Find a comfortable position in which to sit,
You may sit or lie down but make sure you remain awake and aware.
If you're comfortable doing so,
Allow the eyes to gently close.
Remember that it's perfectly okay to sit with eyes open.
Find what works for you.
Start by tuning into the posture of the body,
Where it is right now.
Are there any minor adjustments you can make?
It is helpful to keep the spine straight and energized by relaxing the muscles around the skeleton.
You can use the breath to aid in this process.
As you breathe in,
Breathe energy and awareness into the spine,
Reaching the spine gently upward.
As you exhale,
Let go.
Allow the shoulders to drop,
Let there be some slack in the jaw and soften the belly.
Allow for a few deep breaths like this.
As you allow the body to resume to natural breathing,
See where in the body you can feel the breath.
It may be in the stomach or abdomen where you can feel the rising and falling as the body breathes.
It might be in the chest where you may notice the expansion and contraction as the body inhales and exhales.
Perhaps it's at the nostrils where you can feel a slight tickle as the air comes in and the subtle warmth as the body exhales.
You can pick one spot to stick with for this meditation practice,
Whichever feels right for you in this moment.
As you feel the body breathing,
Try to stay with the breath all the way through,
From the beginning of an inhale through the end of the exhale.
Breathe with the breath.
You don't need to force your attention on the breath.
Rather,
Rest it gently on the sensations of the body breathing.
When thoughts arise,
You don't need to push them away or resist.
You can notice them and leave them be,
Returning to the experience of the breath in the body.
We'll use a counting exercise to help in this process.
You can breathe in with full awareness and as you exhale,
You can count one in your head.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Count one,
Count two.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Count three.
You can count like this up to ten,
Then simply start back at one.
Remember that counting is a tool to help build concentration and it is not a measurement of how good of a meditator you are.
When the mind wanders,
Just come back to one.
You may have noticed the mind wandering.
When the mind wanders,
It really offers us an opportunity to cultivate mindfulness and concentration.
Each time we notice the mind wandering,
We are strengthening our ability to recognize our experience.
Each time we bring the mind back to the breath,
We are strengthening our ability to focus on an object,
Treat it as an opportunity rather than a problem,
And return to one.
If you'd like,
You can let go of the counting for this last few minutes.
Try to be with the breath with some curiosity,
Look at it with some interest and beginner's mind.
And when you feel ready,
You can gently open your eyes and relax.
Thank you for your practice today.
