Greetings,
Friends.
My name is Christina,
And today we're going to do a short focused attention practice using our breath as an anchor.
So start by finding a posture that feels both relaxed and alert.
You may choose to have your feet on the floor,
Your hands resting on your lap.
The eyes can be closed or open with a soft downward gaze,
Allowing the spine to lift and the shoulders to relax.
And as we start our practice today,
Setting an intention to help guide us.
Perhaps you're having a stressful moment and looking for a little bit of peace.
Maybe you're just trying to take some space to show up the best way you can for others.
Maybe you don't have a clear intention at all,
Just hoping to explore a few mindful moments.
Wherever you are today,
Bringing your attention to the breath,
Taking a few deep inhales and exhales,
Allowing the body to soften and the mind to settle.
And as your attention collects around the breath,
You may notice where in the body you feel the sensation most strongly.
Perhaps it's the tip of the nose,
As the cool air comes in and the warm air releases.
Maybe it's the rise and fall of the chest or the softening of the belly.
Wherever that sensation feels most alive for you today,
Allowing your attention to rest there for a moment.
For the rest of our practice,
You can think of this sensation as your anchor point.
Whenever the mind wanders,
Coming back to this feeling of the breath.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
Perhaps you want to explore adding an element of counting.
Noting one on the inhale,
Two on the exhale,
Going up to a count of ten.
If the mind begins to wander,
Bringing the attention back to the breath and starting over again at one.
Treating each return to the breath with kindness and curiosity.
If the mind starts to wander,
That's perfectly fine.
Bringing your awareness back to the present moment.
Continuing to rest attention on the inhale and the exhale.
Thoughts may come or go,
But there's no need to push them away or chase after them.
If our attention wanders,
We can simply return to the breath right here,
Right now.
Let's sit quietly for a moment or two.
Being aware of whatever arises.
Holding the breath with a gentle,
Curious attention.
Gently opening the eyes.
Bringing awareness back into the room.
Stretching in any way that's comfortable for the body.
As we draw our practice to a close,
Thinking less of the practice being over,
And more an opportunity to take this attention we've cultivated with us off of the cushion and into the world.
Thank you very much for practicing with me today.
I look forward to connecting with you soon.
