Body and Breath Meditation

In this mindfulness of the Breath and Body meditation our intention is ‘waking up’ and moving out of automatic pilot. Our attention is with what is happening moment by moment in both our breath and our body. And the invitation is to practice with an attitude of allowing experience to be exactly as it is.

Transcript

Welcome to this mindfulness of the breath and body meditation.

In this practice our intention is waking up and moving out of autopilot.

Our attention is with what is happening moment by moment in both our breath and our body.

And the invitation is to practice with an attitude of allowing experience to be exactly as it is,

Bringing in a sense of curiosity to what is happening with each in-breath,

With each out-breath,

With each sensation in the body being pleasant,

Unpleasant or neutral.

Let's begin by sitting comfortably on a cushion or chair,

With a straight back in a position that shows wakefulness,

But that isn't stiff or tense.

Whatever feels comfortable for you today.

If you use a chair,

Practice sitting away from the back of the chair,

So that the spine is self-supporting.

If you sit on the floor,

Arranging things in such a way that your knees are lower than your hips.

And when you're ready,

Gently closing the eyes,

If that feels comfortable for you.

If not,

Letting the gaze fall,

Unfocused on the floor,

A short distance in front of you.

Just take a moment to arrive here in this room,

Allowing the walls of the room to act as a barrier,

Keeping out whatever happened before you came into this room,

And keeping out whatever might happen after you leave.

Let's bring our attention to the way we are connected to this room,

Moving the spotlight of our mind to the sensation of being seated on your cushion or chair,

Noticing how it feels to allow your weight to rest on whatever you're sitting on,

Feeling the sensation in your legs,

Your bottom,

Your back.

Moving our attention now to the sense of hearing,

Simply noticing the sounds we hear outside the room.

We're not attempting to label the sounds,

But just noticing them.

Moving to sounds inside the room,

Allowing sounds to come and go as they please.

The mind might go into stories or memories associated with the sounds.

When it does,

Just gently and without judgement,

Bringing the mind back to the next sound.

And we'll begin by doing a quick check-in,

Anchoring ourselves in the present moment.

Let's begin to sweep the attention through the body.

Is there sensation?

Just acknowledge however you feel without any judgement,

Without analysing anything.

We are just noticing what's going on at this moment.

Let go of thoughts.

Let go of sounds.

Let go of anything that pulls on your attention.

Maybe there are physical sensations where your body makes contact with whatever you're sitting on.

Maybe sensations of touch,

Pressure or contact in the feet or legs and also perhaps in the hands.

And now bringing the attention in further,

Noticing that we are breathing.

Pending the lungs up with air and releasing them.

Allowing the breath to help still the mind.

We're not attempting to alter or regulate our breathing in any way,

But if it does,

That is fine.

Just notice it without judging,

Resting the awareness on the breath.

Losing track of the breath doesn't mean that we aren't practicing correctly.

Thinking can be a powerful distraction,

So it is easy to drift away.

Instinct concentration takes time.

Just keep coming back over and over to the present moment.

Do this as many times as needed.

When we do this,

We're being mindful.

Bringing the spotlight of the mind to the point in the body where you're most aware of the breath.

This may be in the nostrils,

On the upper lip,

Or in the rise and fall of the chest,

Or in the expansion and contraction of the abdomen.

Wherever you notice the breath the most,

Concentrate the attention there and just observe how it feels as the breath comes into the body.

And similarly notice how it feels as it releases.

Maybe noticing the difference between the in-breath and the out-breath.

Each time the mind wanders,

Bringing it back with kind and gentle compassion.

Noticing how we respond to when losing track of the breath.

Is there frustration or disappointment?

Is there a tendency to criticize how well we are meditating?

The goal here isn't to achieve any particular feeling,

Thought or state.

It's merely to observe and be accepting to whatever is happening in the present moment.

Just keep returning to the breath over and over,

With gentle patience and without judgement.

If at any time sensations in the body become too overwhelming,

Thoughts or emotions arise that are too difficult,

Remembering that it's always possible to return to the soothing rhythm of the breath as a safe place,

As an anchor to steady ourselves,

Until you feel able to return to the meditation and to the sound of my voice.

It may help as we are breathing to mentally say the words breathing in on an in-breath and breathing out on an out-breath.

Noticing the breath as it enters and leaves the body helps anchoring the mind in the present moment.

Follow the breath in this way for the next few moments.

On each inhale,

Silently mention the words breathing in,

And on each exhale,

Noting the words breathing out.

If it feels right,

Maybe asking ourselves,

What's going on for me at the moment?

What am I noticing now?

