Welcome to this 5-minute guided meditation practice for focus.
Go ahead and sit in a comfortable,
Upright position,
With your spine elongated.
Roll back your shoulders.
Rest your hands in your lap,
And once you have settled in,
Gently close your eyes.
Now,
We will complete a counting breathing exercise.
So,
Breathing in through the nose for a count of 4,
And breathing out through the mouth for a count of 8.
When you breathe out,
Very gently and slowly,
Imagine you are breathing out through a straw,
So keep your lips slightly pursed.
We will repeat this breath cycle 5 times.
Let's begin.
Breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Breathe out for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Breathe out for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Breathe out for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Breathe out for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
Breathe in for 1,
2,
3,
4.
Breathe out for 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
And now,
Allow the breath to return to its natural soothing rhythm.
Notice how you feel.
Notice the natural flow of the breath.
Focus your attention on the natural breath and how it connects to the physical body.
So,
Notice when you breathe in,
Your body rises and expands,
And as you breathe out,
It contracts.
Notice the rise and fall of your belly and chest.
Notice the small rise in your shoulders.
Notice how the air is cool when you breathe in,
And how it is warm when you breathe out.
So,
Just spend a couple of moments observing your breath and its presence in the body.
And as you become more aware of your breath,
Wandering thoughts may begin to arise.
And don't worry,
This is perfectly fine.
It is completely natural.
Just allow those thoughts to pass by,
Like a gentle flow of the river.
You may be thinking about work,
Your family,
Your responsibilities,
And your plans for the day.
So,
Just allow all those thoughts to pass through your mind,
Without attaching any emotions or judgements to them.
And as you soften your grip on these distractions,
Shift your gentle attention back to the sensations of the breath.
Now,
Notice any sounds around you.
So,
You may notice a gentle hum of the chirping birds outside your window.
Maybe you hear cars driving by,
The chattering of the neighbours.
And do not be distracted by these sounds,
Just be aware that they are there to bring you back into the present moment.
Continue to observe the sounds around you,
Without any judgement.
Now,
Bring your attention back to your body.
And starting from your feet and toes,
Feel any sensations in these parts against the ground.
So,
Continue feeling into your legs,
Your belly,
Your hands,
And your fingers,
Until you reach the top of your head.
And at this point,
You may feel heightened sensations,
Especially around areas that hold tension,
So just experience these sensations as they are,
And allow your attention to let them go,
As you return to the breath,
Coming in and out of your body.
Grounding you to the present moment.
And the more you relax your mind,
The more you allow yourself to remain calm,
Clear,
And grounded.
As we begin to close this practice,
Begin to stretch your body gently,
So wiggle your toes and your finger,
Move your head from side to side,
Shrug your right shoulder and then your left,
And then very slowly open your eyes.
