Welcome to this mindfulness of breath meditation,
Which will take around 10 minutes.
Begin by sitting comfortably on a meditation cushion or a straight back chair.
You can lie down if you want,
But only if you're not feeling too sleepy.
Whichever posture you choose,
The most important thing is to be relaxed and at ease.
If you're sitting on a chair,
Let your posture be upright without being stiff.
Imagine an invisible string connecting your head with the ceiling,
Pulling your head,
Neck and spine gently into alignment.
Close your eyes if that feels comfortable to you or lower your gaze.
Now bring your attention into the body.
Imagine that your attention is like the beam of a spotlight in a dark room.
Let that beam move around your body.
Notice the weight of your buttocks resting on the cushion or chair,
Your feet in contact with the floor,
Your hands resting in your lap.
How does your body feel right now?
Is it comfortable,
Restless,
Fidgety,
Hot or cold?
Is there a sense of calmness in your body?
Is it comfortable,
Restless,
Fidgety,
Hot or cold?
Is there tension and pain in your body or a sense of relaxation and ease?
If you notice any areas of tightness or tension,
See if you can allow them to soften and relax.
Now shift your spotlight of attention to focus on the breath,
Settling on one place in your body,
Like the abdomen or chest as they rise and fall with each breath,
Or the tip of your nostrils as the breath enters and leaves the body,
Slightly cooler on the in-breath and warmer on the out-breath.
Don't try to change the breath in any way,
Just become aware of the fact that you're breathing.
If your mind is busy with thoughts,
Worries,
Daydreams,
Don't worry about it,
This is just what minds do.
In fact,
Rather than thinking you're somehow meditating badly or wrongly,
You are gaining the powerful insight that your mind is busy and distracted most of the time.
And rather than following those thoughts wherever they lead,
Even into some tricky places which is what we normally do,
Just allow them to come and go and gently bring your attention back to the breath.
Even if this happens 100 times it's always the same.
Notice that your mind has wandered and gently bring your attention back to the breath.
You you you with ourselves Sitting mindfully like this is an act of self-kindness,
So there's no need to get frustrated or impatient,
Just bring your attention back to your breathing.
Now use the stretches of silence to practice on your own until you hear the bell.
You you you you you you
