This meditation is for the moments when time feels scarce,
But presence is needed.
A gentle pause,
A returning to breath.
Whether you're in the middle of a busy day,
Or simply seeking an anchor into nowness,
This practice will guide you back to yourself,
To this moment,
To the quiet rhythm that is always here,
Holding you,
Your breath.
To begin,
Come into a comfortable seat.
Align your spine so the crown of your head is stacked over the base of the spine.
Find a posture where you can be alert and at ease.
If it feels safe,
Gently close down the eyes or soften your gaze.
Begin turning your attention inward now.
First,
Take a moment to notice how you are here,
Whether that is physically,
Mentally or emotionally.
There is no need to change anything.
Simply invite awareness to how you are here now.
We will now invite our awareness to explore the quiet depths of our inner experience.
Notice the breath here exactly as it is.
No need to shape it or change it,
Just observe it.
Feel the subtle expansion of your body as you inhale,
And the gentle contraction as you exhale.
Perhaps you notice where the breath is most present in your body,
The cool air entering your nostrils,
The warmth as it leaves,
The gentle rise and fall in the ribs,
The belly,
Maybe even the chest.
For now,
Simply be with the breath,
Getting to know it a little deeper.
Allow yourself to be mesmerized by the rhythm of your breath,
And as you focus on it,
You may notice that it begins to change naturally.
Take five slow,
Steady breaths,
Deep yet unforced,
Softening the belly,
Relaxing the chest,
No strain,
Just the breath,
Steady,
Smooth and flowing.
Now allow the breath to return to its natural rhythm,
Again letting the mind be mesmerized by the simple act of your breathing.
If it helps to keep your attention on your breath,
You might silently reside in your mind,
In on the inhalation,
And out on the exhalation,
In on the inhalation,
Out on the exhalation,
And when the mind begins to wander,
As all minds do,
Know that there is no need to resist,
Simply notice and return.
Each breath is a doorway,
A chance to begin again.
Mind wanders,
Return to the magic that is your breath.
For the final moments here,
See if you can notice every single breath,
A portal always with you,
Wherever you go.
I invite you now to notice how you feel,
What has changed,
What stayed the same,
And what's evolved for you here in this short time together,
And when you're ready you can take a fuller,
Deeper inhalation,
And a long,
Effortless exhalation.
Gently invite movement into the body,
A slow wriggle of the fingers and toes,
A soft roll of the shoulders,
Allow the eyes to blink open,
Returning to the space around you.
May this steady presence stay with you,
Woven into each breath,
A quiet thread of stillness that you can return to again and again.
