This is a very simple breath meditation.
And all you have to do is follow along with me.
So get yourself into a comfortable sitting position.
The back can be supported or unsupported.
It's up to you.
Hands in the lap in any way that feels natural.
And you can have your eyes open or closed for this.
It's completely up to you.
And if you feel sleepy or at any point you get confused,
You can always transition between eyes open.
And eyes closed.
So let's start by taking a nice big deep breath in through the nostrils.
Slowly breathing out,
Letting the body go relaxed and limp and loose.
Very good.
Now allow the breath to find its own natural rhythm.
You don't breathe,
The body breathes,
And you can take a moment to let everything settle down and find balance.
Just taking a moment to arrive here in this moment.
And now allow your attention to drop down into the body.
And become aware of the breath sensations.
That's the gentle rise and fall of the belly.
And the chest.
As you breathe.
And see if you can notice the contrast.
Between the inhale and the exhale.
Notice how they feel different.
The inhale you may notice a slight feeling of relief or an increase in energy.
As the oxygen comes into the bloodstream.
See if you can notice that now.
It may be very subtle.
Or maybe it feels like something else for you.
So just be completely authentic and truthful and.
.
.
With your experience.
If it matches mine and what I described,
Good,
But if not,
That's fine.
So noticing how that inhale feels.
And then when you're ready switch to the exhale.
How does that feel?
On the exhale you might notice a feeling of letting go.
A subtle feeling of relaxation or calm.
In that moment of letting go.
So now be with the inhale and the exhale,
Noticing the contrast.
Noticing that subtle feeling of an increase in energy or relief.
On the inhale.
And that subtle feeling of letting go.
That relaxation that naturally arises on the exhale.
And if you find it useful you can say the word feel on the inhale.
Feel and rest on the exhale.
Just to remind you to stay tuned in to the feelings of the inhale.
To notice that feeling of restfulness that comes with the exhale.
So just stay with that for a moment.
And you don't have to try too hard with this.
It isn't about laser focus.
You're just being gently aware.
Of the feelings that arise on the inhale.
And then gently aware of the feelings that come.
With that letting go on the exhale.
And it's okay if there are thoughts.
Visual images in the mind or mental talk in a monologue.
If that's there.
Allow it to be there.
But allow it to be in the background.
So the mind can chatter away but you're just not intentionally.
Focusing there.
That's in the background.
Very good,
Stay with it.
And if there is a little pause at the top of the inhale,
And also at the bottom of the inhale.
Notice that.
What's that like?
Very good,
Keep it going.
In any way that works for you.
Don't try and be too perfect with this.
Allow the breathing to do the meditation for you.
Very good.
Now if that's working for you,
You can continue on.
Or if you like,
You could play with this a little bit.
You could open up the aperture of your attention.
So it's less like a Spotlight on the breath sensations.
And more like a floodlight.
So you're maybe covering the whole of the torso in a global way,
Or maybe the entire body from the toes to the top of the head.
And noticing how the body feels with the breath.
Or if there are any areas of tension.
Tightness.
Maybe in the shoulders or the jaw.
Or even the hands and feet.
You can use the breath.
Use the exhale.
And that subtle feeling of letting go that comes with it.
You can use that to help you release tension in the body if you notice it.
So keep this going in any way that feels natural to you,
Any way that feels intuitive.
I'll go quiet for a moment and you continue on.
And as you do this,
If there are any pleasant feelings,
Any bliss or joy or warmth.
You can soak those in,
You can enjoy them.
If there's something that feels nice.
Allow it.
To be fully felt.
Fully experienced.
And if you're not feeling that,
If you're feeling uncomfortable or finding this difficult,
That's okay.
You can bring in the equanimity.
Which means You allow the difficult thoughts,
Feelings,
Or emotions to be there.
You don't fight with them in any way.
You don't try to fix them.
But you kind of put them in the background.
And you continue with the practice.
Allowing everything to be.
Just as it is.
And this will train the mind-body system to be comfortable.
Even when discomforts are present.
So it's productive even if you're not enjoying the meditation.
So carry on with this a little bit longer.
Stay with it.
Very present.
Right here on the razor's edge of now.
Keep going.
It's okay if the mind wanders off into thoughts.
All you do is notice.
Gently return to the breath sensations.
If there are thoughts around while you're doing this,
No problem.
Allow them to be in the background.
Thoughts are often a sign that the mind is processing something.
Or that stress is being released.
So there's really no need for thoughts to go away.
Continue on a little bit longer.
Very good.
Now this is the end of the meditation.
Thank you for doing this with me and I will see you next time.
