And just relaxing into that,
Wherever you are,
Allowing the seat,
Allowing the bed,
Allowing the wall,
Whatever you're relaxing onto,
Just take your weight that little bit more.
Allowing your jaw to relax,
Allowing the back to relax,
The shoulders to soften,
The hands.
Just getting yourself comfortable,
Getting rested and still.
And allow your eyes to gently close if you want to.
You're very welcome to keep your eyes open for the practice.
You're in total control.
You can open and close them.
Whatever you feel is best for you.
And just as you're resting into that posture,
See if you can notice the physical sensations of you touching the bed or the mat or the cushion or the seat.
Maybe just starting with your feet.
Those physical sensations of feet.
How do you know that your feet are there?
Without even trying to move them,
What makes you know that you've got feet?
Maybe it's if you're lying there feeling those pressure of the heels,
They're pushing into the bed or the mat.
If you're sitting,
Maybe it's the weight of the feet against the floor.
Whether you've got a sock,
Shoes on,
Just the noticing of feet,
Awareness of feet.
Then noticing the legs.
Maybe you can notice the weight of the legs pressed against the bed or the chair.
And the back against the back rest or rested against the yoga mat or the wall.
The hands.
All these sensations just bringing that awareness into this moment.
Allowing the mind just to rest into what is here.
This is mindfulness.
And just as you're resting into the body,
Aware of these sensations as they're arising.
See if in the next moment or whenever you can,
Notice the fact that you're breathing.
Noticing that gentle flow into and out of the body.
You're just sitting or lying there and breathing.
Allowing that breath to continue to soften the body.
Allowing it to soften the mind with each breath.
Not trying to control or change your breath in any way.
Just noticing.
And in this noticing what we're doing is switching this mind from this active analyzing,
Focusing to one of just resting into this moment,
Resting into awareness.
Resting into presence.
And that's just as simple as noticing the sensations of breath.
Now let's just work with one breath at a time.
Just noticing what you can from the breath in and the breath out.
Not trying to conceptualize breath.
Not searching for the sensations of breath.
And even now if you're still finding it difficult to notice the sensations of breath.
Just placing a hand or both your hands onto your stomach.
And noticing that rise and fall of breath in your stomach.
As we just work with one breath at a time.
Content to just be with that one breath.
Not focusing for the next breath.
Searching for the next breath.
Just noticing what's happening with this breath.
Those constantly changing sensations.
Just seeing if you can sense that flow of air in and the flow of air out.
There is nothing to do.
You just rest and notice.
And the breath is there.
Now try and watch this breath,
This changing sensations.
Just for the next few moments.
Just remaining still,
Relaxed.
Just noticing whatever sensations arise up into that moment.
So what often happens during these periods of silence is that the mind becomes active.
Just want you to know that it's on,
It's working.
This is nothing to be critical about.
With mindfulness all we're doing is noticing the fact that we're thinking.
Without,
As I said,
Criticism or judgment,
We pause.
And the next moment allowing breath to rise up again into our awareness.
Effortlessly.
So what I want you to do is just try this process.
Just noticing the sensations of breath.
Just one breath at a time.
Noticing when thought rises up into the awareness,
We seem to become distracted by it.
Then without criticism,
Without any judgment,
Once you notice that you're thinking,
Pause.
Just for a moment.
And then watch how breath rises up into that next moment.
And continuing to notice breath as it flows in and out.
Noticing where within the body the breath is touching.
Maybe in the chest,
Nose,
Down the back of the throat.
Let's just practice this just for a few more moments.
Noticing breath,
Allowing ourself to be distracted by thoughts.
Pausing without criticism,
Without judgment.
And noticing breath again.
So then now as we begin to bring this practice to a close,
What I want you to do is,
As you breathe in,
I just want you to say the word calm as you breathe in.
Then just allow your breath just to naturally breathe out.
But every time you breathe in,
I just want you to say the word calm as you breathe in.
Then just naturally breathe out.
And just repeat this over and over again.
Calm in.
Naturally breathe out.
You you I'm just allowing the sound of the bell to rise up into your awareness as well allowing your eyes to open if they're not already again opening up into the body again noticing those physical sensations where you're being well supported maybe moving your fingers and toes moving the shoulders around a bit noticing the colors that are around you the tastes in your mouth and smells try and bring this calmness with you into the rest of your day
