10 Minutes Of Mindfulness

Hello,

This is Ryan and welcome to 10 minutes of mindfulness.

So for the next 10 minutes we'll see if we can just set aside this time to be completely by ourselves and with ourselves and free from distractions as best we can.

So coming into any comfortable seated posture and sitting up straight and tall.

If you're sitting in a chair maybe moving your back away from the backrest so that your spine can be fully supported by itself.

And noticing your shoulders,

Allowing your shoulders to rest down and back.

Letting your hands rest comfortably on your knees or in your lap and just letting your arms hang by their own weight,

Effortless.

And if you like allowing your eyes to close.

And beginning to notice what it feels like to be sitting here right now.

Noticing the weight of your body,

The pressure that your chair or your cushion pushes back against your body.

And coming into stillness.

So if there are any movements you'd like to make just making those now.

And as we sit here in stillness you may notice that your body continues to move ever so slightly with the breath.

So observing where it is that you notice your breath most vividly,

Most apparently.

And seeing if you can tune into the physical sensation of breath.

Not the idea of breathing or thinking about breathing.

Seeing if you can really tune into your body to notice what it feels like to breathe.

Feeling that expansion as you breathe in.

The release as you breathe out.

And as we focus on our breath it may be tempting to take control of the breath and want to breathe in a particular way.

So seeing if it's possible to just let go.

Trusting in the wisdom of your own body to continue breathing for you.

And as for you,

You're just a passive observer watching as the breath flows in and as the breath flows out.

And of course sometimes our mind will wander away from the breath and just remembering that this is a natural part of the meditation process.

So you may start thinking about what you're going to do next or what it is you've just come from or a variety of things.

Whatever it is you notice your mind thinking about.

Just acknowledging it for a moment and gently redirecting your attention back to the breath.

And how about now?

Are you still focusing on your breath or has your mind wandered away?

Just remembering that.

And as we focus on our breath,

We're just remembering that the mind wandered away.

Just remembering that mind wandering is natural.

It is in the nature of the mind to wander.

So even if it happens a hundred times just going,

Oh there it is,

And directing the attention back to the breath,

We're just remembering that it is still in the nature of the mind.

So with this attitude of curiosity,

Can you examine all of the little details that accompany this sensation of breath?

Being fully present as you breathe in.

Being fully present as you breathe out.

Being fully present as you breathe out.

And as we go through this practice,

The quality of the breath may change.

The quality of the breath may change.

What kind of breath can I observe?

What kind of breath can I observe?

And every time the mind wanders away,

Seeing if you can be kind to yourself,

Let go of any harsh judgmental thoughts you may have,

It's okay.

It's natural for the mind to wander.

So letting go and returning to the breath.

It's okay.

And soon we'll draw this practice to its natural close.

But before we do,

Just like to invite you to take this opportunity to congratulate yourself for having made it through this practice.

And remembering that practices like this are ways to strengthen our mind and to take an active role in our mental and even our physical well-being.

So maybe even thanking yourself for having made the time today to do this powerful practice.