10-Minute Morning Practice

Good morning.

Let's take a few moments and find a comfortable position.

Either remaining in bed,

Lying down,

Sitting up in bed,

Sitting on the floor,

On a cushion,

On a chair.

Whatever is comfortable for you,

Find a position and begin to settle in.

Close the eyes.

Close the shoulders and begin to focus on the breath.

For the next few moments,

As you breathe,

Focus on the inhale as an in-breath and focus on the exhale as an out-breath.

Simply bring your awareness to the breath.

As you breathe consciously,

Deeply,

Notice the quality of the breath.

See if you can find a steady rhythm for the breath.

Good night.

As you become more familiar with the breath,

With the inhale as an in-breath and with the exhale as an out-breath,

Notice the quality of the mind.

When we focus on the breath,

This gives the mind something to do,

Something positive to focus on.

Focusing on the breath occupies the mind.

Awareness of breath quiets the mind.

Continue to breathe consciously,

Deeply.

See if you can find the space between the breaths,

That little pause,

And know that you don't need to do anything with that space except observe it.

And perhaps let it be a reminder of the present moment each time you find that space.

Know that you are here in the present moment,

Breathing consciously,

Preparing to start the day.

Let's take a deep inhale together.

And exhale,

Let it go.

Keep the eyes closed,

Relax the muscles around the eyes.

Set an intention for the day,

Something you wish to achieve,

A goal,

A direction you would like to head toward,

Perhaps a quality you'd like to cultivate.

Your intention for this brand new day,

This amazing day we are about to have.

Set that intention in the mind,

Feel that intention in the heart.

And throughout the day,

As you move toward this intention,

As things come up,

Remember to breathe.

Throughout the day,

There are so many obstacles,

Challenges,

But there are an infinite number of breaths.

We can choose where to place our trust,

Where to place our attention.

Throughout the day,

If we become overwhelmed,

We can come back to the breath,

Gently blink the eyes open.

Have a beautiful day.