Subtle into your seat.
Allow gravity to draw your hips downward.
Anchor your seat as if you are rooting down.
From this foundation,
The torso and upper body naturally rise up.
Lengthen up from the base of the spine through the crown of the head.
Close your eyes and begin to notice sounds around you,
Starting with what seems loudest and then drawing your attention to the sounds closest to you.
You may be hearing noise from outside,
Cars going by,
Voices perhaps,
Sounds of nature.
Invite your listening to the sounds nearby,
In the space you're sitting in.
At this point,
As you draw your senses closer and closer in,
The only sound you hear is your heart beating or the softness of your breath flowing in and out through your nasal passages.
Observe the breath as it flows into your lungs and out again.
Is it cooling on the inhalation?
Warming on the exhalation?
Notice the quality of your breath.
Bring your attention to the spot just below the ribs in the upper abdomen,
Rising and falling.
We are slowly letting go of our senses,
One by one,
As we move our attention inward.
Let go of the external world,
Outside distractions.
Thoughts come and go as you continue to place awareness on your breath.
On the inhalation,
Feel the air as it travels in through the nostrils and fills your lungs.
See or sense your lungs expand,
The ribs in the chest expand,
As your diaphragm contracts and flattens,
Which creates a vacuum,
Drawing oxygen in.
On the exhalation,
The diaphragm returns to its natural dome-like shape,
Helping to push the air up and out of the lungs.
As the breath moves through the lungs,
Sense oxygen flowing through the blood cells to the heart.
We breathe in oxygen,
Which is vital to our existence,
And breathe out carbon dioxide,
Which is a waste gas.
This whole process happens without you even thinking about it most days.
Observe and appreciate this miracle of the body,
This vital function that gets little of our attention day to day.
See the whole body breathing.
Keep breathing on your own for a few more minutes,
Witnessing the breath,
Allowing it to flow freely.
Whenever you are ready,
Open your eyes.
