Welcome to the 15-minute breath meditation.
Bringing your awareness to the present moment.
Taking a moment to shift the body in whatever way is necessary to become comfortable or as comfortable as possible in this moment.
If you're sitting up,
This might mean tucking the chin slightly in and down,
And the back of the head rising up.
Allow the shoulders to fall softly.
And allowing the belly also to be soft.
Allowing any unneeded tension to drain away from the body.
And also noticing areas where tension remains and allowing it to remain.
No need to try to force anything to happen.
Being with the body as it is.
Let's turn our awareness to the sensation of the breath.
Choose one spot in your body where the breath is easy to feel.
And narrow the focus down to this one small area of the body.
Focusing the mind in this way will both build concentration and allow the mind to relax by giving it just one thing to focus on.
Experiencing the sensation of the breath now.
Allowing the breath to be just as it is.
No need to change anything about the breath.
Noticing how each moment of each breath is a little bit different.
And noticing how you don't have to do anything to create this change.
The breath is changing all on its own.
The mind will naturally wander away from the breath from time to time.
This is no problem.
The moment that we realize that the mind has wandered is a moment of awareness and mindfulness has already returned.
As soon as you notice that the mind has wandered,
Simply begin to experience the sensation of the breath again.
You might track each breath from the very beginning of the breath.
You might track each breath from the very beginning of an inhale to the turnaround.
To that moment it becomes an exhale to the turnaround again,
Beginning anew with each breath.
Always beginning again without judgment,
With kindness.
Allowing the breath to change all on its own.
And showing up for the experience.
Just this.
Just this breath.
Trusting the body to give you a perfect breath.
And then letting it go and starting again.
And then letting it go and starting again.
Feeling the rising and falling of each breath.
And the gentle waves.
And the gentle waves.
Exploring the art of simply being with the breath.
Simply being,
Even as the thoughts or emotions come and go.
Always returning to the sensation of the breath.
And knowing that you can return to this practice anytime,
Even for just a few minutes.
Practicing being and breathing.
