Settling the mind practice.
Take a moment to adjust your body in a position that feels comfortable to you.
Form your intention for this practice in your mind,
Such as to settle the mind.
Consider why you would want to do this practice.
What is a potential benefit to you and to other?
If you're sitting,
Feet should be flat on the floor,
Hands on your lap.
Check your posture holds the intention of this practice,
Which is simply to practice mindfulness and to notice the unsettled mind.
Remember attitude to kindly and gently bring your attention back whenever you are distracted or lost in thought.
Bring the primary focus of your attention to the breath at the nostrils.
Feel the breath moving in and out of the body here.
Following the breath with your attention to the full duration of the in and out breath as best you can.
Your mind may wander away at times.
That's okay.
It's to be expected.
Just kindly and gently escort it back to your breath support and return to following the breath with a quality of curiosity to this experience.
Thoughts will automatically pop into the mind.
We cannot choose what pops into the mind,
But we can choose what we pay attention to.
And that's what you're learning now.
You are simply following the breath and each time a thought pops in,
You notice and return attention to the breath.
It may be you begin to think about what you are doing and wonder if you're doing it correctly.
You may want your mind to settle as it's active and chattery.
If you experience this,
You may notice tension in the body arise from the thought.
Noticing gives you the choice to shift your attention back to the breath at the nostrils.
With practice,
You can notice the subtle shifts of your attention that take you out of the direct experience of the present moment.
Continue this practice of noticing the unsettled mind and returning to the breath for the next few moments.
