Mindfulness of breathing,
So preparing for meditation in the usual way,
Noticing sounds around us,
And then inviting our awareness into the body,
Allowing our attention to sink down from the head into the body.
Right into the feet and the toes.
Taking some time to notice all the various sensations in the body,
Feelings of softness,
Warmth,
Tension,
Coolness,
Aching.
Sensitive to pleasant and unpleasant sensation and feeling.
Just noticing without judging or trying to change anything.
And now turning our awareness to the sensations of the breath in the body.
It's good to begin by getting a sense of the whole breath,
A sense of the breathing body.
Just noticing the movement of the body as you breathe in and out.
Perhaps noticing movement of the breath in the chest.
So we're not thinking about this movement,
We're feeling it.
Just notice where you can feel the expansion and subsiding of your lungs in your chest.
Where do you feel that?
Take your awareness there.
Perhaps you can feel a movement in the belly and the abdomen.
Subtle movement and bigger movement.
We're exploring the actual felt sensations of the breath in the body.
Perhaps you can get a sense of the rib cage expanding and subsiding as you breathe in and out.
Perhaps you've noticed that your mind's wandered.
That's okay,
That's what minds do.
So there's no point in us being critical or judgmental with ourselves about this.
It's just part of being human.
So when we notice that the mind's wandered,
We can gently bring it back to the felt sensation of the breath in the body.
And we might need to do that over and over again and that's okay.
That's the practice.
To notice the nature of the mind to wander and then to bring it back to the body.
Back to the felt sensation of the breath in the body.
So thoughts in a way when they arise are part of the practice,
Not trying to get rid of them.
They arise,
We notice them.
And we bring our attention back to the sensations of the breath in the body.
Perhaps you can notice sensations or movement of the breath in the back of the body.
There might be movements in the upper back or the middle of the back.
You might notice a slight shift in pressure as you breathe in and out if your back is leaning against the back of the chair.
You might notice a subtle movement in the shoulders.
You might notice a subtle movement in the nostrils if you're breathing through your nose.
Being receptive to all the movement and sensation in the body as you breathe in and out.
And the rhythm of your breathing,
Your own natural rhythm of breathing.
Like waves on a beach,
Coming in and flowing out.
So let's take our awareness now to the very tip of the nose or the upper lip if you're breathing through your mouth.
Practicing being receptive to the sensations of the breath as it touches the tip of the nose or just inside the nose.
Those faint sensations of the breath brushing against the skin.
Does it feel cold or sharp,
Soft or warm?
So we're just gently resting our awareness.
The tip or inside the nose or on the lip.
And the quality of awareness we're after.
It's like a butterfly resting on a flower.
There's a light alertness responsive to movement and sensation.
Making a close connection with the breath in this moment,
This inhalation and this exhalation.
So broadening our awareness once again,
Getting a sense of the whole breath.
The in-breath and the out-breath.
And just noticing how it feels to pay attention to the breath in this way.
And then dropping all effort.
And then just sitting here doing nothing.
Just allowing the effects of the practice to settle.
Noticing how you feel.
And when you're ready,
Opening your eyes.
