Hello and welcome to this short mindfulness meditation to help increase your awareness of both breath and body in this present moment.
My name is Jason Stevenson and I invite you to simply follow my words of guidance as we move through this meditation and know that there is nothing you need to know and no experience you need to have in order to practice this.
So to begin just take a moment to let yourself come to a comfortable seated position or lying down if that's comfortable for you.
You can be in a chair on the bench seated on the floor or whatever is most comfortable and wherever you find yourself just take a moment to check in with your posture ensuring that your spine and neck form one straight line and your shoulders are relaxed.
Just rest your hands in your lap your knees or your thighs and then close your eyes if you've not done so.
Now take a few silent moments to let your mind arrive in this present moment.
Often when we go into meditation it takes the mind a few moments to settle in,
To let go of its attachment to the past or its ideas about the future.
You can help it to arrive by simply tuning into the surface beneath you noting what it feels like to be held by gravity against the floor or the chair below you.
Once you feel firmly grounded and connected to the earth beneath you just let your attention shift gently towards the breath without looking for anything in particular in the breath's flow Simply observe its movement into and out of your body.
You might notice the temperature of the surrounding air as it enters your nostrils or the feeling of the body expanding and contracting with each breath cycle.
If you notice the mind wandering at any point simply notice this movement with patience curiosity and compassion and note that it's entirely natural for the mind to wander.
So practice non-judgment when you notice that this is occurring.
Just silently invite your attention back to the breath when you notice that thoughts have pulled your attention away.
Now I invite you to let your attention and your awareness broaden to hold your entire physical body within the scope of its lens.
Notice what it feels like to be here to fully occupy your physical being in this moment.
Just as was the case when you observe the breath there is nothing unusual or particular you need to look for.
Tuning into the body is a process of simply connecting with the subtle sensations of being alive you might notice tingling,
Tension,
Contraction or expansion or even numbness or any other barely traceable sensations.
Just simply notice what is here inside of you.
Now let your attention focus in on a single sensation you may have come to observe.
If nothing has stood out to you simply let your awareness land on either the heart space or your third eye area just in the middle of your brows.
Whatever point of the body your attention has landed on I invite you just to stay with that.
Notice what is there and even if that feels like numbness or emptiness just notice be with it and refrain from judging any sensations as good or bad just watch with openness and just see what happens.
If or when the sensation dissolves just gently shift your focus to another single point in the body.
Alternatively you can stay exactly where you are continuing to be present with that original point of interest.
Now I invite you to consider is there any part of your body that might be yearning for some love or attention and let your attention on that place or stay where it is at the present and then imagine as if you are breathing nourishing energy into that part of your body with each breath.
So with each inhalation you might envision a gold healing light being sent to that area of your attention and with each breath out you might envision that same light carrying away any tension or stagnant energy.
Inhale loving energy to nurture this single point in your physical body and exhale all tension away.
Now I invite you to broaden your awareness once again slowly expanding your attention to hold your entire physical body.
And then continue to inhale those loving breaths or that golden light letting each breath nurture every cell of your body.
Just imagine that your entire body each cell each muscle and each organ is breathing in and out.
Now soften your forehead,
Relax your belly and then slowly let all visuals fade as you come back to the natural flow of your breath and ground yourself once again in the surface beneath you and when you are ready to close this practice slowly open your eyes and as you move through your day remember that you can always come back to the immediate sensations of your breath and body to find peace presence and grounding.
Thanks for joining me today and until next time good night my friend good night
