So let's begin by establishing a comfortable posture,
Relaxed and alert.
If there's any obvious tightness or tension in the body,
Take a moment to try and soften,
Bring some care to those areas.
Perhaps close your eyes if it feels right.
If you prefer,
You can just have a soft gaze in front of you,
Maybe a couple of feet.
No need to focus on anything.
For a moment,
Just visualize your body filling with a half smile,
Your attention to the fact that your body is breathing,
Noticing that it's always breathing.
Quite naturally,
There's no need to control the breath in any way.
Begin to notice where it's easiest to feel the breath.
It might be a coolness you feel in your nostrils on the in-breath.
Perhaps it's the warmth of your lip with the out-breath.
Maybe you sense a swirling,
Tingling in the back of the throat.
Perhaps it's the rise and fall of your chest,
Your belly.
It might just be the sensation of the whole body breathing.
Wherever you find the breath easiest to feel,
Most pleasant,
Just rest your kind attention there.
The breath is subtle or hard to feel.
You can place a hand on your belly and feel the rise and fall of your belly in the palm of your hand.
It's a really lovely way to stay with your breath.
Now,
Let yourself feel the next three in- and out-breaths.
As you feel each breath,
Mind calm,
The body relax.
Now feel three more.
Continuing with this relaxed and calming attention on the breath.
Each time the attention wanders and you notice,
Just bring it back.
There's no need to judge.
Catch your attention wandering.
It is a time for celebration of being in the present moment.
It's like training a puppy.
There's no need to judge.
It's just a kindly return.
If you find your mind getting caught with some internal chatter,
You should be doing or should be thinking about,
Simply make note.
Note to that chatter,
Just thinking,
And gently put it aside for now.
If it's helpful,
You can notice the beginning,
The middle,
The end of the in-breath or the rise.
Beginning,
The middle,
And the end of the out-breath or the fall.
Notice the space between.
Rest yourself there.
Notice where your attention is.
If it's drifted,
Gently returning to the sensations of breathing.
Let yourself feel each breath.
Let the mind calm.
Let yourself feel each breath.
Let the mind calm.
These last moments,
As you come back,
Notice the quality of presence that you have.
So that you have this within you anytime.
