I love you.
And no matter what you're going through.
It is possible.
It's possible to not only get through it.
But grow through it.
It takes a strong set of skills to get there.
And two of those are attention and focus.
So let's focus on just that.
Focus.
Focus is like a muscle.
It requires daily action to build over time.
And the following meditation has been carefully structured to do just that.
So let's begin.
Find a position that you can hold with time.
Sitting is good,
Lying down is fine too.
Let your spine be tall,
But not stiff.
Alert and relaxed at the same time.
The posture of someone who is awake,
Not the posture of someone bracing for something.
Now let your eyes close.
Or if you'd rather let them stay half open,
Resting on a spot on the floor a few feet ahead.
There is nowhere you need to be for the next 10 minutes.
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to achieve.
This is not a performance.
And you cannot be bad at this.
So take one breath in through the nose.
And let it out through the mouth.
Long.
Take one breath in through the nose,
Nice and slow.
And let it out through the mouth.
I turned on.
One more,
Breathing in.
And know that you are breathing in.
And then breathe out and know that you are breathing out.
Now let the breath return to its own rhythm.
You don't have to control it.
It's been breathing your whole life without instruction.
But focus in on your regular breath.
Bring your attention to where you feel the breath most clearly.
Maybe it's the cool air at the tip of the nose.
Or maybe it's the rise and fall at the belly.
Or maybe it's the chest,
Expanding and settling.
Pick one.
Just one.
That is your anchor.
Rest your attention there.
Not gripping it.
More like the way your hand rests on a warm cup.
Right on the outside of it with not much pressure.
And focusing on the breath,
Feel the whole in-breath from the very beginning to the very end of the end breath.
And then feel the whole out-breath.
All the way down.
And notice the small gap between them.
The pause.
The term.
Where it either goes from the in-breath to the out-breath,
Or the out-breath to the in-breath.
Now your mind might leave,
It will.
This is what Lions do.
That is not failure.
That is the exercise.
So notice the small gap between the inhale and the exhales.
Each time that you notice,
You may have wondered,
And you come back.
That is one repetition.
That is The Wrap.
So don't get upset when your mind wanders.
We want to welcome that.
Because it's giving you another chance to practice the only move that matters.
Which is bringing it back.
Great job!
Now,
We'll move the attention through the body.
Slowly.
Like a flashlight beam.
Not a searchlight.
You are not looking for anything.
You are not trying to relax.
You are simply visiting.
So bring your awareness to the soles of your feet.
And welcome whatever is there.
Maybe it's pressure.
Warmth.
Tingling,
Or nothing at all.
Nothing is a valid sensation.
Now,
Let the attention rise to the ankles,
The shins,
The calves,
Next,
Move it to the knees.
The thighs.
Feel the weight of your legs against whatever is holding you.
Whether that's a chair,
Or a bed,
Or a couch.
Feel each leg fully.
Focus in on it.
Next is the hips.
Bring your awareness and focus to your hips.
And then the lower back.
This is where a lot of us store the day.
Don't try to release it,
Just notice it.
If there's tension there,
Or stress,
Just notice it.
Being noticed is often enough.
Next,
Focus on the belly.
The upper and the lower belly.
How it's soft,
How it moves when you breathe in and out.
Next is the chest.
Notice the heartbeat if you can find it.
It has been working this whole time without asking anything from you.
So give us some attention,
Give us some focus.
Next,
Bring your attention and your focus to your hands.
The palm of your hands.
And then the fingertips.
Feel the space between the fingers.
Next is your forearms.
Your elbows.
Your upper arms,
Your bicep and tricep.
Both shoulders.
Let them drop one inch lower than you thought they already were.
So breathe in.
And exhale and drop your shoulders.
Next is the throat.
The front of the throat.
The back of the neck.
The job.
Let the teeth part slightly in your mouth.
Then move your awareness to the face.
The muscles around your eyes.
The forehead.
Let it all go smoothly.
The back of your head.
And finally the crown,
The crown of your head,
The top of your head about 3 to 6 inches above your head.
And now,
The whole body at once.
The whole body at once.
The whole body.
Laying here.
Breathing.
Alive.
Just breathe and feel your whole body.
Come back to the anchor,
The breath.
For the next minute,
We're going to do the reps.
The attention on the breath.
So let your mind wander,
And then you notice it,
And then practice the return back to the breath.
That's it.
That's the whole exercise.
Now the part that most people miss is how you come back.
That's what matters.
If you come back with irritation,
Or you think that I'm bad at this,
You're training the harshness.
So come back gently.
The way that you'd guide a small child by the shoulder.
No scolding.
No sigh.
Just.
.
.
Oh,
There I went.
But I'm back again.
Every time you do this,
You are strengthening something real.
Attention is not a personality trait.
It is a capacity.
And capacities grow with use.
Keep bringing it back.
Great job.
Now let the instructions dissolve and just sit for a moment with whatever is here.
Notice how you feel compared to 10 minutes ago.
Not better or worse,
Just notice the difference.
Whatever is true.
And before you move,
Set one small intention,
Not a goal,
Just a direction for the next hour.
Begin to deepen the breath.
Let some movement come back into the fingers,
The toes,
When you're ready.
Let your eyes open.
The attention you just felt goes with you.
It doesn't stay on the cushion or the bed.
Thank you for practicing today.
Remember,
I love you.
And no matter what you're going through,
It is possible.