Breathing with yourself right now,

Allowing in any physical sensations already present,

Practicing,

Bringing our attention down from the head into the body.

Maybe noticing if the mind is still concentrated,

Or if it has wandered off,

Remembering that this is not a mistake,

It is what minds are designed to do.

As soon as you've noticed you're lost in thought,

Noticing where the mind has been,

And then gently settle the attention back to noticing the breath,

And to the sensations of the waves of the breath flowing in and out of the body.

Just keep coming back over and over to the present moment.

Do this as many times as you need to.

Now bringing the awareness to the level of physical sensations,

By focusing the attention on the sensations of the contact of the body with whatever we're sitting on,

Exploring and investigating these sensations with a beginner's mind.

Now bring the awareness to the changing patterns of physical sensations in the lower abdomen as the breath moves in and out of the body.

Maybe placing a hand on the lower abdomen to feel the movement of the breath as it moves into the body,

Right there under the hand.

Noticing that sensations come,

That sensations go,

Or change.

Everything is permanent.

Now focusing the awareness on the sensations of slight stretching as the ribcage rises with each in-breath,

And of gentle deflation as it falls with each out-breath.

We can also silently say in as the breath moves all the way in,

And then out as the breath moves back out.

Perhaps noticing the slight pauses between one in-breath and the following out-breath,

And between one out-breath and the following in-breath.

Moving onward,

Perhaps from sitting,

Noticing physical discomfort in the back,

Knees or shoulders.

Knowing it's okay to mindfully,

Intentionally shift our posture if pain is posture related.

Moving slowly and mindfully,

And returning to stillness.

There is no need to control the breath or anything else.

There is nothing to be fixed.

We are not looking for anything to happen.

There is no particular state to be achieved here.

Simply allowing the experience to be your experience,

Just as it is.

Just this breath coming in,

Just this breath going out,

Without needing it to be other than it is.

At one moment we may be aware of the senses,

Or physical sensations,

And in the other,

The rise and fall of emotions.

Letting go,

And gently coming back to the breath as our anchor.

This practice is not about clearing the mind,

Or to get rid of thoughts or feelings,

But to simply become aware of what the mind is doing.

And as soon as you've noticed that the attention has drifted off,

And is caught up in thoughts,

Planning or daydreams,

Just acknowledge where the mind has been,

And then,

As best as you can,

Gently escort it back to the sensation of the breath.

Just keep bringing the attention back to the breathing over and over and over again.

Renewing the attention to be aware of the ongoing in-breath and out-breath,

Each breath giving different sensations.

Let each breath anchor you in the present moment.

And as we head towards the end of the session,

Bringing your attention back to focus on your breathing in the abdomen,

Tuning into any and all sensations on this inhale,

And on this exhale.

And as you sit here,

And as you breathe,

Allowing yourself to cultivate this sense of moment to moment awareness,

And remembering that the breath is available to you at any moment of your day,

Allowing you to feel grounded,

To give a sense of balance and an awareness of accepting yourself,

Just as you are in this moment.

Now relax the attention,

And take a moment to notice how you're feeling.

Feeling the earth beneath us,

The sense of sitting here in this present moment,

The breath rolling in and rolling out.

If you found it challenging to keep a steady mind,

Again,

Don't judge yourself or your practice.

The more you meditate,

The longer you'll be able to maintain a steady concentration.

And with time,

You'll start bringing that concentration and the awareness you have developed into the real world.

Now gently bring your awareness to the sounds around you.

You're turning to your body,

Maybe wiggling your fingers and toes,

And in your own time,

Opening your eyes,

And bringing this meditation to a close.

Reviews

She uses practical words to help us understand meditation. Lovely way to start the day

Excellent
Gentle guidance and encouragement
Refocusing without judgement

Thank you, I am feeling very calm and relaxed as I begin my day ahead.

Really good for beginners

Very powerful and supportive for beginners

Thanks. Very relaxing.

Good voice steady pace very effective for me

Very nice centering practice . Pure and simple.

Nice gentle mindfulness practice

Nourishing, calm & inspiring! I would love to hear a meditation you would do with 8 & 9 year olds. Thank you. ✨🙏🏼✨

You have an excellent, peaceful, presentation as a meditation guide. I appreciate the pace and the encouragement throughout. You are very supportive and affirming. Thank you for the beautiful example of having a beginner’s mind, and just being in the moment. Thank you. I enjoyed meditating with you.

I found the timing perfect for me Her voice was soothing and the meditation emphasized acceptance of where you are in your practice. I will use this meditation again.

Fantastic, just what I needed after a bad night sleep. Improved my mood immediately.