And so as you're beginning to arrive and beginning to settle in,
Maybe you're gathering some props for support or for warmth or for comfort.
And just begin to make any adjustments to those props so that your body feels really supported.
Maybe you're placing a blanket beneath your knees.
Patting any joints from a hard surface.
You can take a cushion,
Placing it under your seat or a bolster,
Or maybe you have a dedicated meditation cushion already.
Go ahead,
Gather any of that.
Begin to settle in.
And you're welcome to close your eyes,
But you can also just keep your gaze soft.
And this morning's meditation will just be a meditation on the breath.
So I'll be guiding you with my voice for the majority of the time.
There will be a little bit of space for silence.
But if you are new to meditation or if meditation feels a little bit scary because of maybe some things that you've been taught or heard that meditation is about quieting the mind and emptying the mind,
That is not our intention today.
So hopefully this will bring you more with having the option to have a point of focus,
An anchor for your awareness.
And through that anchor,
Maybe what you'll discover is that the mind does become more spacious,
That the thoughts do begin to settle.
But the mind is ruled by the element of air,
And air moves.
It's constantly moving,
And so the mind will constantly move.
And in my opinion,
Meditation is a practice to begin to become aware of that movement,
Recognize that movement,
Recognize the patterns that our mind is making.
And the movement of our mind is directly related to the movement of our breath.
And this is one reason I wanted to start with a meditation on the breath today.
So let's continue to settle.
Wiggle,
Adjust any clothing.
Again,
Letting the eyes close or gaze softly.
Take a moment to scan the body.
Are there any points of your body that could use a little more support or comfort?
Cleansing breaths are welcome,
Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
This can sometimes help your body to settle with more ease.
And let's start with the five senses.
Noticing what our five senses are taking in from the world around us.
Starting with sound,
Your sense of hearing.
What are the sounds that you notice off in the distance?
And just let your awareness move from sound to sound.
Draw your awareness in a little closer to notice the sounds and the space around you.
And then draw your awareness a little bit closer and notice the sound of your own breath.
So all of the other sounds just begin to dissolve into the background and what you hear most.
It's the sound of your own breath.
The next time you breathe in.
Tap into your sense of smell.
Maybe there's a scent lingering in the air.
Maybe you have a cup of coffee beside of you.
Maybe you're burning incense or a candle in your space.
Or sense of smell and taste are directly related.
So take a moment and swallow.
Is there a flavor in the mouth?
Maybe you just had a sip of that coffee or that tea.
And even if your eyes are closed,
Moving to your sense of sight,
Being able to see.
Can you remember the color of the walls and see yourself in the space?
What is around you?
What is the texture of what you're seated upon?
And then finally noticing touch.
Where does clothing touch your skin?
Where are those places that your body is held by the earth?
Can you begin to feel your body anchored downward into the earth?
Your seat growing heavy so that your spine can grow tall.
Crown of your head gently lifting.
And now just become aware of the flow of your breath.
You don't have to shape or count the breath in any way.
Just notice the breath.
Flowing in and out.
Maybe you just start with those sensations in your body.
So as you inhale,
Maybe you notice the collarbone lifting,
The ribs widening.
And as you exhale,
How the body grows heavy,
Softening back towards the earth.
And just continue to remain aware of those sensations of the breath.
Body moving and expanding.
Filling with air as you inhale.
Softening.
Emptying as you exhale.
Remaining aware of the flow of your breath,
Begin to shift awareness to the tip of your nose.
Begin to sense your breath moving in and out at the tip of your nose.
Maybe you notice the breath slightly cool on the inhale.
On the exhale how the breath is slightly warmer.
Do you notice if the breath is moving evenly through both sides of the nose?
Or maybe you notice one side is more dominant than the other.
Or maybe the nose is a little stuffy this morning.
And you're finding that you're having to take some breaths in or out through slightly parted lips,
That's okay as well.
And you'll come back to following the breath.
So as you inhale,
Sense or feel the breath moving in through the nose and down into the space of the lungs,
Somewhere where it dissolves.
Exhale,
You'll follow the breath from the lungs back out through the nose to somewhere outside of your body where it dissolves.
Breathing in,
Following the breath into the lungs where it dissolves.
