Welcoming you as you're settling into a sitting position that holds your body,
Allowing you to be alert and at ease.
Just settling and taking your time here,
Sensing whenever you feel ready,
Your eyes may find a spot to rest softly in front of you,
All just gently and closing.
Take a moment to notice as you're sitting with yourself here,
How are you doing right now?
On a scale from 0 to 10,
0 being completely okay and 10 being very uncomfortable,
What number feels true to you in this moment?
Simply acknowledging how you're doing and just welcoming you as you are.
And here we begin to practice to come back,
To establish a home base with your breath.
See if you can notice where your breath is right now,
Noticing where it's easiest to feel,
To notice and just to allow as you notice your breath flowing in or out,
Noticing the sensations as your breath moves,
Noticing how it touches gently,
Perhaps as it arrives to the nose,
Touching the nostril,
Noticing the movement of your chest,
The rise and fall of your abdomen,
Perhaps a sense of your whole body breathing like a balloon gently expanding with the inhale and softly settling with the out-breath.
Taking a moment here,
Just noticing as we take a one beautiful breath this moment.
Simply bring a relaxed attentiveness to the sensation as your breath moves in your body.
Right here,
Let's welcome another breath in.
There's no need to control your breath,
Instead receive it the way you may receive a sound and you're listening around here in the background,
Just like an open relaxed awareness.
You're allowing your breath to be as it is,
As you discover what it's like to notice the changing flow of sensation,
The sense in your body.
Coming back to this alive breath as it can be a home base,
A place to rest by simply just allowing,
Just being aware,
Just breathe.
Let's have a few breaths here.
Perhaps from time to time you may notice that your attention can wander into thoughts,
Into memories,
And this is completely natural.
When you notice this,
You might offer a soft,
Friendly mental notice.
You can say to yourself,
Thinking,
Thinking,
Thinking,
And then pause.
And gently relaxing in,
Expanding your attention,
Perhaps noticing the sounds around you.
Noticing its distance,
Whether it's further away or close,
How it comes and goes.
Noticing the aliveness in your body,
Allowing the heart to soften,
Welcoming life as it is,
Without judgment.
And then just gently returning to the awareness of the inflow or the outflow of the breath.
Just sit back and notice your breath here.
Let breath be an intimate companion,
A home base that connects you with your own presence,
As we take a breath here.
And as we're sitting here,
Some sensations of warmth and coolness.
All can be here without pulling you away.
You're simply resting,
Breathing in.
Simply being aware of the beginning.
And once again,
From zero to 10,
Zero being completely okay,
And 10 being very uncomfortable.
What number feels true for you right now?
Just noticing,
Without the need to change anything.
Notice how by returning to your breath and settling into your body,
How you can come home to a place that's safe and peaceful within.
So you can practice this gentle coming back through your breath any time during the day.
Returning to yourself by noticing your breath,
By simply bringing your attention back to your breath.
Noticing as you take a deep in-breath,
A slow out-breath,
As you are doing what you're doing in your daily life.
This is your companion.
Home is right where you are.
The breath is a doorway that welcomes all in you and in life.
Spacious.
