Hi,
This is Beth Burgess from Smiles Coaching and this mindfulness exercise is about reconnecting with yourself,
With the world around you and with your breath.
So just start by making yourself comfortable.
You can be sitting for this or lying down and if you feel like you want to close your eyes you can do that too.
So first just take a deep breath in and exhale and just bring your awareness to the present moment.
Bring your awareness to your body.
Which part of you is touching the earth?
Whether it's your feet or your back,
Your legs.
Just feel that presence right here,
Right now of you in the world.
Just feel the pressure that gravity is exerting upon you as you live in the world.
And if there are any sounds around you just accept them as part of the world you're in.
And just focus again on your breathing.
Focus on the sounds,
The sensations and the feeling associated with your breathing.
Maybe you can feel the cool air as it enters your nostrils or your mouth and hits the back of your throat.
You don't have to make any attempts to alter the pace of your breathing at all.
Just follow it,
Pay attention to it and remember that each breath is a sign that you're alive in the world.
And with each breath from moment to moment you're a slightly different person.
Because none of us are the same people from day to day,
From moment to moment.
We change depending on our emotions,
What's going on in our lives,
Sometimes even what we've had to eat and drink.
So just be aware of your breath.
And each new breath as the sign of a new you.
And if your attention drifts away at all,
Don't worry that's what the mind does.
Just gently bring it back,
Don't judge it.
Just bring it back to the present moment with you sitting or lying,
Breathing and touch with the world.
Feel that sense of yourself as a part of the world and the universe.
Whatever's going on around you,
That breath of yours is giving you life from moment to moment.
Just focus on it and be grateful and thankful for your breath.
It's one of the constant things in life that we have.
Life changes all the time,
Different things happen.
But the breath is one constant sign that we are living and we have another moment in which we can do whatever we want to.
We can stay the same,
We can change.
It's all possible because of that breath going in and out.
So just be present for a moment with your breath.
If it helps you can focus on the rising and falling of your rib cage or your abdomen.
Or if you can sense your breath the most.
And just notice what feelings you're having today in the world.
What's happening for you at this present moment?
Are you holding any tension in any part of your body?
Just become aware of it.
It's only by being aware of the feelings going on in ourselves that we can know how to address our day.
So really notice everything there is to notice right now about your experience sitting in the world.
Pay attention in particular to the area at the end of the in-breath and that space just before you exhale.
The bottom of your rib cage,
That's usually where it is.
That's the seat of where a lot of our emotions are stored.
So just notice what's going on in that area.
Maybe something quite simple might be hunger,
Thirst.
Maybe it's anxiety,
Stress,
Craving.
Or maybe it's happiness,
Maybe it's peace.
Just notice everything there is to notice about that space at the bottom of the in-breath and the start of the out-breath.
When you feel you have noticed all there is to notice for the moment,
You remember to check in throughout your day in the same way.
To keep yourself grounded in the world,
To know what you're feeling,
To know where your soul's at,
Where your heart's at,
Where your head's at.
For the moment,
I'm just going to bring the exercise to an end.
So whenever you're ready,
And as slowly as you like,
You can just gently open your eyes and bring yourself back to the room.
Taking with you that awareness and using it for good in your day.
