Hello,
And welcome to this breath awareness meditation.
In this practice,
You will be following the inhale and exhale as it draws you into a state of relaxation.
So let's begin by finding a comfortable seat,
Keeping the spine lengthened and shoulders loose.
On your next exhale,
Gently close down the eyes.
Start by sensing into the body,
Noticing any sensations that appear.
If you are holding onto any tension in one part of the body,
Then give yourself permission to relax and let go.
Feel the connection between your body and the surface beneath you,
Acknowledging that support below.
Now,
Let's take a few deep breaths to calm the body.
Begin with a big inhale through the nose,
Feeling the belly expand,
And exhale through the mouth,
Releasing any tension.
Breathe in again,
Feel the belly expand,
And breathe out.
Feel yourself relax.
Inhale through the nose,
Exhale through the mouth.
One more round,
Inhale,
And exhale.
Now,
Let go of trying to control the breath.
Allow the inhale and exhale to come and go naturally.
Focus your awareness wherever you can feel the breath most clearly.
So it could be at the tip of the nose,
The back of the throat,
The belly,
Or perhaps the chest.
Just find that place where you feel the breath clearly and observe the inhale and exhale,
Flowing in and out,
Expanding and contracting.
Keep in mind,
You don't have to focus really intensely on the breath.
Let your focus be alert,
But also relaxed and calm.
Now,
Let's take a few deep breaths If a thought or memory comes up at any point,
Don't try to force it away.
Simply acknowledge it,
And then calmly return your focus to the breath,
Just following the gentle rhythm of the inhale and exhale.
Now,
Try to count the next 10 breaths that you take and see how long you can keep your focus on the breath.
If you have lost track of counting your breaths,
Just know that this is a very common experience.
Simply shift your focus back to the breath,
And again,
Follow the inhale and exhale.
As we arrive at the final minute of this practice,
Let's start over.
Do not worry if you have become lost in thought.
Just bring your focus to the inhale and exhale,
And try to cover the breath with your awareness.
As we start to move out of this practice,
I encourage you to invite some deeper breaths into the lungs.
Start to wriggle your fingers and toes.
Whenever you're ready,
You can gently open the eyes.
Take a moment to reflect on your experience with this meditation.
And as you continue throughout your day,
See if you can find moments to observe the rhythm of your breath.
