Hello and welcome to this Zen Counting the Breath meditation.
This is the second meditation of four as part of the Zen Meditation and Mindfulness eight-week course.
You can of course do this meditation individually without partaking in the course.
If you are on the course,
I hope your daily practice is going well and you're starting to notice the benefits of daily meditation.
However you are feeling,
Keep going.
This is one of,
If not the most profound life-changing habits people can obtain.
This counting the breath meditation is the second meditation of the course.
You will do this meditation each day between week two and week four of the course.
As per the previous meditation,
You can either follow this guide recording each day or use it the first time and then do the practice alone going forward.
It's completely up to you.
You should continue to commit to 25 minutes of meditation each day and spend five minutes writing in your meditation diary.
A few small observations about your meditation each day and how you are feeling.
Whilst in the previous meditation our attention moved progressively throughout the body,
During this meditation we're going to centre the attention in one place and keep it there.
Before we start,
Reconnect with the feeling of your body in an upright position.
This is an ongoing process.
For now concentrate on getting as comfortable and upright as you can,
Either sitting cross-legged,
In a chair or a cushion,
Whichever suits you.
Allow your whole body to relax around this uprightness.
As your body relaxes,
Your breathing also naturally relaxes.
Breathing gently through your nose,
Become aware of the rising and sinking of the natural breath at the lowest point in your body where you can feel it.
As you become aware of your breath,
Start mentally counting your breath.
In breath,
One.
Breath,
Three.
Out breath,
Four.
And so on until you get to ten.
When you get to ten,
Start back at one and begin the process again.
This is very simple.
Just counting,
Just breathing.
Any thoughts,
Feelings,
Memories,
Anything at all can rise.
Stay around and pass.
But focus the centre of your attention,
The breathing deep down in your body.
Anytime you get distracted or lose count,
Just come back to your breath and start again.
As your mind becomes more focused and concentrated,
Naturally you'll find your breath becomes more light and gentle.
As your breath becomes more light and gentle,
Your body becomes more relaxed and more comfortable.
Very simple.
Just breathing,
Counting,
Relaxing.
I'll leave it to you.
As I said,
Start with one and with ten and then start the count again back at one.
Begin.
Simply counting,
Simply breathing.
If your mind has drifted,
No judgment.
Just bring your awareness back to the counting of the breath.
One,
Ten,
To one again.
All you have to do,
Stay with the breathing and allow life to go on within you.
It's normal for the mind to wander.
Don't worry.
Simply come back to the counting and carry on.
Simply counting,
Simply breathing.
Again,
If the mind drifts,
No judgment,
No guilt,
No shame.
Just simply bringing your awareness back to counting the breath.
Staying with the breath,
Allowing life to go on within and around you.
If the mind has wandered,
Don't worry.
Simply come back to the counting of the breath.
Nowhere to go,
Nowhere to be.
Just counting the breath.
It comes in,
Counting the breath as it goes.
There's a couple of minutes to go.
Remain focused on counting the breath until the end.
Come to an end of our practice now.
Continue to focus on the breath for a while,
But no need to count at this point.
Slowly sway the body side to side.
Bring some movement back into the hands and feet.
Have a good stretch if your body needs it.
Please remember to write in your meditation diary five minutes after your meditation and just reflect on your feelings,
How the meditation was.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Big love to you and have a beautiful day.
