This is a non-sleep deep breath practice with a focus on the breath.
We'll start with a short body scan,
Then we'll bring attention to the breath.
This is a mindfulness technique inspired by Tara Brach's Vipassana practice outlined in her book,
Radical Acceptance.
I'll link to it in the description.
Using the breath as a primary anchor of mindfulness helps quiet the mind so that you can be awake to the changing stream of life that moves through you.
If you have a journaling practice,
You might like to have your notebook and a pen close by to note down any reflections that arise during and after this session.
Like with all non-sleep deep breath sessions,
You are very welcome to do this practice lying down.
So wherever you are,
Getting as comfortable as you can.
If lying down is not comfortable for you today,
You are very welcome to do this practice sitting up in a chair or perhaps sitting on the floor with your back against the wall.
Whatever is available to you today,
And wherever you are,
If you can make yourself just a little bit more comfortable,
Go ahead and do that.
Taking a few moments to notice the sounds and the space around you,
And then bringing attention to the sensations within you.
Notice the rising and falling within the body with each in-breath,
With each out-breath.
Now bringing attention to the crown of the head,
Sensing and feeling all sensations here in the crown of the head,
Then drawing attention down to the forehead,
All the way down to the point between the eyebrows,
And then sensations down the cheeks,
Jaw,
All the way down into the throat,
Sensing and feeling sensations across the tops of your shoulders,
Flowing down through both arms at the same time,
Elbows,
Wrists,
Hands and fingers.
Now bringing attention back to the base of the throat,
All the sensations in the base of the throat.
Now traveling all of these sensations down through the chest,
Belly,
Pelvis,
All the sensations in your pelvis,
Your hips,
Sensations flowing down through both thighs at the same time,
Knees,
Shins and calves,
Ankles,
Toes.
Waves of sensation from the crown of the head flowing down all the way through the feet and toes,
Noticing all of the sensations that are arising from the crown of the head flowing down all the way through the feet and toes.
Now take a few very full breaths,
And then allow your breath to be natural.
No control in the breath.
Notice where you most easily detect the breath.
You might feel it as it flows in and out of your nose.
You might feel the touch of the breath around your nostrils,
Or on your upper lip,
Or perhaps You feel the movement of your chest,
Or the rising and falling of your abdomen.
Bring your attention to the sensations of breathing in one of these areas.
Perhaps wherever you feel them most distinctly.
There is no need to control the breath,
To grasp or to fixate on it.
There is no right way of breathing.
With a relaxed awareness,
Discover what the breath is really like as a changing experience of sensations.
You might find that the mind naturally drifts off in thoughts.
Thoughts are not the enemy,
And you do not need to clear your mind of thoughts.
Rather,
You are developing the capacity to recognize when thoughts are happening without getting lost in the storyline.
When you become aware of thinking,
You might use a soft and friendly mental note.
Thinking,
Thinking.
Then without any judgment,
Gently return to the immediacy of the breath.
Let the breath be your home base,
A place full of presence.
While you might notice other experiences,
The sounds of passing cars,
Feelings of being warm or cool,
Perhaps sensations of hunger,
They can be in the background without drawing you away.
If any particular sensations become strong and call your attention,
Allow those sensations instead of the breath to become the primary subject of your attention.
You might feel heat or chills,
Tingling,
Aching,
Twisting,
Stabbing,
Vibrating.
With a soft,
Open awareness,
Just feel the sensations as they are.
Are they pleasant or unpleasant?
As you fully attend to them,
Do they become more intense or dissipate?
Notice how they change.
When the sensations are no longer a strong experience,
Return your focus to your breathing.
Or if the sensations are so unpleasant that you are unable to regard them with any balance or equanimity,
Feel free to rest your attention again in the breath.
In a similar way,
You can bring mindfulness and this focus to strong emotions,
Whether it's fear,
Sadness,
Happiness,
Excitement,
Grief.
Connect each experience with a kind and clear presence,
Neither clinging to nor resisting what is happening.
What does this emotion feel like as sensations in your body?
Where do you feel it most strongly?
Is it static or moving?
How big is it?
Feeling as thoughts are arising,
Are your thoughts agitated and vivid or are they repetitive and dull?
Does your mind feel contracted or open?
As you pay attention,
Notice how the emotion changes.
Does it become more intense or weaken?
Does it change into a different state?
Whether to grief,
Happiness,
To peace?
When the emotion is no longer compelling,
Turn your attention back to the breath.
If the emotion feels overwhelming for you or if you're confused about where to place your attention,
Relax and come home to your breath.
Notices even through all of these changing sensations,
Emotions or thoughts,
There is also a sense of ease that is here,
A deeper presence that is always here.
Just like this,
You can keep coming home to your breath as your home base and anchor point.
Moment to moment,
Breath to breath,
Resting in your moments of mindfulness.
This non-sleep deep rest is now complete.
Whenever you're ready,
In your own time,
You might like to open your eyes,
Wriggle the fingers and toes and I hope this practice continues to support and nourish you throughout the rest of your day.
You might like to reflect on anything that might have come up for you in this experience in your journal,
Writing down reflections after a practice like this can often help you make sense of the soup of emotions and thoughts and sensations that might be swimming around.
Have a beautiful day and I'll see you in the next one.
