Bring all your awareness to the sensations of your breath.
Notice your breath moving in through your nose,
Filling your lungs,
Expanding your belly,
And then moving back up and out through your nose or your mouth.
Try to bring a curiosity to watching your breath.
Maybe notice that each breath is a little bit different.
Now,
Gently bring awareness to the sensations in your body,
Starting with the top of your head.
Allow your forehead to relax,
Your eyes to soften,
And let go of any tension in your jaw.
Bring your awareness down through your neck and your shoulders.
Allow your left shoulder to be heavy and relaxed.
Relaxing your left bicep,
Tricep,
Elbow,
Forearm,
And left hand.
Notice if your left shoulder is a little bit lower now than your right.
Now bring awareness to your right shoulder.
Allow it to become heavy and relaxed.
Relaxing your right bicep,
Tricep,
Elbow,
Forearm,
And right hand.
Notice the sensations of both your shoulders being heavy.
Now bring awareness to your chest and your heart center.
Take a moment and just feel the heaviness of your chest,
Relaxing into the sensations,
Feeling comforted and safe.
Bring awareness into your stomach,
Relaxing your stomach muscles a little bit more with each exhale.
Just simply notice the stomach breathing.
Bring awareness into your seat.
Notice the heaviness of your body against your cushion or chair.
Allow it to help you feel anchored and secure.
Now,
Bring awareness in your left leg,
Relaxing your left thigh,
Hamstring.
Knee,
Shin,
Calf muscle,
And left foot.
Bring awareness to the right leg,
Relaxing your right thigh,
Hamstring,
Knee,
Shin,
Calf muscle,
And right foot.
Bring awareness to your lower back,
Your middle back,
And then your upper back,
Allowing your shoulder blades to pull together,
Allowing your body to sit up a little bit straighter and to create more space in your chest.
Relax the back of your neck.
Let go of the tension at the base of your skull.
Take a moment to just bring awareness to how your body feels.
If there are any other places that feel relaxed or tense,
Take a moment and investigate that feeling for yourself and see if you can relax it a little bit more.
Allow it to feelXXX Now,
Bring your awareness back to breathing and see if you can find a place in your body where you feel your breath most easily.
Maybe at the base of your nose or as your stomach moves in and out.
Maybe as your shoulders gently lift up and down.
Simply try to find the place and with curiosity,
Simply watch your breath.
In,
I know I'm breathing in.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
It's important to bring compassion to your practice and to yourself as you'll find that your mind starts to wander easily.
That's normal.
It's okay.
It doesn't mean that you're doing anything wrong.
It just means that your mind,
Like all of our minds,
Needs to be trained.
So when you notice your mind wandering,
Simply acknowledge to yourself that you're only thinking.
There's no need to identify the thought or to let it run away with you to create a storyline.
Just simply say to yourself,
I'm only thinking,
Thinking,
Thinking,
And then return back to your chosen point of focus.
Now I am breathing in.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
You'll notice that your mind may try to distract you with sounds.
The same with thoughts.
Try not to create a storyline or identify what the sound is.
Just simply acknowledge to yourself that you're only hearing and then return back to your breath.
I'm only hearing,
Hearing,
Hearing.
Now I am breathing in.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Out,
I know I'm breathing out.
Just like thinking and hearing,
Your eyes may start noticing colors or seeing even with the eyes closed.
Simply acknowledge that you're seeing.
Don't let the storyline of what you may be seeing carry you away.
Simply acknowledge that you're seeing and then return back to your breath.
Now I am breathing in.
Now I am breathing out.
You've practiced the same with all the other senses.
You may get distracted by a taste in your mouth.
You simply acknowledge that it's only a taste,
Then return back to breathing.
You may notice a texture that your hands are touching or the clothing on your skin.
Just simply acknowledge that it's just a touch and then return back to breathing.
Now I am breathing in.
Now I am breathing out.
I like to end my meditation practice by breathing in and saying the words,
I accept.
And breathing out and saying the words,
Let go to myself.
So breathing in,
I accept.
Breathing out,
Let go.
Breathing out,
Let go.
Breathing out,
Let go.
Breathing out,
Let go.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
Allow yourself to accept the experience as it is and be as compassionate to yourself as you can for the rest of your day.
