This is a mindfulness meditation using the four access points to body awareness.
So sitting with an upright and open posture,
Or if you're lying down,
Just notice if your body feels symmetrical,
Even on both sides.
And let's meditate together.
As a preparation for the meditation,
Take a few slow conscious breaths.
Feel your belly expanding as you breathe in,
Then softening and relaxing as you breathe out.
Feel as though your body is settling with each out-breath.
With your eyes gently closed,
Become aware of the space or screen of darkness in front of your eyes.
Allow your attention to rest in that area.
It may be up at the level of your eyebrows and slightly into your forehead,
Or it may be as simple as the space behind your closed eyelids.
There may be some muted shapes or colors there,
But you're not looking at anything,
Just resting your attention there.
Just relaxing your eyes.
This is like a resting point for your attention.
Now pay attention to the sounds outside the room with a non-judgmental curiosity.
Just listening.
Let the sounds come and go without thinking about them too much and without judging them.
And now listen to the sounds inside the room.
And now even the subtle sound of your own breathing.
Now bring your awareness to your breath.
Notice what sensations there are as you breathe in and breathe out.
Feel the air touch your nostrils and the slight movement of your chest and belly as you inhale and exhale.
Listen to the soft sound of your breathing.
It's paying attention to each breath.
Enjoying each breath as you feel into the rhythm of your natural breathing.
Now bring your awareness down to your feet.
Feel the contact between your feet and the floor or whatever they're resting on.
Move your awareness through your feet,
Noticing all the different sensations in them.
Feeling into whatever sensations are there right now,
Comfortable or uncomfortable.
Feeling that subtle sense of aliveness or vitality in your feet.
How you know your feet are there without needing to look at them.
What that sensation is like.
And as you are feeling into your feet,
Also feel the flow of your breathing.
Now bring your awareness to your lower abdomen,
Your belly.
And feeling into it.
Notice the sensations around your navel and then behind your navel and right into your belly.
Feeling any sensations in your belly,
Whether they're strong or subtle.
Free of any judgment,
Letting go of any reaction.
And then feel the slight movement of your belly as you breathe in and breathe out.
Now bring your awareness up into your shoulders.
Feeling into the muscles on top of your shoulders and up into the base of your neck.
Notice the position your shoulders are in right now,
How they feel.
Just feeling without judging.
And as you are feeling into your shoulder muscles,
Feel the movement of each breath.
Now as your inner gaze is resting in that space in front of your closed eyes.
Begin to feel all the tiny muscles around your eyes.
And your eyelids just lightly touching.
Run your awareness across your forehead and eyebrows.
And feel whatever sensations are there.
And as you feel around your eyes and across your forehead,
Feel the flow of your breathing.
So now the soft focus of the meditation becomes some of that feeling sense through your whole body.
The awareness of that space behind your closed eyelids.
And the feeling of your breathing.
Feel your belly rising with the in-breath.
And then falling with the out-breath.
Notice the slight pause between the in-breath and the out-breath.
Enjoy the feeling of each breath.
How each breath is like a wave.
Rising with your in-breath.
And then falling with the out-breath.
If any thoughts come to your awareness,
Just let them come when they do.
And go when they're ready.
And gently come back to the feeling of the next breath.
The feeling sense through your body.
And the awareness of that space behind your closed eyelids.
You don't have to do it all perfectly.
Just a little of each to stay present.
If your mind wanders or becomes distracted,
Narrows onto thoughts,
Just open your awareness.
Feel your feet on the floor.
Feel into your belly.
And the flow of your breathing.
As you are aware of that space behind your closed eyelids.
So if you find yourself waiting for something to happen,
Or judging yourself because something isn't happening,
Don't take the thoughts too seriously.
Just open your awareness.
Feel your feet on the floor.
Feel into your belly.
And the flow,
The movement of your breathing.
As you are aware of that space behind your closed eyelids.
Just check your posture.
If your head has come too far forward or backward.
Gently correct your posture from the inside to become upright and open again.
And now as we come to the end of the meditation,
You may like to dedicate the meditation.
Something of your own choosing.
Or perhaps as simple as,
May I be well on the in-breath and may others be well on your out-breath.
Now starting to bring some gentle movement back into your body.
Perhaps having a stretch.
Just when you feel ready,
Letting your eyes open again.
