Welcome to this short mindfulness meditation.
We'll start by settling into a comfortable sitting position,
Feeling spine and neck long,
Shoulders soft,
Feeling the weight of the body on the chair or floor,
The weight of your hands in your lap,
Gently closing your eyes or keeping them downcast,
Taking a couple of deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Noticing how the body softens on the out breath.
Now becoming aware of the natural flow of the breath,
Simply observing without judging or trying to change it,
Noticing where you feel the movement of the breath,
Maybe at the belly,
Ribs,
Chest,
Watching the breath come and go without effort.
If the mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the breath,
Just living life one breath at a time.
Now bringing awareness to the body,
Noticing how the body feels,
Scanning slowly down through the body from your head to your toes,
Noticing any tightness or tension.
If you can allow any tension to soften,
That's fine.
If not,
Just let it be,
Opening to all sensations without judgement and giving them space.
Now withdrawing awareness from your body and beginning to notice sounds,
No need to see them as distracting,
Simply make them part of the practice.
Observing all sounds without judging,
Indulging or avoiding.
Noticing sounds within your body,
Expanding awareness to sounds within the room,
Expanding again to sounds outside,
Noticing that they are ever changing,
Rising and falling,
Appearing and disappearing.
Now withdrawing your attention from sounds and gently shifting awareness to the mind,
Notice any thoughts or feelings that arise and gently let them go.
Watch them come and go like little clouds drifting gently across a vast blue sky.
You are bigger than your thoughts.
Noticing them appear and disappear without avoiding or indulging them.
Just being with the way things are in this moment and knowing that any uncomfortable thoughts or sensations will pass in time.
Don't worry if your mind wanders,
Whenever you realise you're not present,
You've become present again.
If you become frustrated,
Just return to focusing on your breath for a short while to centre yourself.
Now bringing attention back to body and breath.
Noticing where your body is in touch with the floor,
Whole body alive and awake.
Noticing sounds around you and slowly opening your eyes.
Taking a moment to sit quietly and thank yourself for taking this time out for your wellbeing.
Noticing where your mind is in touch with the floor.
