Hi,
My name is Alicia and welcome to this meditation on presence using your breath.
This meditation will help you release anxiety and stress and allow the body to fully relax into a peaceful state.
Let's begin together.
Find a comfortable position either seated or lying down.
See if you can establish a position that feels grounded and alert yet relaxed.
Allow your body to settle and rest into gravity.
Let yourself be supported by the ground underneath you.
Close your eyes or set your gaze over the tip of your nose.
Gradually allow your awareness to gather around the sensations of your breath in your body.
Can you notice the quality of the breath today?
Maybe you start to notice the temperature or the gentle breeze across your upper lip.
Where do you feel the breath most strongly in your body right now?
Be curious about this experience,
Letting go of what you think should be happening and being in your experience right now without judgment.
Now rest your awareness within the whole torso.
Can you feel your belly rise with the in-breath and fall with the out-breath?
Can you feel any movement and sensations with the breath in the sides and in the back body?
Gradually start to explore further with curiosity the sensations of the breath and also whatever you may be experiencing as you breathe.
Let your awareness inhabit the body a little more deeply.
See if you can cultivate a precise awareness of the sensations and movement of the breath within the body.
Notice the sensations as they happen from moment to moment.
Allow your awareness to be receptive as it rests upon the natural movement of the breath in the body.
Allow the breath to be saturated with care as it rocks and cradles the body soothing any stress,
Pain or discomfort you may feel.
Now start to draw your awareness to any thoughts or emotions you may be experiencing right now.
Remember that a mindfulness practice isn't about clearing the mind.
Mindfulness is the training whereby we cultivate that awareness of what is actually happening physically,
Mentally and emotionally right now.
We do this so we can gradually change our perspective and feel that we have more choice in how we relate to life.
Can you look at your thoughts and emotions without following them into a story?
Can you observe your thoughts and emotions without judgment and without getting caught up in them?
Can you be aware of what you're thinking and feeling without blocking the experience or becoming overwhelmed by it?
And remember your thoughts are just thoughts.
They are not facts even though sometimes it can really feel like they are.
Notice how your thoughts are continually changing from one moment to the next.
The same way your breath is changing from moment to moment.
Using awareness of the movement and sensations of the breath in your body,
Letting them act as your anchor to come back to over and over again.
Follow your breath all the way in and all the way out.
Each time your awareness wanders as it will,
Just simply take note.
Continue to return over and over again,
Drawing your mind gently back to your attention on your breath.
Be kind to yourself.
Be patient with yourself.
This is what the training is all about.
Remember each time that you've noticed your attention has wandered away,
It's actually a magic moment,
A moment where you've woken up from distraction.
It's a moment of choice to come back to the present moment.
Every time you've noticed that you're wandering off,
You're succeeding in your mindfulness practice.
What is happening now?
What are you thinking?
Just take note without judgment and draw your attention back.
Now gently begin to bring your awareness practice to a close.
Be aware of the sounds around you within the room.
Be aware of the sensations of the body.
Maybe draw your awareness to your hands and your feet.
Wiggle your fingers,
Wiggle your toes,
Circle your ankles and wrists.
Maybe you rock the head from side to side or take a deep stretch with your arms overhead.
Begin to feel your whole body gently and gradually coming back.
Allow yourself to make a smooth transition from this moment to whatever your plans are next.
Thank you for joining me.
Have a wonderful day.
