Find a posture that enables you to be both relaxed and alert.
And give yourself permission to set aside the busyness in the mind,
The need to produce,
The need to make use of every moment.
And for this time,
Put all of the attention and energy into simply noticing what's here now.
You can start by noticing the sensations that arise in relation to breathing.
Noticing where you can feel the in-breath and out-breath.
Noticing the subtle sensations that arise and pass as breath enters the body,
As it exits the body.
And you may have sensations at the nostrils,
Where cool air enters and warmer air exits.
You may have sensations in the chest or in the belly,
Rising and expanding on the in-breath,
Contracting and falling on the out-breath,
Without any need to create or force a certain type of breath.
Bringing the breath into full conscious awareness,
As it is now.
Feeling the full in-breath,
The full out-breath.
And when the mind becomes entangled in a story,
Creating images or narration or an evaluation or judgment of your experience,
Simply noticing how it is to become aware of your mind's movement and how that's different from being lost in a particular thought.
And without any sense of a problem or an error or any self-judgment,
Bringing the attention back to the sensations of breathing.
Feeling the full in-breath,
Full out-breath.
Nothing else to do.
Simply notice.
You may feel sensations arising and passing elsewhere in the body.
You may hear sounds come and go,
Close sounds,
Distant sounds,
Pleasant,
Unpleasant.
And all of these sounds and sensations can arise and pass on their own.
They are not problems or obstacles to meditation.
We don't have to manage or interfere with experience in any way.
Simply be attentive to the breath.
Keeping the breath in the foreground of attention while allowing sensations to arise and pass throughout the body,
Sounds to come and go.
Seeing if it's possible to experience what's arising without evaluating or judging your progress or skill level.
Each time the mind wanders,
We come into awareness of the mind's activity that is an awakening.
A moment in which we can retrain the mind to return to what's here.
To let go of the impulse to plan,
Problem-solve,
Seek distraction,
Judge,
Chatter.
The practice of letting go and tuning in to what's here in the breath,
Body,
And sound.
If the breath is difficult to stay with,
You can silently count each exhalation.
One,
Two,
Up to ten and then back down as an additional anchor for the attention.
Letting the numbers go when they are no longer needed.
Noticing the way thoughts fade or lose power when brought into the full light of the breath.
Light of conscious awareness.
Without pushing them away or fighting thought,
We can notice what's arising and once again feel the sensations of breathing,
The sensations throughout the body,
And the sounds that arise and pass on their own.
Like awareness itself,
The breath is always here and available.
A peaceful refuge,
A place of return.
