Breathing body meditation Let's take a moment to arrive wherever you are on a chair,
On the floor,
Maybe still in your bed.
Let your body find a shape that feels comfortable and of course as you begin to settle in you can rest assured that you can adjust your position anytime to bring even more comfort and if you would like you can let your eyes soften,
Gaze gently down or close if that feels good to you and begin by noticing I am breathing nothing to change just awareness of the sensations arising with breathing in and breathing out Breath leaving a gentle rhythm that has been carrying you since the day you were born You can bring your attention into your belly Feeling it rise with the inhale and fall with the exhale If your breath feels shallow or uneven,
That's okay.
There is no right way We're just remembering that the body breathes on its own You can further explore the sensations of breathing by bringing your attention to where breath feels most alive for you today Perhaps that might be in your belly or at your nostrils maybe your chest or in the gentle rocking of your spine Take the next few breaths in silence without my guidance Resting your attention on sensations of your breath whatever they show up for you in the most tangible way and as you continue to breathe,
Invite your attention to widen,
To include the back body,
The ribs expanding,
The shoulder blades shifting You can begin to notice how your upper body is like a sphere that is pulsating with breath You might sense the whole body breathing even Each cell taking part in this dance of exchange and if your mind wonders which it will,
Simply return to the anchor Breathe in and out.
You can gently whisper those words,
Aligning them with your breath Breathing in and out Here Feel free to experiment with how you would like to announce to yourself that you're breathing in your mind if using mindfulness phrases is a helpful tool for you today Let these words be a doorway into presence Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in Breathing out,
I know I am breathing out In this way,
The breath doesn't demand,
It invites It reminds you that life is always happening in this moment Perhaps you can even notice how your body responds to this gentle attention Maybe your shoulders can drop a little Maybe the jaw can soften Maybe there's just one place,
However small,
That feels more at ease Let your breath gather in that place of ease and release and let that ease spread softly through you Pulsating gently with the breath Spreading into each cell of your body You're reminded of how you are being breathed You are at home in this body You are safe to rest here for a few moments longer in silence Please continue taking those yummy breaths A few more rounds and then we will close this practice And here you are hearing my voice again And before you open your eyes or get going,
I invite you to sense the steadiness of the ground beneath you.
Find those points of contact between you and the furniture or the floor and really take a moment to travel the pathways of gravity,
The weight,
All the way down Notice how your breath can spring out from that steadiness and continue quietly,
Faithful You can carry this awareness with you into whatever comes next And each breath can return you home Thank you
