So you want to be in a comfortable position.
And you can use whatever props will help you feel more comfortable today.
And we'll just do a short practice of stopping beginning with the sound of the bell.
So from whatever position your body is in,
Let your attention come into your body and just notice how's my body in this moment.
Noticing your whole body.
Just checking in to see is there any place in my body that I need to send a little extra love in this moment.
Just taking a couple moments to scan your body and send care to your body if it's not feeling well in certain places.
My dear body,
Thank you for being here and being well enough for me to be here.
And then inviting your attention to come to your breath.
Noticing the feeling of the inhale in your body and the feeling of the exhale in your body.
So that may be somewhere in your abdomen that you feel it or in your chest or your throat or even in your nose or at the tip of your nose.
Just noticing where you can feel the inhale and where you can feel the exhale.
And then notice the beginning of the inhale,
The middle of the inhale and the end of the inhale,
The beginning of the exhale,
Middle of the exhale and the end of the exhale.
Beginning of inhale again and so on.
So following the breath closely here.
Breathing in and breathing out.
And noticing if thoughts arise,
The frog jumps off the plate,
Which is completely normal and natural.
And when that happens,
Just notice and gently bring your attention back to the inhale and the exhale.
See if you can soften your body just a little bit more,
Releasing a little bit of the effort but still keeping your attention on the breath.
Let the breath be restful.
You might even think about the breath like you're watching a movie of the breath and you're just observing it.
Oh,
Now it's an inhale.
Oh,
And now it's an exhale.
Maybe noticing if the inhale is longer or the exhale is longer,
Just out of curiosity,
Not out of any judgment,
But just curious.
And your eyes can be gently closed if that's comfortable or they can remain open and gazing down.
Okay.
Each time the mind wanders,
We just gently bring it back.
And if you're not using the breath,
You bring your attention back to your seat or back to the sounds that you can hear.
Okay.
Noticing the qualitative difference between before you started this practice now when your mind was thinking a lot and how it is when your mind and attention is on your breathing.
Noticing if that feels different.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in and breathing out.
I know I'm breathing out.
Maybe the body can soften a little bit more as you breathe.
There's nothing urgent to think about in these few moments.
All of it can come and be thought about later.
Right now is a vacation of on the breath.
Okay.
Notice if the mind wanders,
Bring it back gently,
Effortlessly,
Easefully.
Notice if the mind wanders,
Bring it back gently,
Effortlessly,
Easefully.
Notice if the mind wanders,
Bring it back gently,
Effortlessly,
Easefully.
Notice if the mind wanders,
Bring it back gently,
Effortlessly,
Easefully.
Notice if the mind wanders,
Bring it back gently,
Effortlessly,
Easefully.
