Finding a space,
Making yourself comfortable,
Either sitting down or lying.
Noticing the points of contact between you and the chair,
Bed or floor.
And bringing your awareness to your breathing.
Noticing the breath just as it is,
Not trying to change it.
There's no special way to breathe.
Beginning with a wide focus of awareness and noticing the rate of your breathing.
Fast,
Slow,
Even,
Irregular.
It doesn't matter what it is,
Just bringing a sense of open exploration to whatever is there.
Noticing the depth of the breath,
As it's sitting fairly high in the chest.
Or do you feel it more deeply,
Down sensations in the abdomen,
Or anywhere in between?
And then zooming that awareness in and noticing sensations where the breath enters your body,
Either through your mouth or your nose.
Getting the movement of the air as it's drawn in.
And the movement of the breath as it's exhaled.
Perhaps a coolness on the in-breath.
And a warmth on the out-breath.
And following that breath to the back of the throat.
And exploring sensations in your throat as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
The breath may be flowing fairly smoothly,
Openly,
Easily.
Or it may feel tight,
Constricted,
Tickly,
Depending on how you're feeling today.
The throat often an early barometer to how we are.
Just noticing the sensations in your throat as you breathe in and as you exhale.
Perhaps sensing a dryness on the in-breath.
And a moisture on the out-breath.
And following the sensations of the breath more deeply into the lungs and throughout the chest.
Right from the base of the ribcage all the way up to the collarbones.
Feeling the expansion of the chest as the lungs fill with air.
And the release as the breath leaves the body.
Exploring deeper along the back of the chest wall.
Sensations may be more subtle here.
Sensing movements or a rise in pressure beneath the shoulder blades and the larger muscles of the upper back.
Perhaps even noticing the movement of the ribs where they connect with the spine.
And sensations along the back of the spinal column.
And moving that awareness into the abdomen.
Sensing the rise and fall of the belly that comes with each breath.
Movement between skin and clothing.
Feeling the stretch of the skin as the belly rises.
And the release as the belly falls.
Exploring sensations deeper in the belly beneath the navel into the pelvis.
A rise in pressure.
Subtle movements.
As the breath comes in.
And a release opening space.
As the breath slowly leaves.
Exploring sensations along the lower back.
And then following the path of the breath as it comes into the body and as it leaves again.
Following the whole of the in-breath.
And the whole of the out-breath.
Perhaps a speed and a power to the in-breath.
And a softer,
Slower,
Gentler exhale.
Noticing the pauses,
The stillness at the top of the in-breath.
And the stillness at the end of the out-breath.
Allowing awareness of the breath to give you that sense of presence.
And knowing it is always there whenever you need it.
Ing
