Welcome to your five-minute meditation.
Begin by sitting comfortably either on the floor or on a chair.
Allow your spine to be upright but do acknowledge the natural curves of your own spine.
Allow your shoulders to relax.
Let your hands rest gently on your lap.
Close your eyes softly.
Take a slow breath in through your nose and let it out gently.
Again,
Inhale deeply.
Exhale fully.
Allow your breath to settle into a natural calm rhythm.
Now bring your awareness to a single point of focus.
This could be the natural flow of your breath,
The space between your eyebrows or even the gentle flame of a candle if you have one.
Choose just one point and let your attention rest there.
Notice the mind's tendency to wander.
When it does,
Simply guide it back without judgment,
Without frustration.
Again and again,
Return gently to your point of focus.
As you breathe in,
Allow yourself to be absorbed by this single object of concentration.
As you breathe out,
Release any tension,
Letting the mind soften into stillness.
If thoughts arise,
Acknowledge them and let them pass like clouds drifting across the sky.
Return always to the one point,
Breath by breath,
Moment by moment.
Feel your awareness growing steadier,
Clearer and more refined.
This is Dharana,
Holding the mind steady,
Collected,
Centered.
For the next few breaths,
Simply rest here,
Focused,
Calm and present.
Allow the stillness to deepen and the mind to taste the quiet simplicity of one-pointed awareness.
Now slowly expand your awareness back to the room around you.
Feel the ground beneath you.
Your body seated,
Your breath moving gently.
When you are ready,
Take one last deep inhale.
Exhale fully and gently open your eyes.
Carry this centered awareness with you into the rest of your day.
