing with your body.

And maybe if there is any agitation in your mind,

Just let the mind to also release the tension by just breathing.

The energy of the mind to breathe in with it,

Feeling maybe like the matter,

The space,

All the thoughts or maybe emotions connected to thinking.

And maybe once again centering yourself on your breathing.

The breathing in touch with breathing.

The breathing in touch with the sensations of your body.

Breathing in touch with your mind.

Keeping balance with the sensations of your body,

The perceptions of your mind,

The balance of your breath as you are breathing in,

You are breathing in with your whole body,

With your whole mind.

And breathing out with your whole body,

With your whole mind.

Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you in your practice.

It's been an honor and a joy to be here for you.

May the peace be always with you my friend.

Have a wonderful day.

Reviews

Thank you, dear Helena.🙏🏻💚. Can't join you at 5pm at the moment. What a wonderful opportunity to be led through the meditation by you nevertheless 🙏🏻💚. Thank you 💗

Hel, That was beautiful 🙏

Thank you for another quiet and calming practice.