Return To Stillness: Mindful Breath Meditation

Each breath is an opportunity to come home to yourself. This warm and grounding mindfulness meditation teaches you to gently return to the breath and body each time your mind wanders - without judgement or effort.

Ideal for stressed and anxious minds and those new to meditation. Listen first thing in the morning or during a midday pause. Using body awareness and a steady breath anchor, you will gradually settle into genuine stillness. Finish feeling softer, more present, and carrying a skill you can use all day long.

Transcript

Stillness and presence grows through repetition of not worrying about distractions and just continuously gently returning. Returning to the breath, Returning to the body, Returning to the ground, Returning to whatever nourishes and resources you. And the trick is learning to be gentle with yourself, So no judgments, Without trying to stop or change anything. So each and every time that you notice you're distracted, Even if you notice you're ten minutes in that thought pattern, As you notice it, Just simply let it be and gently bring your awareness back to your breath and your body again. So this is a gentle process that I'll take you through in the meditation. Remember that each and every breath is an opportunity to come home, So try to enjoy it and see if you can allow it to nourish you moment to moment. As we move into the meditation, Spend a few moments getting yourself comfortable. If you can, Sitting on a cushion or in a chair, Your back nice and straight, But allowing your body to be relaxed and natural. There's no need to hold yourself tight or rigid. Gently closing the eyes, Taking a full breath in and letting out a satisfying sigh. Gradually arriving in your body, Here, Now. Just breathing naturally, Allowing the breath to flow in and out. Maybe slowing the out-breath down a little so that you have a slightly longer exhale. Each time you breathe out, Noticing how your body naturally releases and relaxes and letting your body follow that natural rhythm. Each time you exhale, Allowing your body to deeply relax with it. And even now, If your mind drifts off while you're trying to relax, That's okay. As you notice you've drifted off, Simply let it be. We don't need to stop it or change it or make your mind a certain way. And just very gently and simply return to noticing your breath again. As you breathe, Noticing how that breath is in your body. The sensations of your belly, Lungs, And ribs rising and falling as you breathe in and out. Just noticing the sensations as they are, Each time you breathe out, Allowing your body to relax with that. Gradually relaxing, Gradually settling. Taking your awareness down to the ground that your body is resting on. Might be the earth beneath your feet, A chair below your bottom, Or maybe you're resting on a bed. Just taking your awareness down to that sense of ground that's supporting your body. Notice all the places your body comes into contact with that ground and the sensations of where they meet. Becoming aware of how that ground pushes up from below you, How it supports you and holds you as you relax and breathe. And as you breathe, As you breathe out, Allowing your body to relax deeply into that ground, Safe and supported. And remember, We're not trying to create a certain mind state. We're just being with what's arising in the body and mind, Allowing it, Giving it space. When your mind becomes distracted, You'll probably notice some kind of tension or holding in your body, Or maybe like a lifting up feeling. So instead of trying to bring your awareness back, What you can do is breathe a long, Slow breath out. Allow your body to relax again. Allow that tension to melt away and you might notice that your awareness naturally comes back to the breath and the body. From the ground, Slowly bring your awareness up into your body, Noticing sensations and feelings around the body. Letting everything just be as it is, No judgmental changing. Just noticing. As my teacher Rob Priest says, You could have the sense that you're inside a dark cave and you're slowly shining a torchlight around the cave to see what's there. Slowly feeling into all the parts of your body, Letting everything just be as it is. If you notice you're trying too hard or you're worrying about doing it right, Or your mind is distracted, As you notice it, There's nothing we need to do with it. Just let go, Let your body relax, And very gently bring your awareness back to your anchor, Back to your breath, Noticing the sensations and feelings of your breath, Allowing your whole body to relax and settle into the ground. Nothing to do, Nothing to fix, Nothing to change. Just resting within the space of your body and being with all the sensations, Feelings, And energy arising and moving through the body. Giving everything space, Allowing, Breathing, Relaxing. And let yourself take comfort in the stillness that might be there, However small or big that is. Let yourself enjoy the meditation, Let it resource you and hold you. As we gradually bring this meditation towards an end, Just tune into your body and notice how your body feels like it wants to move, Allowing it to follow that rhythm. Maybe you want to stretch, Maybe you want to yawn, Whatever it might be. Whatever feels satisfying and nourishing for your body. And slowly beginning to open your eyes. So remember that this stillness is always within you. Maybe throughout the day taking a few moments to come back to the breath, Especially if you're stressed or anxious. And over time getting used to being kind and gentle with yourself. No matter how distracted or on the head we are, Each breath represents a moment to come back to your center. Time after time. I hope you enjoyed this practice. It's actually a meditation that's drawn from my course, Finding Calm Within. So if you'd like to explore more or go a little deeper, You're welcome to have a look at the course. Thank you and hopefully see you there.