Take a moment to settle in.
Settle into a comfortable posture,
But also one that will make you alert,
Energetic.
So in meditation practice,
We typically want to aim for a state of energized calm.
Obviously,
We can work with all states,
But as much as possible,
Having that state as a reference can be good.
So you can try micro adjustments to your posture to make sure that the body is as comfortable and calm as possible,
But also energized.
Let the mind settle into the senses,
And pay attention to how the breath enters and exits the body.
So in this guided sit,
We'll play around with different ways of perceiving the breath.
And this will be an exercise that requires as much feeling of the body,
Sensitivity to the body,
As much as that as actual imagination and capacity to visualize.
So let's start with a very natural way of perceiving the breath,
Meaning feeling it entering at the nose.
There's no need to control the breath,
Simply feel it as it comes in,
Feel it as it goes out at the nostrils,
At the nose.
So now we'll try some other more imaginative ways of seeing the breath coming in and out.
And I suggest that you really play with that with curiosity,
Regardless of if this feels like true or not.
All we're aiming for is,
You know,
Different ways of seeing the breath,
Some of which may be energizing or calming for the body.
We're really exploring what the effect of different ways of seeing is.
That's all we are observing.
So let's direct our attention to the belly.
Let's look at the region slightly below the navel.
Imagine that the breath is coming into the body at that point,
Entering in that small region below the navel,
Then exiting in that same location.
And when I say imagine,
I mostly mean imagine in a tactile sense,
As if you were feeling it with your body.
Now,
Let's move that spot a bit further down,
In the pelvis area.
Feel the breath entering the body from that spot.
Feel it entering and exiting the body in the pelvis area.
Now let's move up.
Let's move up above the abdomen at the solar plexus.
Feel the breath entering the body at that point,
And feel it exiting.
Use the imagination.
Feel it as if it was actually happening.
Feel the effect on the body of that way of seeing the breath.
Feel the breath entering the body at the solar plexus.
Feel it exiting the body at the solar plexus.
Still loosely aware of the full body,
But attentive to that specific region.
Now move up a bit more to the heart region,
In the chest area.
Now feel the breath entering and exiting the body in the throat area.
See how that makes the body feel.
Now move up even more to the forehead,
Between the two eyes.
Now move up even more to the top of the head.
Feel the breath enter and exit the body at the top of the head.
Now let's try something a bit wider.
Let's imagine that we're breathing in through the full body,
All at once.
Air entering in every pore.
Same thing with breathing out through the full body.
The whole body is breathing.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Now let's come back to the nose.
The breath naturally coming in and going out at the nose.
Notice how the breath feels.
Notice how the body feels.
Now as I ring the bell,
Maintain awareness of the full body.
And you can let go of attention to breathing.
