Hi,
My name is Catherine Cook-Atone.
This meditation is titled Mindfulness of Breath,
Being with Your Body.
Today's meditation focuses on mindfulness of your breath.
Mindfulness of breath is a powerful pathway toward a more mindful experience of self,
A more mindful experience of relationships,
And a more mindful experience of life.
Breath is one of your most powerful inner resources.
Before I start,
Be sure you are seated in a comfortable position and feel well grounded.
Take a few deep breaths and allow your mind to settle.
And open up into listening.
Open up to the inquiry,
The I wonder of the meditation.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
And breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
And breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
Here is a reminder.
It can be so easy to want to get meditation right,
To be perfectly mindful,
To be present without resistance or struggle.
Let's allow for that.
Breathe in and allow for the need to get meditation right,
To be perfectly mindful,
And to be present without resistance or struggle.
Breathe that in.
And now breathe out a wish for relief for yourself and all who struggle in this way.
Breathing in to the need to get it all right all of the time.
And breathe out a wish for relief for all who struggle in this way.
And one more time.
Breathing in to the need to get it all right.
And breathe out a wish for relief for all who struggle in this way.
And then just breathe here.
As you breathe,
Consider this.
Your breath is your most powerful resource in terms of your connection with your body and your ability to respond creatively to stress.
Your breath can help you calm your nervous system.
And a calm nervous system makes good choices,
Is freer from impulses,
And has fewer cravings.
Calming breaths have two qualities.
First,
They are slow and steady.
Second,
The exhales are a bit longer than the inhales.
The extended exhalations are a message to your nervous system that you're okay.
And it's okay to relax.
So let's help your nervous system downregulate.
Let's help your nervous system calm.
Begin by taking an inventory.
Notice your legs,
Your back,
Your belly,
Your hips,
Shoulders,
Jaw,
Your face.
And scan for any tension,
Any holding.
And if you notice something,
Just notice it.
And you could give yourself permission to soften if you like.
So you just notice and give permission to soften.
Let's take a scan of your mind.
Here you might notice that you're thinking or there's distraction or resistance.
Same thing here.
Simply notice and see if it can soften as you bring your awareness back to your breath,
Back to your breathing.
Now place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart.
And breathe here.
Just notice.
Notice your chest lifting and your chest falling.
And see if as you breathe,
You can notice your belly expanding,
Your belly contracting.
And see what you notice.
For these calming breaths,
We are going to work toward breathing deeply into your belly and expanding your belly.
So we're going to focus on the hand that's on your belly.
Are you ready?
Breathe into the hand on your belly,
Counting one and two.
Now slowly exhale.
Belly releases one,
Two,
And three.
Breathing into the hand on your belly,
Counting one and two.
And slowly exhaling for one and two and three.
And then just breathe here.
Breathing your body,
Your feet,
Your legs,
Your hips,
Your belly,
Your shoulders,
Your jaw,
Your face,
Your scalp.
And notice any tension.
And as you breathe,
You can give your body permission to soften.
You might even pick a particular spot and say,
Soften.
Just giving yourself permission as you breathe.
And as you breathe,
You might notice your thoughts,
Notice distraction,
Even notice resistance.
And you can give yourself permission to soften there as well.
Just say thinking,
Distraction,
Resistance,
And just soften.
And bring your awareness right back to your breath.
Now let's work again on the deep calming breaths.
And this time,
With each exhale,
You can give your body permission to let go just a little more.
Breathing into the hand on your belly,
Counting one and two.
And then slowly exhaling for one,
Two,
Three,
And softening.
Breathing into the hand on your belly,
Counting one and two.
And then exhaling slowly for one,
Two,
And three,
Slowly softening.
Breathing into the hand on your belly,
Counting one and two.
And then slowly exhaling for one,
Two,
And three,
Inviting softness.
And then breathe here.
Slow breaths,
Feeling the hand on your belly,
The hand on your chest,
Maybe even noticing your heart beating with your breath.
The journey to a better relationship with your mindful self,
Your mindful way of being,
Embodiment begins not with being perfect.
It doesn't start with getting it right all the time.
No.
It begins with your own body,
Your own breath,
And being present with,
In,
Of,
And for the breath in the body.
Being right here,
Right now,
In this moment,
Just breathing.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
And breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
Breathing in,
I know I am breathing in.
And breathing out,
I know I am breathing out.
Take a few breaths here.
Allow this meditation to settle.
You might want to take a few moments just breathing.
Considering what this meditation means to you,
Means for you.
You may even want to take some time and write in your journal.
Thank you so much for practicing.
