Here's a practice that will deliver you into a state of clarity and focus.
Set aside whatever you are doing so we can cultivate a moment of presence together.
You may begin by finding a seat and allowing your back to be upright,
Placing both hands in an intentional position.
Whether your palms are facing down as you seek groundedness or your palms are facing up in a sense of receptivity,
It's up to you.
Just allow your spine to be straight,
Alert,
And then inviting in a sense of softness so that we begin practice without rigidity in the body,
But remaining alert.
Take a moment to let go of whatever was occupying your mind and arrive in this meditation practice,
Taking a vow for yourself to allow this short practice to be the most important thing happening right now.
Hey,
You're here right now.
Let's deepen your acknowledgement of that by taking a few breaths.
We're going to inhale for four,
Hold for three,
And exhale for six.
Inhaling in through the nose,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
Hold,
Three,
Two,
One.
Exhale out the mouth.
Inhale,
Hold,
And exhale.
Inhale,
Hold,
And exhale.
Now settle into your natural breathing.
Begin here observing the breath as it moves through you,
Being there with every inhale.
When the breath arrives in your body,
Staying with it as the air invigorates you,
Brings life into you,
And allow it out,
Gently guiding the breath out of your body on the exhale.
On the exhale,
Where is it most obvious in the body that you're breathing?
Could it be your chest,
Your belly,
Your nose,
Your shoulders?
Where do you feel it the clearest?
Rest attention here.
Now,
Where in the body is the breath a subtle sensation?
Anchor your attention here,
In a way that every breath cycle that comes and goes,
You observe it from this very point.
When the mind becomes eager to entertain any thoughts,
Acknowledge that,
And gently return back here,
Where the breath is the most subtle.
Soften your shoulders here.
Begin counting the spaces between each breath.
So when you breathe in and you breathe out,
Before the next inhale arises,
There is a short gap between the exhale and the inhale.
Start becoming familiar with those gaps,
And after each exhale,
In that small gap,
Start counting one.
You may count up to ten,
And then return back to one.
Inhale,
Exhale,
One.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Two.
And so on.
Can you keep doing that,
Counting each gap,
But invite in a sense of effortlessness to it.
Returning to the gaps in between breaths,
Anytime your mind wants to follow the urgency of your thoughts.
And let that go.
Set the mind free for a few moments.
Just let it be.
Take one sharp inhale in through your nose,
Part your lips and let it go.
Begin bringing attention to your body parts,
And the space that surrounds you,
Here.
Notice how your headspace has shifted.
