Working with thoughts.
So just resting into a comfortable position wherever you are.
Making any movements you need to to get comfortable.
And resting into stillness.
Resting your eyes if that feels comfortable.
As we check into what we can notice.
What's going on in our experience right now.
There might be lots going on in our mind.
Or around us where we are.
But for the next few minutes can we just let that go slightly.
And give ourselves permission to really just arrive here and be here for now.
Letting go of any agenda.
There's nowhere to be,
Nothing to do.
But we're just gently choosing to come into our bodies right now.
Feeling the weight of our bodies through the points of contact with the chair or the floor.
What does it feel like in those areas between the body and the rest of the world?
Briefly scanning the body for any sensations that pop out.
Whatever it is.
We can use the in-breath to bring a sense of kindly awareness to our bodies.
And use the out-breath to see if we can soften or relax any areas of the body.
We don't need to fight our experience.
We're just tuning into it with curiosity.
Anything going on in the feet or the lower body.
Perhaps not much at all.
And that might be interesting to notice.
Checking in with the sit bones again and the weight of our bodies.
How does it feel to be held?
And now can we tune into what it's like to be breathing.
Where can you feel the breathing the most?
Are you holding any areas around the breath?
We can be holding our abdominal muscles,
Our chest,
Our back.
Can we just relax and let our bodies take natural full breaths?
And it might be that our mind goes away from the breathing body.
And that's okay.
The mind is just made up of a series of connections constantly going around.
And so it's no surprise that this is what they do.
Like noticing a cloud in the sky.
Can we just let it go and gently guide ourselves back to the sensations of breathing in the body?
Noticing perhaps the coolness or the warmth of the air.
The journey of that air as it travels down into our lungs.
Maybe even a pleasant sensation associated with the breath.
Our minds might be very busy or quite still.
Just paying attention to what's going on in your mind's eye right now.
And if we notice the mind has wandered again.
Just acknowledging and gently guiding ourselves back to the breath.
This is the practice of mindfulness itself.
Not judged by the number of times our mind wanders.
But just resting in this flow of noticing where our mind is.
And choosing to bring it back to the breathing body again and again.
Is it possible to rest our awareness in this flow?
It can be tempting to be hard on ourselves or think we're doing it wrong.
But each time we notice that the mind has wandered off.
Or having thoughts.
If we notice it and bring it back to the breathing body.
We can think of these as a mini success.
Each time.
Having chosen to engage with this practice.
Already a positive step towards a more mindful awareness.
The breathing body always there.
As it is in our daily lives.
And coming to the end of the practice now.
As we blink our eyes open.
