Hello and welcome to this breath awareness practice.
This is a good practice for beginning meditators as well as for anyone who is looking to incorporate a brief practice into their day.
This is designed as a sitting practice to be done in a chair or on a meditation cushion,
But it could also be done standing or even lying down.
The important thing is to choose a posture that you can maintain for about five minutes or so with minimal discomfort without fidgeting and without falling asleep.
So let's begin.
Take a few moments to settle into your posture,
Perhaps noticing where your body makes contact with the surface beneath you.
And when you are ready,
Gently close your eyes.
If you prefer,
You can do this practice with your eyes open,
Perhaps letting your gaze fall about five or six feet in front of you,
A space on the wall or the floor to focus on for this practice.
Now take a deep breath in,
Letting your lungs fill with breath,
Then exhale.
Again,
Let's take another deep in and exhale.
Now let your breath resume its normal rhythm.
And as you breathe in your natural pattern,
Allow your attention to settle on the part of your body where you are most aware of your breath.
That might be the stomach as it expands and contracts with each inhalation and each exhalation.
It could be the chest as it rises and falls.
It might be the nose as you feel the air entering and exiting the nostrils.
It doesn't matter what part of the body you choose,
Just choose one for this practice to use to anchor your attention on your breath.
It might even be helpful to place a hand on the chest or the stomach to feel the breath ebb and flow.
Let's do this for a few moments together.
There's no need to control the breath.
No need to change it in any way.
We're just noticing our normal natural breath.
First this breath and now this one.
Every breath is new.
Every breath is unique.
Just notice each one.
We are practicing moment by moment awareness of the breath.
At times you will notice that your attention has drifted away,
Perhaps to thoughts or sounds or sensations in the body.
This is normal and to be expected.
And when it happens,
Gently draw your attention back to your breath.
In a few moments,
You will hear the sound of the bell,
Bringing this practice to a close.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
