This is a guided mindful breathing meditation.
This practice is usually done sitting,
But can also be done lying down if that is more comfortable for you.
If you are lying down,
It's important to remember that this mindful breathing meditation is supposed to help you fall awake,
Not asleep.
So if you tend to get sleepy when you lie down,
You may wish to keep your eyes open and set an intention to remain alert and awake throughout.
If you are sitting,
You can be on the floor,
On a cushion,
Or perched on the front third of a chair with your spine straight so that you aren't slouched.
Your hips,
Knees,
And ankles at right angles,
With soles of the feet and toes resting on the floor in front of you.
Wherever you are sitting,
Throughout the practice,
Try to keep your spine straight,
Chest open,
And ears in line with the shoulders.
Imagine that there is a thread attached to the crown of your head,
Gently pulling you upwards,
Helping you keep your back straight and creating space between your vertebrae.
If you are lying down,
Placing your arms by your sides,
Palms facing up if that is comfortable for you.
And if you are sitting,
Gently placing your hands in your lap,
Left hand on top of your right,
Middle joints of your middle fingers together,
And thumbs lightly touching,
As if holding a piece of paper between them,
Making an oval shape with your hands and thumbs.
Whatever position you are in,
Embodying a sense of dignity and alertness as we experience the body breathing.
During the practice,
Every time you notice your attention has wandered away from the breath,
Recognizing where it has gone and guiding it back to the breath in the same way you might gently steer a baby who has recently learned to walk so they don't bump into something or someone on their path.
This may happen dozens or hundreds of times during the practice.
That is okay.
The mind is just doing what it does.
And each time it wanders is an opportunity to cultivate mindfulness by redirecting your awareness back to your anchor point,
Which in this practice will be the sensations of breathing.
Now,
Gently resting your attention on your breath,
Entering and leaving the body at the nostrils.
No need to exaggerate or manipulate it.
You are breathing before this guidance and the body will continue to breathe itself without any interference or control.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
Breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
Following the cool in-breath entering the nostrils and going down the back of the throat and then following the warmer out-breath coming up the throat and out of the nostrils.
Staying with the breath entering and leaving the nostrils for the next couple of minutes,
You may gently say to yourself the words in and out on every inhale and exhale.
In out.
In out.
In out.
Now,
Gently shifting your awareness down into the chest,
Feeling the sensations of the lungs expanding as they fill with air on the in-breath and shrinking back down again on the out-breath.
Noticing how your ribcage also expands in the front and back on each inhale to create more space for the lungs.
Different body parts working in unison.
Breathing back to your posture if you are sitting and keeping your spine straight,
Chest open and crown of the head floating upwards.
You might feel your heart beating between the two lungs at the front of your chest,
Pumping blood to deliver a continuous supply of oxygen and other nutrients to your brain and vital organs.
You might sense the pulsating or throbbing of the heartbeat or you might not.
Either way,
Being aware of any sensations or no sensations and resting your attention in the chest,
Feeling the breath entering and leaving the lungs for the next few minutes.
If you'd like to,
Gently repeating to yourself,
Filling up on the in-breath and emptying on the out-breath.
Filling up.
Emptying.
Filling up.
Emptying.
Filling up.
Emptying.
Filling up.
Emptying.
Filling up.
Filling up.
Filling up.
Filling up.
Filling up.
Now,
Our final anchor point in this practice is going to be the sensations of the breath in the belly.
Slowly and gently shifting your attention down into your belly,
Just at or below the navel.
If you're lying down,
The rising and falling away of the belly will be very apparent.
If you are sitting,
Noticing the diaphragm moving down and out on each inhale to create more space for the lungs.
And then being aware of the sensations of the diaphragm moving back up and inwards on the exhale,
Helping the lungs to empty themselves of air.
Knowing that if you notice the mind has wandered away from the breath,
Perhaps to a memory,
A worry,
Planning or practicing the future,
Simply recognizing what is there,
Acknowledging it as a mental event in the field of awareness and returning your attention to the sensations of the breath in the belly.
During the last few minutes of the practice,
Following the sensations of the breath in the belly,
Perhaps being inspired by how easily the body lets go with each breath,
A model for how we can train our minds to also let go of unhelpful or negative thoughts and emotions.
If you feel comfortable doing so,
You can repeat to yourself,
Taking in and holding on on each in-breath and releasing and letting go on each out-breath.
Taking in and holding on,
Releasing and letting go.
Taking in and holding on,
Releasing and letting go.
Taking in and holding on.
Taking in and holding on.
Soon,
The sound of the bells will bring this practice to a close.
Until then,
Expanding your awareness to feel the sensations of the whole body breathing in the nostrils,
The chest,
The belly,
Anywhere in your body you can feel the sensations of the breath.
Whole body inhaling,
Whole body exhaling.
Whole body inhaling,
Whole body exhaling.
All right.
Good.
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