Begin by finding a comfortable position that allows your spine to be straight but not rigid.
You may choose to close your eyes as this will minimize distractions but it is also possible to meditate with your eyes open.
Before we begin you may want to acknowledge that you have taken time out of your schedule to just be with yourself,
An act of self-care.
Briefly check in with your body,
Pay attention to your face and jaw and release any tension you may be feeling.
Now check in with your chest,
Your abdomen,
Pelvis,
Legs,
Your arms.
Try to get a feeling of your body as a whole.
Become aware of any sensations such as tingling or throbbing,
Numbness,
Any kind of discomfort or pleasurable sensations that may arise.
Now take a long breath in and a slow breath out.
Once more,
A long breath in and a breath out at your own pace.
Just one more breath in,
Releasing the tension from your body with the breath out.
Allow your body to resume its natural breathing rhythm and your attention can now begin to follow your breath.
Observe it as it enters your nostrils,
Your chest,
Noticing your abdomen rising and falling.
Is there a place where you feel your breath the most?
Can be any spot in your body.
Mindfulness is about awareness and being with your experience in the here and now.
This means that you're not trying to change your breath in any way.
You are allowing your breath to be natural.
You're allowing your body to breathe itself.
I want to take a moment now to acknowledge the wisdom of your body.
Just to keep breathing,
Your body must use many complex mechanisms and it does so with truly remarkable precision.
It needs to,
It breathes faster,
When it needs to it knows how to slow down.
We rarely acknowledge this important fact,
This remarkable complexity of our bodies.
The miracle that it's working so well.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
We will now do a short labeling exercise to stabilize your focus.
Every time your body inhales,
Label that as in and every time it exhales,
Label it as out.
Become aware of the pauses between breaths.
Observe how each breath is different than the previous one.
Now try and adopt a little smile,
A half smile really.
Let just the corners of your lips curl up a bit.
There's really no need to force a big smile.
Just smile in whatever way feels natural to you right now in this moment.
And notice how this little smile makes you feel.
What is happening to the rest of your face,
To your chest,
To your abdomen?
As you keep breathing,
You will notice that your mind will wander again.
This happens because you're human and because you're alive.
Wandering is what our minds do.
It's very normal and everyone's mind does exactly the same.
It doesn't matter if this is your first mindfulness session or if you've been doing mindfulness for years.
Your mind will keep wandering.
When you become aware of your mind wandering,
Gently bring it back to your breath.
And try to be happy for yourself.
It's wonderful that you've noticed what was happening.
For your mind to wander,
That's a normal thing.
But for you to notice it and refocus is what we call mindfulness.
By acknowledging it alone,
You're rewarding yourself for being mindful.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Try to focus on as many details of your breathing cycle as you can.
See how the inhale goes,
How the exhale changes.
Sometimes it's slow and long and sometimes it's fast and short.
Sometimes you use your full lung capacity.
Sometimes you barely inhale at all.
Now put your hand on your chest,
A little to the left,
Above your heart.
And along with your hand,
Try to move your focus to your chest.
Start with the skin of your chest.
Feel the warmth of your hand and be mindful of how this warmth spreads across your chest.
Repeat slowly after me.
May I be well?
If it's too difficult for you to repeat these words,
Just be mindful of my words.
Let them linger around your awareness.
Try to see what effects these words have on you.
Let's try again.
May I be well?
And once more.
May I be well?
Note what's happening in your body.
Focus first on your chest and then follow the sensations as they spread.
Now moving your attention back to the breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Allow your body to keep breathing at its normal pace.
Once more,
Return to your hand that is resting on your chest.
As this meditation is approaching its end,
Try to once more to generate a kindness for yourself.
May you be well?
After the sound of the bell,
Whenever you're ready,
You may open your eyes.
Thank you.
