Hello and welcome to this breath meditation.
Just take a moment to get comfortable.
Find a position you can hold comfortably,
Either seated or on your back or on a chair.
A position to enable you to focus fully without being distracted by any physical discomfort.
To help you settle in,
I invite you now to take a deep inhalation,
Fully inflating the lungs and then with an open mouth and a sigh release any tension you may be holding.
Just take a moment now to relax your face and jaw.
Relax the forehead,
Area around the eyes and then open the mouth and give the bottom jaw a little waggle,
Removing any tension that you may be holding there.
There's no rush.
Enjoy releasing that tension and when you've had enough,
Bring the lips back together,
Gently touching and allow the bottom jaw to hang within the closed mouth.
I invite you now to close your eyes to help you focus inwards.
However,
If you're not comfortable doing this,
Then just take a soft gaze.
Try not to focus on anything specifically.
Remind yourself that you're in a safe space,
That you're in control of this meditation and you can leave it at any stage if you feel the need,
Without any judgement,
Because it's your time.
We're not trying to completely empty our minds or thoughts or concerns during this meditation.
We're merely trying to create some space mentally to give ourselves a break from all that incessant monkey chatter.
We're going to use our breath to help anchor us in the present.
So for the rest of this meditation,
Try to let go of the need to do more.
Give yourself permission to slow down.
Try to give this time to yourself as fully as you can today.
Remind yourself that there is no such thing as a bad meditation.
At some stage your mind will wander and that's okay.
It's perfectly normal.
And when you notice your mind has wandered off,
Gently bring it back as many times as you need.
Try not to get frustrated.
Gently persevere.
It doesn't matter how many times you need to bring your mind back to the breath.
The aim of this meditation is to help you connect to your breath,
To help you slow down,
To help you be present,
To help calm your busy mind.
The breath is one of life's constants,
One of life's certainties.
Our breath is always with us.
It's a precious gift.
I invite you now to take the moment to start to observe your natural breath.
Try not to alter the pattern of the breath at this stage.
Just let the body do its natural thing.
Observe the natural ebbs and flows of your breath as you inhale and exhale.
What is your breath like today?
Is it deep,
Smooth and rhythmical?
Or is it short,
Sharp,
Raspy,
With no real rhythm?
Or somewhere in between?
There is no right or wrong.
I invite you now to try and balance your breath.
Make the inhales as long as the exhales.
It doesn't matter how deep you make the inhales and the exhales,
So long as you can comfortably sustain the rhythm today.
Once you've found a natural,
Balanced breath,
I invite you to use the mantra,
Just Breathe.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
If your mind wanders off,
Just gently bring it back to the mantra.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
As you continue with the breath and the mantra,
Allow yourself to sit in any emotions or sensations that may arise during our meditation.
But try not to engage with them.
If you get distracted,
And you will at some stage,
The mind will wander off.
That's perfectly normal.
Just bring your mind back to the breath and your mantra.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
I'm going to leave you now for a short while with your breath and your mantra.
You will hear my voice shortly.
In the meantime,
Focus on the breath.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
Inhale just,
Exhale breathe.
You You I invite you now to draw your attention back to the present Release the mantra and let your breath return to its natural rhythm Keep your eyes closed or that soft gaze I invite you to bring the palm of your hands together and gently start to rub the palm of your hands together Creating some heat to the friction of the movement And when you're ready place the palms onto the eyes and enjoy the warmth from the palms Slowly allow the eyes to adjust to the light and then when you're ready release the hands back down Gently open your eyes Taking a moment to observe how calm you feel How brilliant the colors are around you How rewarding it is to make time for you You deserve this time When you're ready try to carry this feeling of calm and stillness into the rest of your week You You You
