Welcome.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down,
And allow your body to be supported.
There's no special posture required,
Just a position where you can be at ease.
If you're new to meditation,
Know this,
There's nothing you need to stop,
Fix,
Or achieve.
And if you're more experienced,
Allow yourself,
Just for now,
To set aside any techniques.
This practice is not about doing the breath correctly,
It's about learning to listen and to feel.
Before we come to the breath,
Just take a moment to notice your surroundings.
Notice sounds around you,
Near or far.
No need to label them,
Just let them come and go.
Notice the temperature of the air on your skin.
Notice where your body meets the floor or the chair.
This is the gateway to the present moment,
Using our senses,
Our awareness,
Our breath.
Nothing mystical,
Nothing magical,
Nothing more than what is happening within us right now.
Now gently turn your attention towards your breathing.
Not to change it,
Not to guide it,
Just to notice what is happening.
The breath has been breathing you your whole life,
You don't need to teach it how,
Just let the breath move exactly as it is.
The breath is the key to the present,
And to open the doorway,
The breath isn't used with force,
Only with attention.
Bring your awareness to the very entrance of the nostrils,
The soft circular openings where the breath first arrived.
Notice the sensation of air touching the skin there,
Perhaps it feels cool,
Light,
Barely noticeable.
Stay with that simple point of contact.
This is where awareness begins,
Where sensation is simplest.
Now notice what happens as the breath moves inward.
Feel the air passing just inside the nostrils,
Travelling deeper into the nasal passages.
You may notice a change in temperature,
Cooler as the breath enters,
Slightly warmer as it leaves.
Let your awareness travel with the breath as though you're gently accompanying it on its journey.
Not rushing ahead,
Not lagging behind,
Just simply following it.
Notice the subtle moment where the inhale ends and the exhale begins.
This turning point is often very quiet,
Almost invisible.
You don't need to hold it,
Just notice that it exists,
A moment of stillness to enjoy.
Now follow the breath as it leaves,
Noticing the warmth as it passes back through the nostril passages and across the entrance of the nostrils.
Feel the gentle outward flow,
There is often a sense of release here,
As though the body is quietly letting go.
Stay with the entire journey of one breath,
Entering,
Moving inward,
Turning and leaving.
Now begin to hold awareness for each full cycle of the breath,
From the moment it touches the nostrils,
To the moment it leaves again,
One breath at a time.
If the mind wanders,
That's not a problem,
Simply return to the next inhale as it arrives at the entrance of the nose.
Each noticing is a returning.
When this feels steady,
Allow your awareness to gently widen.
Continue sensing the breath at the nostrils,
While also noticing its movement deeper inside the body.
Let awareness drift into the throat,
Noticing any subtle sound or vibration.
Down into the upper chest beneath the collarbone,
A soft rise and fall.
Into the heart space,
The ribs expanding gently into the sides.
Into the belly,
Rising and falling with each breath.
And down into the floor of the pelvis,
Grounding,
Steady,
Present.
You can move awareness up and down the body in this manner,
Sensing the breath as a whole body experience.
Now begin to sense the breath with the entire body,
As though every cell is breathing.
You are no longer tracking the breath,
You are inhabiting it.
Presence is not found,
It is remembered.
Notice how awareness shifts naturally,
Sometimes you need to gently focus it,
Sometimes it will rest effortlessly.
This is the dance,
Sometimes you breathe the breath,
And sometimes the breath breathes you.
Neither is better,
Both belong.
Effort invites awareness,
Surrender lets it deepen.
For the next few moments,
Rest in your open awareness,
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to force.
If thoughts arise,
Just let them pass like clouds in the sky.
Every time your mind wanders,
Simply bring it home with each inhale.
As this practice comes to a close,
Know that breath awareness is not something you leave behind,
You can return to it while walking,
While speaking,
Whenever life feels busy or intense.
Each moment of noticing is a moment of presence.
When you are ready,
Gently open your eyes and carry this awareness with you into the rest of your day.
Namaste.
