Welcome to this breathing meditation for focus and concentration.
In this meditation we will count each breath in and each breath out.
And we'll count from 1 to 5 and then back down from 5 to 1.
And we'll repeat this for the duration of the meditation.
So find yourself a comfortable seat where your spine can be long and your breath can flow smoothly and freely without restriction.
Grounding into the sitting bones and then closing down the eyes or just fixing the gaze on one point in front of you.
Bring your awareness to your breath.
And breathing in and out through the nose.
Notice the cleansing sensation of the breath as it flows out.
And the nourishing sensation of the breath as it flows in.
And with a smooth transition at the top of the inhale and at the end of the exhale.
Breathing without pause.
Just tune in to the natural flow of your breath as it flows out and in.
And then bringing your awareness to the crown of your head.
Scan your body from the crown of the head to the tips of your toes.
And then from your toes back to the crown of the head.
And as you bring your awareness to each body part.
Notice where there is any tension or gripping in the body.
And release and relax any tension as you breathe out.
And returning to the crown of the head,
Sense the entire body and breathe as if the whole body is breathing.
And then bring your awareness to the touch of the breath in the nostrils.
Noticing each breath as it flows out and in.
The cooling sensation of the breath as it enters the body.
And the slightly warmer sensation of the breath as it leaves your body.
Breathing from the diaphragm and the lower ribcage.
There is no break in your breathing.
And no break in your awareness.
Maintain the awareness of the flow of the breath in the nostrils.
And as you continue to breathe in this way,
Notice how the mind gradually begins to rest in this meditative awareness.
And then finding your next exhalation,
Begin to count silently in the mind.
Exhaling for 1.
Inhale for 2.
Exhale for 3.
Inhale for 4.
Exhale for 5.
Inhale for 5.
Exhale for 4.
Inhale for 3.
Exhale for 2.
Inhale for 1.
Exhale for 1.
And then repeat the process.
And the sound of each number is recited over the length of the entire breath.
And counting the breaths in this way has a calming and soothing effect on your mind.
And as you maintain your count,
Gradually relax your effort.
So that your breath flows smoothly and effortlessly.
And if you happen to lose the count and your mind begins to wander,
Just gently guide it back to the awareness of the touch of the breath on the nostrils.
And then begin the count from 1 on your next exhalation.
And counting the breaths in this way will strengthen your concentration.
And it will alert you to when your mind begins to wander.
Just allowing the count to resonate silently in the mind for the duration of each breath in and each breath out.
And then breathing for 3 more complete rounds.
Starting with your exhalation at the count of 1.
Maintaining your breath awareness.
Maintaining your focus.
And then gradually allow that count to recede slowly into your subconscious awareness.
Maintaining your focus on the breath in the touch of the nostrils.
Simply allowing your mind to rest in meditative concentration.
And then slowly taking some deeper breaths.
Coming back to the senses.
Maybe introducing some movement.
Wiggling the fingers and the toes.
Maybe turning the head from side to side.
And if it feels good,
Maybe reaching the hands up overhead,
Coming into a stretch as if you were waking up for the first time today.
Becoming aware of your surroundings.
Coming back to full awakened consciousness.
And then bowing the chin down and gently flickering open the eyes before slowly lifting your head.
And just taking in your surroundings.
And this concludes our counting the breaths meditation.
I wish you a wonderful rest of the day.
