Hello everyone,
Let's begin our mindful breathing meditation.
As your body settles and your eyes close,
Bring your awareness to your breathing.
Notice the breath coming in and the breath going out.
Follow the breath with your awareness.
Follow the breath all the way in.
Follow the breath all the way out.
Not trying to change it in any way,
Just breathing in and breathing out.
Breathing in,
Feeling the breath as it passes through your nostrils.
Breathing out,
Feeling the breath as it leaves your nostrils.
Keeping your awareness lightly and gently on your breath.
Breathing mindfully in the present moment.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I'm breathing out.
If thoughts come in as they should or they always do,
Acknowledge the thoughts without judgment and let them go.
Let them drift away like clouds floating across the sky and bring your awareness back to your breath,
Back to your breathing,
Back to the present moment.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Each time your attention moves away from the breath,
Distracted by a thought about something you have to remember to do or perhaps maybe something that is bothering you or worrying you.
Notice the thought,
Acknowledge the thought and then let it go.
Bring your awareness back to your breath,
Back to the present moment.
Letting your full awareness be on the breath as it comes in and as it goes out.
Noticing the familiar rhythm of the breath.
Breathing in,
I calm my body.
Breathing out,
I smile.
When you bring your awareness to the breath in this way,
You are connecting the mind and the body in the present moment.
The word for breath and the word for spirit in many languages is the same.
So bringing your awareness to your breath connects mind,
Body and spirit in the present moment.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is wonderful.
Continue to mindfully breathe in this way as long as you like.
Follow the breath all in,
The way in.
Noticing the slight pause at the turning point as the in breath becomes the out breath and following the breath all the way out.
Noticing the brief pause at the turning point as the out breath becomes the in breath.
Aware of the steady familiar rhythm of the breath.
Continue to mindfully breathe in this way as long as you like.
Following the breath all the way in.
Noticing the slight pause at the turning point as the in breath becomes the out breath and following the breath all the way out.
As we bring this meditation to an end,
Keeping your eyes closed for just a little while longer,
Take a moment to notice how you are feeling.
Your body,
Your mind,
Your spirit.
If you like,
Offer gratitude this time.
Also offer gratitude for the time that you have taken for yourself to be quiet,
To breathe in this moment and to bring yourself back into balance.
So slowly come back to the room,
Aware of your body in the chair.
Open your eyes when you are ready.
Namaste.
