Mindful Breathing Meditation.
This meditation combines two different breath awareness methods for mindfully bringing you into the present moment and helping you to calm your busy mind.
In today's meditation,
We will journey through a multi-sensory experience.
We will begin by intentionally controlling our breath with the Ujjayi or yogic breath.
Then we will transition into the Buddhist meditation practice of Anapanasati in which we simply observe and allow our natural breath to just be,
Eventually surrendering all need to control our breath and our mind.
Let's get started.
Find a comfortable seated position with your back supported and allow your head to be free.
Your head,
Neck and spine are aligned.
Your hands can rest in your lap.
Softly close your eyes.
Bring a gentle awareness to any areas of tension in your body.
You may choose to roll your shoulders up,
Back and down.
Relax your forehead.
Roll your neck slowly from one side to the other.
Gently wiggle your jaw from side to side.
Allow your tongue to lower from the roof of your mouth.
Take a deep breath in and as you breathe out,
Feel your muscles releasing and relaxing one by one.
Give your entire body permission to relax in whatever way feels best.
Make any further adjustments you need in this moment.
Can you find just a little more comfort and ease?
Here in our stillness,
We will find a balance between relaxation and a soft awareness.
Now turn your attention towards your breath.
Here we will prepare to create an Ujjayi pranayama breath.
We will breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Creating an audible sound.
Upon each exhale,
We will create a slight constriction in the back of our throat and sigh the air out as if you were fogging up a mirror.
Here we go.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Slowly sigh it out through your mouth,
Feeling a gentle rush of air in your throat.
Again,
Breathe in through your nose and exhale the air out through your mouth,
Hearing the sound it creates.
Repeat this cycle for two more breaths.
Good.
This time we will exhale with your mouth closed while still creating an audible sound.
Inhale through your nose,
Then exhale through your nose,
Hearing the sound of the air in your throat.
Deep breath in and on your exhale feel the air as it travels up against the back of your throat.
Here we focus on our sense of sound,
Hearing the wave of air as it flows steadily through our nose and throat.
The air sounds like a breeze moving softly in through your nose and becomes a steady ocean wave as it moves out.
Now we begin to quiet the sounds of our breathing and tune into the physical or tactile sensations as we breathe softly.
You may notice the rise and fall of your belly.
As you breathe in,
Feel your belly expand with air.
As you breathe out,
Feel your belly fall or lower.
Deepen your in-breath.
Lengthen your out-breath.
Expand your belly as you breathe in.
Relax as you breathe out.
With each breath,
You feel your body and mind calming.
On your next inhale,
Shift your focus to the tip of your nose,
This gateway where the air both enters and exits your nasal passage.
Notice the feeling of the breath at this perimeter of your nose.
Feel the cool air as it enters through the tip of your nose.
Then feel how it warms this place as the air exits your nose.
This gateway or edge will serve as our steady point of focus.
Just as the air continues to travel past this gate,
So too do your thoughts as they float in and out of your mind.
Yet your awareness remains steady and softly focused right here in this one place.
Cool air as you breathe in and warm air as you breathe out.
Here we become a curious observer of our breath,
No longer needing to change the breath in any way.
Simply notice how it feels.
Be a witness to your breath.
If your mind should wander,
Simply guide your attention back to your breath,
Belly rising with the inhale and falling with your exhale.
The cooling sensation of air invited in,
Warming sensation of air flowing out.
Now we come to the place where we are ready to fully let go.
Surrender to your natural breath.
Your body knows exactly what it needs.
Simply receive your next breath.
Allow yourself to be breathed.
Feel how seamlessly the air flows from one breath to another.
No beginning and no end.
Allow your breath to be exactly as it is in this moment.
Your breath flows in and out.
Thoughts are like waves on the surface that come and go.
Your mind is an anchor,
No longer swept up by the waves.
In this space,
We simply surrender and allow.
You become as deep and expansive as the ocean.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Gently start to bring some awareness back into your physical body.
Notice how you're supported in your seat.
Take a deep breath in,
Open your mouth and let it out.
Do this once more.
Take a deep inhale through the nose and release this air through your mouth.
As we close our meditation practice,
Let's take one last moment to set an intention for yourself.
What feeling do you want to cultivate today?
Rather than forcing things to happen,
How can you surrender control in your life and allow more ease and flow like water?
Trust that everything is always working out for you.
Everything can and will come to you in the perfect timing as you simply allow it into your experience.
Slowly blink your eyes open.
Let's foster a feeling of appreciation for the abundance that surrounds you and carry this with you in all of your encounters today.
Can you see the world with new eyes,
With a sense of curiosity and excitement for what's to come?
Remember meditation is a way to be aware of your own feelings.
Remember meditation is not about escaping from life but rather allowing ourselves to be more fully engaged and present.
Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you through your practice today.
The light in me sees and honors the beautiful bright light within you.
All is well.
Namaste.
