Hello,
This is Jean Vitrano.
Thank you for joining me.
We'll be doing a meditation on breathing with the places we contract.
So find yourself first in a comfortable seated position.
You want to be able to sit upright,
But not stiff.
And you can close your eyes if you would like,
Or if you prefer to keep them open,
Simply soften your gaze and lower your eyes.
And now let yourself arrive in your body.
In this moment,
Sensing yourself.
Without changing it,
Go ahead and locate your breath.
Feel when you're breathing in and when you are breathing out and simply follow the rhythm of this movement of your breath.
However it is,
However long or short,
However deep or shallow,
Simply breathing in,
Knowing you're breathing in and breathing out,
Knowing you're breathing out.
Sense your pelvis sitting on whatever surface you are sitting on and feel the connection of your feet or legs with the ground.
And allow your weight to settle down.
Staying with your breath,
We'll listen to the sound of the bell.
And now as you follow your inhale and your exhale,
Notice where you feel any sense of contraction in your body.
You might experience it as tension or a sense of holding an area.
It might be a place where your breath does not move.
Often it feels like pulling into the center or a lifting up toward your ears or away from the ground.
You might sense it in your shoulders or your abdomen.
Or you might feel it in your face,
Around your jaw,
Around the muscles,
Around your eyes.
Or you might feel it in your hips or your back.
So first,
Just become aware of it and name it.
So yes,
I feel tension in this place.
And you might note that it's not all of you where you feel this tension.
And you might also note that it is likely to change as all things change.
And then go ahead and describe it.
Aware of this contraction.
I feel like,
Or it feels like.
See what words come to mind that describe the sensation.
Is it tight?
Does it feel restricted or aching or stuck?
Maybe it feels numb.
But first,
Just what words describe what this place feels like.
When you find the right words,
You'll know,
There'll be this sense of,
Yes,
That feels like the right word.
The right description.
And now specifically,
Invite your breath to that place.
Breathing in spaciousness to this area.
Breathing out and letting go.
Or it might be breathing in lightness to this area.
Breathing out,
Softening or ease.
Continuing to bring your breath to this area just like that.
Breathing in spaciousness,
Breathing out and letting go.
If the place feels unwilling to soften,
Breathe in just how it is and breathe out,
Letting it be just how it is.
Breathing fully with the way things are.
Allow the experience to be just as it is.
You might just send the invitation to the area.
May I have ease here?
Just the thought.
Even if in this moment you cannot feel it.
Breathing in,
Knowing you're breathing in and breathing out,
Knowing you're breathing out.
After you've spent some time here,
You may see if there's another place that is calling your attention.
And you can bring your awareness and your breath there.
First,
Just observing what is there.
And then inviting your in breath to fill that place with spaciousness and your out breath to let go.
Breathing in spaciousness,
Breathing out.
And then just allowing your awareness and your breath to fill that place with spaciousness.
And then just allowing your awareness and your breath to fill that place with spaciousness.
Breathing in spaciousness,
Breathing out softness or ease.
You might even place your hand on this particular area and feel the breath expanding underneath your hand as you inhale and softening as you exhale.
And then just allowing your awareness and your breath to fill that place with spaciousness.
And then just involving your awareness and your breath to fill that place with spaciousness.
Breathing in hope as you come to that small place in the same room,
Where will this place can fill this space?
Breathing inleigh,
And now you may shift your attention away from any one particular spot and feel how your breath moves through your whole body.
You may get a sense of your whole being slightly expanding on the inhale and softening on the exhale.
It's like a heart beating steadily,
Pulsing through all of you that sends energy in and out.
Allowing your life its moments of expansion and giving energy out and moments of resting and taking in a constant flow.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Breathing that rhythm just as it is.
And you might take a moment and thank yourself for practicing,
For taking this time for yourself.
And I thank you for joining me.
