Start this brief meditation practice.
You can start by finding a comfortable posture.
You can close down the eyes if that's comfortable for you,
Otherwise a downward soft gaze works as well.
Starting with a couple deeper breaths.
Inviting yourself to connect to the present moment.
Letting go of any of the busyness in the mind.
Thoughts that might be showing up and we're not trying to stop thinking,
But rather we're just letting those thoughts go while we bring our attention to the present moment.
We can use our body to help ground us into the present moment.
You might find your feet on the floor.
Feeling into the sensations where the body or the feet make contact with the floor.
Feeling your body and the seat.
Losing those areas of contact.
You might even be able to sense stillness or groundedness,
A steadiness in these supports.
Noticing what is the felt sense of stillness and steadiness.
And then with the next couple out breaths,
Finding the rest of the body to soften,
Relax down into those supports.
I invite the body to connect with that sense of stillness,
Of that groundedness.
If there are areas of sticky tension in the body,
It's okay.
We don't need to force any softening or relaxing.
We can just soften around,
Settle around those areas,
Letting them be just as they are.
And you might just check in with your mind.
Noticing how is the mind right now?
Might be a little more busy.
Stricted or tight.
Might be more on the settled end,
Spacious.
Might be somewhere in between.
Just noticing how it is without needing anything to change about it.
We can just accept and notice how it is.
And if there is a bit more tension and constriction,
A tightness in the mind.
We can do similarly to what we often do in the body.
We can breathe in space into the mind.
So on the in-breath.
Imagining the mind filling with that breath.
Making it more spacious and open.
Providing some space around the thinking that might be going on.
So we're not trying to stop thinking,
We're just making more space around those thoughts.
So we can see them for what they are,
Which is just thoughts.
We can see them as just thoughts.
We're not as identified with them.
We're not as driven by them.
And just see them and let them pass a little easier.
Breathing in that space into the mind and opening.
And then on the out breath,
You might invite the mind to soften and settle.
Breathing in space.
Softening and settling the mind on the out.
We can expand this process to include the rest of the body.
So on that in breath,
Breathing into the mind and also breathing into the rest of the body,
A sense of opening,
In breath.
And softening and settling the mind and the body on the out breath.
Breathing in that space,
That opening through the mind,
Through the body.
And on the out breath,
That softening,
Settling.
Continuing to breathe in this space,
Breathing out with the settling for a few more rounds of breath.
Anytime that you might want to notice your mind wandering.
Getting constricted or tight again or the body tightens up.
Just reconnect with that sense of opening and breathing in space on the in-breath.
And softening.
And settling on the out breath.
Paying special attention to how that feels in that process.
And you can let go of this process.
May bring your attention up to the body as a whole.
Seeing if you can really feel into the shape of the body,
Posture of the body.
Maybe you can sense the solidness and heaviness of the body.
Noticing the edges of the body.
Where those edges make contact with the space around you.
Getting a sense of that space around you.
And when you're ready,
You can open the eyes.
Take a look around.
Ending this practice and continuing on with your day.
