Day 11: Returning to the Breath

This meditation invites you to use the breath as a steady anchor you can return to again and again. Beginning with a comfortable posture, you’ll bring attention to the natural rhythm of breathing, allowing it to guide your awareness back whenever the mind wanders.

By returning to the breath in this way, the practice can support a sense of calm and gentle concentration. There’s no need to hold onto the breath tightly—just a willingness to come back, as many times as needed.

This meditation is part of a 30-day series designed to support a consistent daily practice, whether you are new to meditation or returning again.

Each return is part of the practice. Simply begin again.

Transcript

Welcome to day 11 of our 30-day meditation challenge. Today we'll be practicing returning to the breath. Go ahead and find a comfortable position for your meditation today. Perhaps seated. Lying down. Even standing, Leaning up against a wall. Whatever posture is going to allow you to feel both alert and also relaxed. So coming into that posture now. Allowing the eyes to gently close. Or if it feels more comfortable to you, You can simply leave them a quarter of the way open. Just softly gazing down towards the floor. And let's begin by returning to this sensation of the breath. Taking a nice deep breath in through the nostrils. And gently letting it go. Today we'll focus on the simple act of returning. Returning again and again to this sensation of the breath in the body. So bringing your attention to the natural rhythm of your own breath. Really just observing it, Nothing to change. You're not trying to even it out or breathe in any specific way. Meditation is more the art of noticing what's taking place. It's not in controlling or changing, Fixing. But instead, It's about concentrating our awareness in the here and the now. And one of the ways that we can encourage that is that when we notice that our mind has drifted off into thoughts of the past or the future. Or if we find that we're judging our present experience. Or if we get lost in sensations or moods. Even if we're just feeling dull in our practice. We can refresh by returning to the felt experience of this next breath as it arrives. Knowing this is what the arising breath feels like right now. So we're training our mind to continuously return to the breath. The breath is always here. It's always available, A reliable anchor. To rest awareness upon. It's here when we're not thinking about it, When we're not even realizing the breath. But it can be very calming to the nervous system. To let the body and the mind rest in the same place at the same time. And we do that by simply knowing. This is breathing in. And this is breathing out. Very simple. So let's practice this returning. Anytime we notice we've wandered. Gently and with so much compassion. And kindness. Maybe even a little humor. It can be humorous how often our mind wanders. Just coming back to this next breath. Again and again. And noticing how you feel in the body right now. Thank you for practicing with me on day 11 of our meditation challenge. I do hope you'll practice with me again tomorrow. Namaste.