Let's begin by taking a moment to allow your body to settle.
Find a comfortable position that allows your spine to be long but with a natural curve in the lower back.
For this practice,
You may want to close your eyes or let your gaze be soft.
Let the belly and shoulders relax.
Today I'll guide you through a focused attention practice centered on the breath.
This will help to calm your mind and relax your body.
Before we start,
Take a full breath in and a long breath out.
Now allow the breath to find its natural rhythm,
In and out.
Without trying to change your breathing in any way,
Take this time to notice how your body breathes.
You may feel the breath as air passes through your nostrils or in the rise and fall of your belly or chest.
Next,
Choose one area to observe the breath for the next few minutes.
Whichever you choose,
Direct your attention to noticing the inhale and the exhale,
Again and again.
Whenever you find that the mind has wandered,
Just come back to the breath.
Notice the different aspects of the breath right now.
The phases of the inhale and the exhale.
Whether your breath is warm or cool,
Deep or shallow,
Observe if there is a pause between the end of one complete breath and the beginning of the next.
If your mind is wandering,
Counting can be helpful for maintaining focus on the breath.
So at the bottom of each exhale,
Count silently from 1 to 10.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Count 1,
Inhale,
Exhale,
Count 2.
Still noticing the sensations of the breath,
When the mind wanders again,
Just come back to 1 and start again without judgment.
As we begin to close this practice,
Bring your attention back to the body.
How does your body feel?
Are there sounds around you?
What are the sensations of the clothes or air on your skin?
Feel where your feet or body make contact with the ground.
Maybe wiggle your fingers and your toes.
If you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes now and take in the world around you.
You can also stay sitting for a few more moments as your body and mind return to alertness.
As you continue with the rest of your day,
You can access this gentle,
Focused energy again by refocusing for a few moments on your breath in the way we just practiced.
Let's finish this focused attention practice now by taking a full breath in and a long breath out.
