Sit or lay comfortably.
Gently close your eyes.
Take a slow breath in,
Hold and then exhale.
Relax your shoulders and face.
One more slow breath in,
Hold and then let go.
Allowing your whole body to soften,
Your whole body to relax.
Noticing now the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
All of the parts of your body that are in contact with the floor or the chair,
Whatever it is below.
Just feel the different pressure points.
Become aware of each one.
Just noticing how this feels.
Tuning into the sounds you can hear,
Moment to moment.
Open your sense of hearing to notice different sounds arising and falling away.
Try not to label the sounds or see them as pleasant or unpleasant.
Rather let them come and go.
Just drifting in and out of your awareness.
Listening to the quality of each sound or any spaces between the sounds.
Can you perhaps sense a silence beyond each sound?
A stillness in the background from which each sound emerges and then fades back into.
And with softness welcoming however it is you're feeling in this moment.
Know that however it is you're feeling there is no need to change or alter this.
Just simply become aware of your feelings in this moment.
Feel gently into your heart and body.
Creating some space around these feelings so they can be there without judgment.
Noticing where in your body it is that you sense how you're feeling.
Maybe there is tension or tightness somewhere.
Maybe there's lightness,
Ease or openness.
Just exploring your body with curiosity.
Again knowing you don't need to alter the way you're feeling at all.
This is a practice of allowing and observing with kindness,
With care.
Just gently opening to how it is you're feeling in each moment.
Notice now the quality of your mind.
Even with curiosity is it dull,
Alert?
Is your mind busy?
Is it calm?
Just notice and welcome however it is.
Notice any urge to change the state of your mind and see what happens if you just take a step back.
Observing with curiosity not necessarily the content but the quality of your thinking mind.
However whatever experience you are having within this moment is perfectly okay.
There is no need to change how you're experiencing each moment.
We are practicing to be here fully with what is.
A deep surrender to each moment,
To your body,
Your mind and emotions.
All just as it is.
If you haven't already become aware that you are breathing.
Notice how your body moves with each breath that you take.
What does it feel like to be breathing here in this moment?
What is the temperature of your breath?
The breath's natural length.
So without changing or forcing the breath in any way what do you notice?
Perhaps welcoming a sense of wonder and gratitude for this body that breathes.
All this miraculous process keeping us alive.
Now choose a place in your body where you can feel your breath the most.
This may be at your nose,
In your nostrils,
Maybe the back of your throat,
Maybe it's your rib cage or your belly.
Just choosing this one place and rest your attention here gently.
Being more and more aware of each breath that comes in and each breath that goes out at this space.
Anytime you become aware that your attention has wandered away from your breath,
Simply without reaction or annoyance just feel your breath again.
Practice doing this over and over.
Just being here with each breath and when you've wandered off gently but firmly come back.
Giving more and more of your attention to each breath.
Feeling the full length of each breath coming and going.
Feel into your whole body and notice your whole body breathing now.
A very gentle and subtle expansion and contraction of the whole body.
Become aware of the felt sense within your whole body.
Just resting here for a few moments.
And as the body keeps gently moving,
Breathing,
As sensations come and go,
Sounds and thoughts come and go.
Perhaps you can sense an inner stillness beyond the movement of each breath,
Beyond each sound and sensation.
An inner sense of peaceful aliveness.
Keep bringing your attention here to this inner stillness within each moment,
As each moment itself arises and then passes away.
There's a constant stream of awareness.
Awareness of what is,
Moment to moment.
Nowhere else to be.
Just here.
Where all that is.
Feel back into your body.
Feel back into your body here in this room.
Become aware of the space you're in.
Notice your body against the surface beneath you.
And again,
Listen to any sounds or moments of silence around you.
Notice any tendency to rush or move forward.
Here and just simply follow your breath.
Taking a few rounds of slow,
Deep breaths.
Gently moving fingers and toes.
And with your eyes still closed,
Stretch or move your body however else feels nice.
Just gently place your hands somewhere comfortable where you're connecting to your body.
And acknowledge the time you've taken to be here and to do this practice.
Allow this sense of appreciation for yourself to expand.
And including anything else that you would now like to give thanks for in this moment.
Take your time to slowly open your eyes.
Knowing that your breath is always with you and always in the present moment.
You can use this at any time throughout the day or the night to simply come back to being here.
