Mindfulness of breath practice.
Take a few moments to find a comfortable position.
So if you're sitting,
Sit open and upright,
Still and strong like a mountain.
Or perhaps if you're lying down,
Make sure you're lying balanced and symmetrical.
You may like to bend and support your knees to take some pressure off your lower back.
Consciously relax your shoulders.
Allow your palms to lie open wherever they're resting.
And I invite you on your next inhalation to take a wide face stretching yawn and as you exhale,
Allow yourself an audible release.
So let's try that together.
Big breath in.
Allowing the audible release to help you let go of any areas of lingering tension,
Particularly in the face,
The shoulders.
Allow your eyelids to gently touch.
Draw your shoulder blades in and down your spine to help open your heart space.
And I invite you to take a delicious deep belly breath to help calm and settle your body and mind.
Relaxing,
Awake and alert.
Remember there's nothing you need to be doing right now.
There's nothing you need to accomplish or achieve during this mindfulness of breath practice.
This is your time.
Just let your breath settle now.
Let your breath breathe you.
And I invite you to draw your attention to the space in front of your closed eyes.
It's like a field of darkness and perhaps there's some muted shapes or colors there but we're not looking for anything.
We're just simply resting our attention in this space with relaxed eyes and a soft gaze.
And I invite you now to bring your attention to any sounds coming to you from outside.
Just listen with a gentle curiosity.
Allow the sounds to come and go without resistance.
Just listening.
And I invite you to draw your attention to sounds coming from inside,
Inside the room.
We're listening with a gentle curiosity.
And perhaps you can begin to notice some sounds coming from inside your body.
The subtle sound of your breath,
Digestion and heartbeat.
Just listening.
Allow the sounds to help call you into the present moment.
And I invite you to draw your attention further to the breath.
Begin to notice any sensations associated with your breath.
Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest and your belly.
Feel the flow of air passing by your nostrils.
Cool as you breathe in and warm as you breathe out.
Just your natural breath.
Let your breath breathe you and allow your breath to help anchor you into the present moment.
Notice the slight pause between your inhalation and your exhalation.
And notice the slight pause between your exhalation and your inhalation.
Gently follow each breath.
Let your breath breathe you.
You don't have to do anything.
And as you notice your breath settling,
Know that this helps to calm your body,
Heart and mind.
You might find it helpful to silently name your inhalation and your exhalation to help you focus your attention on your breath.
So you might say silently to yourself,
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
And if you notice your attention wandering or becoming caught up in a stream of thought,
That's okay,
That's what the mind does.
Each time you notice yourself being distracted by thoughts,
Very gently and kindly draw your attention back to your breath.
Simply notice the sensations associated with your breath.
Notice any sounds and rest your attention in the space in front of your closed eyes.
And as we come towards the end of this meditation,
You might like to dedicate its value and its virtue and send some kind thoughts.
So as you breathe in,
Say silently to yourself,
May I be peaceful and at ease.
And as you breathe out,
May others be peaceful and at ease.
As you breathe in,
Allow your heart to fill with that intention.
And as you breathe out,
Send that intention,
Those kind thoughts out to an individual or a group of people.
So breathing in,
May I be peaceful and at ease.
Breathing out,
May others be peaceful and at ease.
And as you gently start to reactivate and re-energize your body now,
Perhaps a wiggle of the fingers and the toes,
You might like to take a deeper conscious breath or two,
Have a little stretch,
Give yourself a hug.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes and go on your way.
Thank you.