Breathing out,
Following the breath back outside the body.
Right below the nose where it dissolves.
And as you continue to follow the breath in and out through your nose,
Can you begin to notice if your breath has a particular texture?
Does the breath feel smooth?
Maybe you notice hitches or breaks in the breath.
Can you begin to refine the flow of your breath?
So if there are any hitches or breaks,
Any choppiness to the breath,
Those begin to smooth.
You may notice this refining of the breath happens just by resting your awareness on the flow of your breath.
Just beginning to notice.
That there is a texture.
Sometimes there's enough of a shift.
Now,
As you continue to refine the breath and its texture.
Allow the breath to become more quiet.
So you're not shortening the breath,
You're not making the breath more shallow.
You're just trusting that the inhale comes.
And the exhale goes.
You're reducing effort here.
Just following the breath in through the nose.
And out through the nose.
The breath is gentle.
The breath is smooth.
Continue to refine the breath.
By noticing that short little space,
That pause right between each breath.
That little pause before the inhale turns into the exhale,
And the exhale turns back into the inhale.
You're just refining the breath by becoming aware of this pause.
Awareness resting on that space between each breath.
You're not making the space happen.
You're not holding the breath in any way.
You're just becoming aware of the space.
Now,
As you continue to breathe,
Begin to,
Each round of breath,
Dissolve the length of the pause.
So each round of breath,
That space between the inhale and exhale becomes shorter.
So that eventually the inhale flows right into the exhale.
Exhale right back into your inhale.
You can even imagine the breath like a paintbrush.
Your inhale breath is the upward stroke.
Of the paintbrush,
Layering a smooth,
Consistent.
.
.
Line of pain.
And at the top of the inhale,
The brush just turns directions,
Moving down,
Applying another smooth,
Consistent coat of paint right over.
The first layer.
There is no pause.
The brush just turns smoothly as the breath turns smoothly.
The texture,
The sound.
The rhythm,
The flow of the breath.
Is the same in both directions,
Inhaling and exhaling.
Now can you refine the breath,
Reducing even more effort and trusting once again.
The inhale comes.
The exhale goes.
You receive the inhale.
You release the exhale.
Maybe you begin to notice that the breath is moving deeper down into the bottom most space of the lungs.
The ribs widening,
The belly expanding on the inhale.
And gently drawing back toward the spine on the exhale.
Refining the breath one last time,
You'll begin to find Samavritti.
You'll balance the length of your inhale and your exhale.
Often this is a four count in and a four count out.
But find that rhythm that works for you this day.
Your breath may feel more expansive than a count of five or six.
Maybe even eight feels appropriate.
Or maybe the breath is a little more shallow today,
So shortening to a three count in and a three count out is best.
Whatever rhythm you find.
Again.
Softening any effort.
Keeping that paintbrush-like stroke to the breath.
Smooth,
Consistent.
The inhale turning into the exhale,
Exhale turning right back into the inhale.
Breath is soft,
Quiet.
Balancing the length of your inhale and exhale.
And after your next exhale breath,
Dissolve all techniques.
Let your breath rhythm be free.
No counting,
No shaping.
Namaste.
Namaste.
Maybe you just come back to the sensation of the breath moving in and out through your nose.
Maybe you just feel the belly expand and contract on the breath.
Let your awareness rest on your breath.
For the next two minutes.
You'll hear my voice bring you back in two minutes.
Gently begin to welcome yourself back.
Allowing your breath to deepen,
Expanding once again,
Sending your awareness out into the world.
Hear the sound of your own breath.
Hear the sounds in the space around you.
And hear the sounds off in the distance.
Your next breath in,
Do you notice scent lingering in the air?
What do you smell?
As you swallow,
Do you notice a flavor on the tongue or moisture in the mouth?
Begin to feel where clothing is resting on your skin.
Or your body is connected to the earth or the props beneath you.
And then finally remembering,
Seeing,
Imagining the space that you're in,
The shape of the room,
The color of the walls,
And see yourself in the space.
Continue to welcome yourself back into the present moment,
Breath continuing to deepen.
Slowly taking chin to chest.
Bringing hands to heart center.
Offering a moment of gratitude for these teachings and this time together.
Thank you to all those that joined.
It's a pleasure having you.
