Five To Focus & Relax

In a brief five minutes, practice cultivating focus and relaxation with slow breaths, melting into the natural breath. This practice helps you to soften and be present with whatever the moment contains, so you may practice equanimity, now, and in more moments of your life.

Transcript

Hello friends, This is Joni with Healthy Body, Peaceful Soul. I hope you enjoy this brief guided mindfulness practice. I invite you to remember to be gentle with yourself and to not have the expectation of having a blank mind when you practice mindfulness meditation, But rather be present with whatever is and practice a gentle, Internal, Curious voice when addressing yourself. Let's begin by sitting comfortably with a tall spine. You're also welcome to lie down as long as you're not going to fall asleep. We want to cultivate an alertness while also relaxing the body. Take a deep inhale through the nose and exhale with a sigh. One more breath like that, A deep inhale through the nose and an exhale with a sigh, Relaxing and letting go even more. Let's take some long, Slow, Controlled breaths, Inhaling through the nose, Exhaling through the nose or the mouth, And try to make your exhales longer than your inhales. And that will help just to calm and soothe the nervous system. Try to allow every exhale to be a release, An emptying of the mind and a softening of the body. See if you can imagine each slow exhale providing you with that release, The ability to let go, To let go of what stresses you, To let go of the chatter of the mind, To soften and melt the body while still remaining upright and alert, A focused relaxation. Take a few more deep breaths like this, Exhales longer than inhales. And now release the deep breathing. Just let your body take over breathing and try to notice what's happening inside. Try to notice and get comfortable with whatever is going on in the mind. Just practice bringing your attention to that natural ebb and flow of your breath. If your eyes were closed, I even invite you to stay in this relaxed but focused state and open the eyes. Look around and take in your surroundings while still anchoring attention in the rise and fall of each inhale and exhale. Try to stay relaxed with a soft gaze, Inviting in your surroundings. You can practice this simple breath awareness, This simple mindfulness technique anytime you want to focus and relax and be present in your world no matter what's going on around you. You can gaze upon it with a sense of focused ease. You might even consider practicing this in front of a window so that when you open your eyes you can gaze out upon nature. I hope you enjoyed this practice. Consider doing it several times a day to help you focus, Relax and recenter. Once again I'm Joni and I'll see you again soon.