Mindfulness Of Breath And Body

In this guided practice, you’ll be gently led into mindfulness through awareness of your breath and body, beginning with finding a posture that is both relaxed and alert. You’ll learn how to use different “anchors,” like the breath, body sensations, or sounds, to steady your attention and return to the present moment when the mind wanders.

As the practice deepens, you’ll be invited to explore physical sensations and emotions with curiosity and kindness, noticing how they shift and change over time. Throughout, the emphasis is on cultivating a calm, embodied presence and learning how to be with your experience just as it is.

Transcript

Hi everybody welcome. So we are going to do a mindfulness practice on the awareness of our breath and body. So to start, We'll just take a moment to talk about posture. So you're going to want to find a comfortable posture. And sometimes It can be helpful to stretch your body a little bit, Do a little bit of movement before you bring your body into stillness. So if that is helpful for you, Feel free to take a few stretches. And then we're going to talk a little bit about finding a comfortable position. So. . . When you sit down for mindfulness practice, You want your spine to be alert. You want to be sitting alert. But not death. You want to have a sense of relaxation. Can be helpful to. Have your hands on your knees or thighs. You can almost imagine that your spine is stacked with gold coins. So this could be in a chair. And if that's not comfortable, You can feel free to stand. And you can always lay down as well. Just know that when you lay down, You often can invite some sleepiness in. That's what we say. It's good to be comfortable. Alert. So if you're comfortable, Go ahead and close your eyes. And if this does not feel supportive to you, You can have them open with a downward gaze. Go ahead and take a moment. Just settle in. To a comfortable position. And allow your awareness to scan through your body. And wherever possible. Soften and release any obvious areas of tension. Establishing. A simple sense of presence. You might take a very few full breaths. And then allow your breath to be natural. So as we move through this and any mindfulness practice, It can be helpful to have a home base or an anchor. That allows you to quiet and collect the mind. As well as a deepened sense of embodied presence. And this can be a place that you can return to if your mind wanders or if you feel intense emotions. So I'm going to name a few anchors. And you can see what might resonate with you. So it can be the breath. As it enters and leaves the nostrils, The upper lip, And or the throat. It could be other sensations during breathing, Such as the rise and fall of the chest or belly. It can be the whole body as it breathes, Almost like an octopus. It can be whole body awareness without focus on breath. It could be the sensations of your hand and feet. It could be your senses, Seeing, Hearing, Sitting, Or touching. It could also be sounds, Listening to all the sounds within. Or around you. So take a moment. And feel free to start with one anchor. You can experiment with this through the practice. If you'd like to try something different as we go, Please feel free. So with a relaxed. Interested attention. Just discovering the sensations of the breath are your chosen anchor. Moment to moment. So where is your attention now? Each time you notice that your mind has wandered is a moment of mindfulness. So gently bringing back your attention to the inflow and the outflow of the breath. Or your chosen anchor. Offering a relaxed, Wakeful presence. Every time you notice that your mind has wandered, Just gently come back to the breath or your anchor. Now you can shift your awareness to scanning your body and noticing if any particular sensations are strong and calling your attention. And if so, Continue to allow the breath or your home base to recede to the background. And bringing an interested, Kind presence. The sensations in the foreground. So what do they feel like? You might be aware of heat or chills, Tingling, Aching, Itching. Vibrating. With a soft and open awareness. Just feeling the sensations as they are. You can notice. Are they pleasant or unpleasant? And as you fully attend to them, Do they become more intense? Do they dissipate? Just noticing the changing nature. And when the sensations are no longer strong. You can return your mindfulness of breathing or your chosen anchor. If you find it difficult to stay with strong emotions. You may breathe with them. Letting the breath help you find some balance and openness in the midst. It can also be helpful to name the sensations. So seeing if there's a word that describes your experience. Tighten air heat. Pressure. You don't have to strain. Or try to find the right word. Just notice if something comes to awareness. And then you can repeat it to yourself in a soft tone. So you're going to let the naming. . . Be 5% of your attention. And 95% on the actual experience. Checking in, Where is your attention now? Sit on the breath, Your anchor, Sensations. Keep coming back! You can ask yourself, What is happening inside of me right now? So noticing any sensations that are predominant. And then asking, Can I be with this? Directly feeling the flow of sensation, Subtle or strong. Letting life be just as it is. Now returning to your home base. The breath or anchor of particular sensations. Offering your calm, Steady attention. And if during this last minute or so, A strong sensation calls your attention, And let your primary anchor recede. And bring full attention to what's arising. Naming what you notice, Offering your presence. And if nothing strong is calling your attention, Just continuing to rest with your home base, Relaxed and alert. Now bringing your attention from your breath and body back into the room. Slowly and mindfully, Moving from your inward experience back into your external environment. Just expanding your awareness. And opening your eyes.