Welcome to this body awareness meditation where the object that you will focus on is the breath,
The body breathing.
Here's a bit of guidance before we start this meditation practice.
As you're breathing look to breathe in and out through the nose if possible rather than the mouth.
As the body breathes bring your awareness,
That mental focus,
That attention to become aware of the abdomen or the belly.
And as the body breathes in you can notice how the abdomen expands gently on the in-breath and falls on the out-breath.
You will also notice a sensation of rising and falling as you tune in to the body breathing.
So as the body inhales there's a rising and on the exhale there's a falling.
As we go through this practice I will offer up those labels of rising on the in-breath and falling on the out-breath.
And you are looking to tune into your breath just as it is so you're not trying to change it in any way.
At first when our attention is drawn towards the body breathing you may notice the desire to want to change the pace of it,
Perhaps the depth of the breath.
This can create a sense of tension or holding.
You may also notice the mind having thoughts like should this breath be the same as the last one?
What kind of rhythm should this breath be?
Am I doing it right?
You can take notice of how much the mind wants to control and to label the breath.
You can also notice how much the mind wants to control and to label to judge and analyze situations.
But just trust that if you allow the body just to breathe just as it is,
That the mind's only job is to stay focused on watching the body breathing.
Just like you might watch a wave on a shoreline,
You don't try and pull the water inland and then push it back out again,
You just watch as the wave rolls in and then flows back out again.
So let's begin this practice now.
Taking a moment to gently close the eyes,
To feel your hands resting in the lap with the backs of the palms resting on the thighs so the hands are open and facing up to the sky.
Feeling your feet flat on the ground,
Taking a moment to sit up straight so you have a nice elongated spine,
Tucking your chin gently in,
Allowing the face to be soft and starting to gather up your focus to become aware of the body and its shape,
Its position.
And to invite a deeper connection to the body and to settle the mind,
We will take some intentionally deep breaths to begin with.
So we are looking to manipulate the breath with these belly breaths.
So breathing in through the nose,
Really feel how the belly expands on the inhale and then exhaling out through the mouth.
Nice deep breath in through the nose,
Feel your belly expand on the in breath and let it go through the mouth.
Beautiful,
A few more like that.
Nice deep breath in through the nose,
Feel the expansion of the belly and then letting the exhale go through the mouth.
Beautiful,
Nice deep breath again in through the nose,
Feel the belly expand and then letting it go.
Final breath now,
See if you can take it a little bit deeper,
Drawing that breath deeply into the body once more,
Feel that expansion,
Just allowing a bit more and then letting it go.
Beautiful,
Well done.
Now allow the breathing to return back to normal,
Just settling down finding its own natural rhythm.
And let's start to notice the fingertips of the hands resting in the lap,
Starting to notice any sensations there,
Deepening this connection to the body in the present moment.
Focusing on the hands and now starting to feel the toes.
And now starting to feel the toes,
Focusing in on the feet.
Beautiful,
Allowing this gentle vibrancy,
This radiant sensation.
See if you can welcome that sensation to spread through the whole of the body now,
Bringing your attention just staying with it,
Drawing your attention into the body.
As the mind wanders off,
Just noticing that's happening,
Just come back to feeling the body,
Feeling the body not with your hands but with your awareness.
Just staying with it,
Noticing the sensations and how they're linked to your attention.
When the mind wanders off,
Those sensations disappear,
So reconnecting again and again,
Coming back to the body.
Beautiful,
Now let's bring your awareness to the breath,
To the body breathing.
Directing your attention,
Noticing the body breathing just as it is,
Not trying to change it in any way.
Just connecting to that feeling of rising on the in-breath and falling on the out-breath.
Just staying with the flow and the feeling of the breath,
And the feeling of the breath,
Creating a connection between the mind and body,
Noticing that it's not you that is breathing but the body is breathing for you.
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling,
Noticing as the mind wanders off questions or resistance,
It's okay,
Just let those go,
Let those thoughts go and come back to observing,
To noticing the body breathing.
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling,
Just a single object for the mind to focus on,
To notice the breath rising and falling,
Staying with it,
You're doing so well,
Rising and falling,
Falling,
Rising and falling,
Feeling your own rhythm,
Allowing the body to breathe just as it is.
Just this raw experience,
Unrefined,
Just as it is,
Noticing,
Rising and falling.
The breath may be very soft now,
When we're quite relaxed and present,
The breath may be soft and shallow.
We aren't too concerned about the quality of the breath,
Just noticing it,
Like you would do the weather,
Just noticing what's there.
Bringing your attention back to the belly,
Back to the abdomen,
Feeling,
Sensing,
Sensing,
Connecting to the breath in this moment,
Just this breath,
Letting go of what has been and just focusing on what is here to be felt right now.
It's okay to let other things go,
To let other things go,
Trust the important things will come back to you when you need them.
Keep connecting to the body,
You're doing so well,
Just a moment longer,
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling,
Rising and falling.
Okay,
We are coming towards the end of this practice,
So you can let go of focusing on the breath and take a moment to relax the physical body,
Acknowledging that you've taken time to connect with yourself,
Trusting that this experience just is as it should be,
Remembering there's no such thing as a good or bad meditation experience,
It just is what it is.
Unlike any skill,
The more we practice,
The richer the experiences can become over time.
The more you tune into this present moment,
Tuning into this body,
To this breath,
To this life,
More subtleties that provide such richness can start to blossom in your awareness.
Can start to blossom in your awareness.
And you realised they were here all along,
We just need to take notice,
Just like we notice the breath.
So,
Keeping the eyes still closed as we come out of this practice,
Very gently wiggle the fingers,
So moving the fingers slightly,
Perhaps start to move the toes,
Have a little stretch if you wish,
And when you're ready,
Very gently opening the eyes,
But really taking your time to let the light come in and see how you can extend that present moment awareness from this practice gently out and forward into this waking moment.
Well done.
Thank you.
