Before we begin,
Find a comfortable seated position,
Either sitting in a chair with your back fully supported or on a cushion.
Find a long spine and relax your shoulders down.
When you're ready,
Softly close your eyes or lower your gaze.
Allow your body to settle and notice a sense of heaviness and gravity.
Feel the support of the earth beneath you.
As you're breathing in and out,
Feel the muscles of your face soften.
Relax the brow and the space between the eyebrows.
Soften the cheeks and the jaw.
Relax your tongue and let it rest at the bottom of your mouth.
You may also slightly part your lips and move your jaw side to side a few times.
Gradually allow your awareness to focus on the sensations of the breath in your body.
Feel the rise and fall of the belly as you inhale and exhale through the nose.
Notice how your ribcage expands with the in-breath and contracts towards your center line with the out-breath.
Release any need to control your breath.
Allow each inhale and exhale to flow naturally at its own rhythm.
With gentle curiosity,
Let go of any expectations about what should be happening now.
Feel the gravity and the heaviness of your body pulling you towards the surface below you.
Allow your awareness to rest on the natural movement of the breath.
Now become aware of any thoughts and emotions that may be coming up right now.
Simply notice them with a loving awareness without judgment and gently invite your awareness back to the breath.
Use your breath as an anchor for your mind,
Returning to it again and again,
Moment by moment.
When your awareness drifts,
As it naturally will,
Simply acknowledge it and return to the breath.
Allow the breath to become your intimate friend,
Anchoring you here and now,
In this present moment.
As you breathe,
You may notice other experiences,
Background sounds,
Sensations of warmth or coolness.
Allow them to be present without letting them pull your focus away.
Continue to rest with your breath and notice when you drift off into thought.
Without any judgment,
Gently come back to your breath,
Moment by moment.
As your mind quiets,
You might sense a deepening sense of peace that arises as you immerse your awareness in the breath's inflow and outflow.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Become aware of the beginning and end of each breath.
Notice a short pause between the inhale and the exhale.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Be fully present,
Awake and at home within yourself.
As we come to the end of this meditation,
Take a moment to appreciate the stillness and presence you have cultivated.
Gradually bring your awareness to your hands and feet,
Fingers and toes,
And gently move your head side to side a few times.
When you're ready,
Take a deep breath,
Open your eyes and reawaken to the world with a renewed sense of clarity and ease.
Remember that you can carry this sense of calm with you throughout your day.
You can also come back to this place of stillness at any time.
