We'll start by finding a comfortable position,
Either lying down,
Sitting.
You can have your eyes be closed,
You can have your eyes be open.
And we'll start by receiving a very deep breath in and releasing a deep breath out.
Maybe once more receiving another deep breath in,
Releasing a deep breath out.
And we'll start by bringing all of our awareness,
All of our attention,
To any areas in your body that feel tense or that feel tight.
And if you find anywhere that is tense or feels tight,
Every time you breathe out,
Relax into those areas.
Relaxing around your shoulders,
Relaxing around your jaw,
Relaxing around your eyes,
Relaxing around your mouth.
Allowing your body to rest in relaxation,
Being both relaxed and awake.
And as your body becomes a little more relaxed,
A little more still,
A little more quiet,
You may begin to notice your breath.
Maybe if you feel that your mind is lost out at sea,
Perhaps there's many thoughts,
Many thoughts going on,
Or a storm of emotion.
Much like directing yourself to a safe harbor,
You can recognize the area in your body where you feel the breath the most clearly.
Maybe in your stomach,
Maybe in your chest,
Maybe the area right around your nostril.
And wherever you may be,
You can find that safe harbor in your body.
And you can begin to anchor yourself there by gently beginning to recognize your body as it breathes,
Feeling your stomach,
Your chest,
Around your nostrils,
Any sensations of breath.
Perceiving and releasing.
And if we find it difficult to stay anchored to the breath,
We may gently begin to hook our anchor.
And we can do so by gently beginning to count our breath.
Breathing in,
Counting one,
And breathing out.
Breathing in,
Counting two,
And breathing out.
Helping our mind not drift back out to sea,
Lost in a storm of thoughts,
A storm of emotion.
But breathing in,
Counting one,
Breathing out.
Breathing in,
Counting two,
Breathing out.
And if you find that your mind is wandering,
Drifting away,
And you've lost count,
No problem.
You can gently,
With an attitude of kindness,
Bring your awareness back,
Your attention back.
And resume counting back at one.
And once again as a marker,
If you find that your mind has drifted off.
To gently bring your attention,
Your focus,
Your awareness back.
Identifying your safe harbor in your body.
And anchoring your attention there.
Breathing in,
Counting one,
And breathing out.
Breathing in,
Counting two,
And so on.
And wherever you may be,
You can release any focus,
Any attention on your breath.
Once again,
Coming back to your body,
Noticing are there any areas that are tense or tight.
Once again,
Releasing and relaxing.
As we receive a final deep breath in,
Release a final deep breath out.
As we gently blink our eyes open and bring our practice to a close.
