Welcome to this practice,
Counting the breath meditation.
Finding a comfortable position,
Sitting on a chair or on the floor with a straight back,
Body relaxed,
Or lying down if you prefer.
Gently closing the eyes,
Or looking down with a soft gaze.
Taking a moment to settle into your posture.
Noticing how you're feeling right now.
Becoming more and more relaxed with each incoming breath.
And letting off any tension,
Worry or anxiety with each outgoing breath.
Our intention for this practice is to cultivate relaxation,
Presence and awareness with an attitude of kindness and curiosity.
Gently bringing our attention to our breath flow.
Noticing each incoming breath and each outgoing breath.
Staying with our natural breath flow for a moment.
Noticing the incoming breath,
The outgoing breath.
During this practice,
You always have the option to come back to natural breath flow if you find counting the breath uncomfortable or distracting.
In a moment,
We're going to start counting our breath.
We're going to count each incoming breath and each outgoing breath,
All the way up to nine,
And then back again.
There is no goal in this practice.
We're not aiming for any particular number.
The count is simply an anchor to notice if you get distracted.
If your mind wanders off,
You lose your count,
Or you go all the way up to 10 or 15,
Simply come back to one and start again.
Taking a deep breath in and out.
Breathing in one.
Breathing out one.
In two.
Out two.
In three.
Out three.
In four.
Out four.
In five.
Out five.
In six.
Out six.
In seven.
Out seven.
In eight.
Out eight.
In nine.
Out nine.
In eight.
Out eight.
In seven.
Out seven.
In six.
Out six.
In five.
Out five.
In four.
Out four.
In three.
Out three.
In two.
Out two.
In one.
Out one.
Keep the count of the breath in silence for the next few minutes.
If you get distracted or lose your count,
Simply start again from one.
Keep the count of the breath in silence for the next few minutes.
Where is your attention right now?
Are you still counting your breath?
Taking a deep breath in and out.
Letting go of the counting.
And bringing our awareness back into any physical sensations in the body.
Also noticing any sounds in the environment.
And simply resting in awareness for a moment.
Simply being,
Being present.
Gently starting to move your body,
Opening your eyes if they've been closed.
And allowing the qualities of relaxation,
Presence and awareness to integrate into your daily life.
