Good morning.
You may begin by continuing to lie down or finding a sitting position that allows you to be alert,
Yet also relaxed.
Close your eyes and establish a simple sense of presence.
Now,
Allowing your awareness to scan through your body and wherever possible,
Softening and releasing obvious areas of physical tension.
You might take a few very full breaths and then allow your breath to be natural,
Bringing your attention to where you most easily detect the breath or perhaps where it's most pleasurable,
Letting this place of experiencing the breath be your home base and anchor to the present moment,
Noticing this breath right here.
If the breath is not a good home base for you,
You might instead anchor your attention in the sensations in your hands or the sensations of your whole body sitting here.
You may especially focus on the contact points,
Your feet touching the ground or your back against the seat or the bed beneath you.
Now,
With a relaxed,
Interested attention,
Discovering what the sensations of the breath or your chosen anchor feel like moment to moment.
Where's your attention now?
Each time you notice that your mind has wandered off is a moment of mindfulness,
Gently bringing your attention back to the inflow and outflow of the breath or your chosen anchor,
Offering a relaxed,
Wakeful presence.
Now scanning your body and noticing if any particular sensations are strong and calling your attention.
If so,
Allowing the breath or your home base to recede to the background and bringing an interested,
Kind presence to the sensations.
What do they feel like?
You might be aware of heat or chills,
Tingling,
Aching,
Twisting,
Stabbing,
Vibrating.
With a soft,
Open awareness,
Feeling the sensations as they are and noticing,
Are they pleasant or unpleasant?
As you fully attend to them,
Do they become more intense or dissipate?
Notice how they change.
When the sensations are no longer a strong experience,
You may return to mindfulness of breathing or your chosen anchor.
If you find it difficult to stay with strong sensations,
You might breathe with them,
Letting the breath help you find some balance and openness in the midst.
It can also be helpful to name the sensations,
Seeing if there is a word that describes your experience.
Tightness?
Ache?
Heat?
Pressure?
There's no need to strain or run through a mental thesaurus to find the right word.
Notice what word arises in awareness and mentally repeat it to yourself in a soft tone,
Letting the naming be soft in the background,
Maybe 5% of your attention with 95% on the actual experience.
You might ask yourself,
What is happening inside me right now?
Notice any sensations that are predominant and then ask,
Can I be with this?
Directly feeling the flow of sensation,
Subtle or strong,
Letting life be just as it is.
Now returning to your home base,
The breath or anchor of particular sensations,
Offering us calm,
Steady attention.
If during this last minute or so,
Strong sensations call your attention,
Letting your primary anchor recede and bringing a full tension again to what's arising,
Naming what you notice,
Offering your presence.
If nothing strong is calling your attention,
Continue to rest with your home base,
Relaxed and alert.
Sensing the breath in the foreground,
Still aware of the field of sensations in the background.
You're learning to be centered,
Balanced,
And present for the breath and the living world of sensation,
Wisely aware of this changing life.
