This is a guided exercise for learning how to focus your attention using your breath.
As always,
If you'd like to welcome in the soothing havening touch,
Arms crossed across your chest,
Fingertips gently resting on your shoulders and moving down the side of your arms to your elbows as though you're giving yourself a nice moving hug or wrapping your palms together as though you're washing your hands in warm water.
Both of those experiences will deepen your brain's experience of this guided exercise.
Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle.
Find a comfortable position that allows your spine to be long but with a natural curve in your lower back.
I invite you to close your eyes if you like or keep them open with a soft gaze towards the world around you and invite the belly and your shoulders to relax.
We're going to be moving through a guided practice for focusing attention while focusing specifically on your breath.
This will help you calm your mind and relax your body as well as help you build neural memory for how to focus your attention with intention in the future.
Before we begin,
Let's welcome in a full breath to a count of 4,
3,
2,
1 and release to a count of 6,
5,
4,
3,
2,
1.
Now allow your breath to find its natural rhythm,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Let's begin this practice by connecting to the internal motivation that brought you right here right now.
Maybe it's a wish for greater wellbeing for yourself and for others,
Perhaps a desire for rest and some calm.
Invite your mind to explore what is your primary purpose here in this moment.
Now let's bring your attention back to your breath.
You may notice movement in your abdomen or your chest,
Sensations of air passing at the tip of the nose,
Perhaps a tickling in the throat or even a sense of the whole body breathing.
Wherever the sensation is most vivid for you,
Invite your attention to rest there.
Breathe in and breathe out,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Can you notice the moment the inhale begins,
How it continues and the moment that it ends?
Can you notice the very moment when the exhale begins?
How it continues and the moment it ends?
Is there a slight pause before the next inhale?
I'd like to invite you to keep your attention focused on your breath through one more complete cycle.
See if you can sustain your focused attention on the breath that follows.
And then noticing the next experience of inhaling in all the way into your belly,
Now releasing.
And if you notice that your mind has wandered,
Simply return to the awareness of your breath gentleness and kindness.
Without judgment,
Simply inviting your breath to become the home base for your attention,
For your mind.
Notice how your breath can become the anchor for your awareness,
That thoughts will come and thoughts will go.
That there is no need to push these thoughts away or to chase after them.
Instead,
Just inviting your awareness and your attention to come back to your breath.
Exhaling in four,
Three,
Two,
One,
And releasing six,
Five,
Four,
Three,
Two,
One.
And like to invite you to return to the moment right here,
Right now.
One final deep,
Gentle,
Soothing breath as you bring yourself back,
Opening your eyes and returning to the here and the now.
One final deep,
Gentle,
Soothing breath.
