Welcome to your breath awareness meditation.
Our breath is a powerful tool.
Not only does it sustain your life,
But it is the quickest and most potent way to cultivate deep relaxation.
Really learning to focus your attention on the breath as a form of mindfulness can encourage your body and mind to completely let go,
Be in the present and rejuvenate.
This technique is one you can use throughout your whole day,
Not just when in seated meditation.
And your breath is available to you 24 7.
So let us begin.
Ensure you are in a comfortable seat and your spine is supported.
Place your feet on the floor.
Rest your hands lightly in your lap and begin now by taking a long,
Slow,
Deep breath in.
Allow yourself for a few moments to become familiar with your breath.
Notice the movement of your breath.
Become aware of the sound of your breath.
Visualize the texture and the color of your breath.
Observe the quality and the depth of your breath.
And now bring your attention to any sounds that you can hear in this moment.
Nothing else but what you can hear without strain.
Begin to focus on any sounds in the distance.
Let your sense of hearing radiate outward,
Searching out these distant sounds and following them for a few moments.
Move your attention from sound to sound without labeling the source.
And then slowly,
Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds,
To sounds outside the building,
To sounds inside this building,
To sounds inside the room.
Without opening your eyes,
Visualize the four walls of the room,
The ceiling,
The floor and your body in the space that you're in.
Visualize your own body,
The position of your body,
Your clothes,
Your hair,
Your face.
Become acutely aware of the existence of your physical body in the space that you are in.
And now we become aware of our breath.
Become aware of your natural breath.
Become aware of your natural and spontaneous breath that moves in and out of your body without any effort.
The natural breath flows in through both nostrils and flows out through both nostrils.
Can you notice the feeling of the breath as it moves in and out?
There is a sense of coolness as you inhale the breath.
Follow this feeling into your nose,
Your sinuses,
The back of your throat,
Into your lungs.
Connect to that sense of coolness each and every time you inhale.
There is a sense of warmth as you exhale the breath.
Feel this warmth on your upper lip as you breathe out.
Allow yourself to connect to this warmth each and every time you exhale.
The natural breath flows through both nostrils for both the inhale and the exhale.
And each and every time you breathe in and breathe out,
Connect to the sense of coolness and the sense of warmth.
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Allow your breath to become longer and slower.
Breathe in and breathe out.
And now take a long slow inhalation followed by a longer slower exhalation.
Long slow inhalation,
Longer slower exhalation.
Make your exhale even slower.
Notice the slight pause that happens after the exhale.
A slow inhale and an even slower exhale.
A slow inhale and an even slower exhale.
Breathe in and breathe out.
Pausing at the end of your exhale,
Holding and retaining the breath.
Feel the urge to breathe in bubble up inside of you.
And then when you need to inhale,
Take a long slow deep breath in.
Try this a few more times.
Slow inhale and even slower exhale.
Pausing at the end.
Letting that urge to breathe in bubble up.
And then when you're ready,
Taking a breath in.
A long slow deep breath in.
Stay with this cycle of breathing in slowly and extending and lengthening out your exhale.
Breathing out even slower.
Pausing when you're neither breathing in or out.
Suspend the breath.
Feel the breath.
Sit with that moment between the breath.
And now simply let go of breathing in this way.
Gradually return to your natural easy breath.
Releasing any control over your inhale or your exhale.
And now once again,
Breathing in through the nose.
Feeling that coolness as you breathe in.
And then opening the mouth and exhaling with sound.
It is now time to leave this meditation.
It's now time to let go of the awareness of your breath.
Knowing that any point of your day you can connect into your breathing,
You can slow it right down.
You can find stillness through your breath.
Bring your attention to the room that you're in.
Slowly begin to wiggle your fingers and toes.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
Coming back to waking consciousness.
