Hello and welcome to this Breath Break Meditation.
This is part of the Meditations from the Hammock Series.
Perhaps you are practicing in a hammock or maybe you prefer to be seated in a comfortable chair on a meditation cushion,
Or perhaps you prefer to be reclined on a mat,
In bed,
Or another comfortable way.
To create your sacred space,
You might choose to dim the lights,
Play soft music,
Or gather an eye mask or other covering for your eyes.
We will take a few moments to bring our whole selves to this place.
You are invited to loosen any tight clothing and allow your body to be supported under you,
Adding in as many props as you need to be comfortable and feel supported.
Let the body become heavy and soften into your support.
Embrace a spirit of curiosity during this breath meditation.
Make yourself a bit more comfortable.
Close the eyes or have a soft gaze.
Let the hands find a comfortable resting place.
Focus your attention on the breath.
Notice the texture,
The sensation,
And the duration of your breath.
Notice when your attention has wandered and welcome or guide it back gently to the breath with kindness and without judgment.
As the mind becomes still and calm,
Rest and enjoy the peace and quietude.
When you are ready,
Consider calling to mind the presence of God.
You may wish to set an intention for your practice today.
You may choose to dedicate your practice to someone in need or you may choose to say an opening prayer.
When you're ready,
We'll begin by bringing your awareness to your body,
Taking in the sensations and noticing the points of contact between your body and the support under you.
Begin to notice what sensations are present.
As thoughts come into your mind,
Simply welcome them,
Acknowledge them,
Let them float on by,
And then gently move your focus back to your body and the sensations that are present.
Try to remember to have a sense of curiosity toward your body and be open to the sensations that are present.
Anytime that you find your mind wandering,
No worries.
Just simply guide your attention back to the breath and to the sensations in the body.
Continuing to breathe,
Inhaling and exhaling.
Next we'll begin to move through the body with your awareness.
We'll move slowly,
Spending a moment,
A breath or two perhaps,
At each body part,
Starting first with a narrow focus and then expanding to the entire body part.
We'll bring attention and awareness now to the feet.
First the right foot,
Then the left foot.
Then bringing awareness up the lower legs,
First the right,
Then the left.
Then moving your awareness up to the hips,
First the right and then the left.
Then bringing awareness to the entire right leg and then bringing awareness to the entire left leg.
Then both legs together.
Bring your attention now through the abdominals,
The chest,
The lower back,
The mid-back,
The upper back,
The shoulders,
The neck,
The head.
Bringing awareness now to the right hand and then the left hand,
The right elbow and then the left elbow.
Then the entire right arm,
Then the left arm and then both arms together.
We'll bring our awareness now to the entire body.
Taking a moment to bring awareness to your whole body all at once.
Imagine breathing through the whole body.
Bringing awareness to the torso,
Perhaps to your heart space,
The ribs,
The lungs.
Paying special attention to the sensations of your breath moving in and out of the body.
No need to control your breath.
Just simply observe and be with your breath as it is.
Simply pay attention to what is happening as you inhale and as you exhale.
You may choose to follow the breath on the inhale and follow the breath on the exhale.
Thoughts may flutter into the mind.
No worries.
Welcome them,
Acknowledge them,
Let them float on by.
And then remember to just gently guide your awareness back to focusing on the breath.
Knowing to follow the breath,
Pay attention to the sensations that may arise from the breath floating in and floating out.
You may wish to call to mind the presence of God once again.
Resting eventually letting your natural breath take over.
And if you would like,
Receive this blessing from the book of Job followed by a time of prayer and reflection.
As long as I live while I have breath from God,
My lips will speak no evil and my tongue will speak no lies.
There is a spirit within people,
The breath of the Almighty within them,
That makes them intelligent.
For the Spirit of God has made me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Geoff Settings,
Okay.
Before we bring movement back into this space,
Please let me remind you that you are so loved that you matter and you make a difference in this world.
If you are able to stay here in this time of rest,
Then I encourage you to do that as long as you're able.
But if and when you're ready to begin to bring movement back into the body,
Begin by bringing just some gentle wiggling and movement into the fingers and toes,
Then into the arms and legs,
Maybe stretching as if it's the first stretch of the day.
If you're reclined,
Perhaps bringing the legs in and gently rolling to your favorite side,
And gently making your way up to a comfortable seated position,
Eventually bringing the hands to heart center or prayer pose and bowing our heads.
Thank you so much for being here today for this meditation,
This breath break.
I pray blessings over you,
Over me,
Over our family,
Our friends,
And all beings everywhere.
Blessings,
Blessings,
Blessings.
