Hello my friends,
And welcome to today's stress reduction practice.
Begin by finding a position that allows you to both relax and stay alert.
You might be sitting upright or lying down.
Allow the spine to be long but not rigid.
Hands resting wherever they fall naturally.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.
Take a moment to notice that you've arrived here.
No need to change anything,
Just noticing.
Now,
Bring your attention to the physical sensations of breathing.
Where do you feel the breath most clearly?
Perhaps the nostrils,
The chest,
Or the abdomen.
Let your attention rest there.
Not controlling the breath,
Not shaping it,
Simply observing it.
You may notice the inhale and the exhale.
The beginning of the breath,
And the end.
And when the mind wanders,
As it will,
Gently acknowledge where it has gone,
And then escort your attention back to the breath.
Just noticing,
And returning.
Now,
Expand your awareness to include your body as a whole.
Sensing the body sitting or lying here.
Noticing points of contact,
Where the body meets the surface beneath you.
The pressure,
The temperature,
Or subtle sensations.
You might even notice areas of tension.
Just recognize them.
No need to fix or release them.
And maybe you allow yourself to notice areas of ease,
Or neutrality.
Letting all sensations be included in awareness.
Now,
Gently shifting attention back to the breath.
Always using the breath as an anchor.
A place to return to again and again.
You may notice that the breath changes from moment to moment.
Short,
Long,
Shallow or deep.
Let it be exactly as it is.
If thoughts arise,
Planning or remembering,
Judging,
See if you can notice them as mental events.
Not facts,
Or problems to solve.
Just thoughts,
Appearing and passing.
And again,
Returning to the breath.
Now,
Broadening your awareness once more,
Including breath,
Body,
And sounds.
Notice the sounds as they arise.
Near or far,
Without needing to name or interpret them.
Just hearing.
Allow everything to come and go.
The breath,
Sensations,
Sounds,
Thoughts.
All moving with awareness.
And you are simply noticing.
If at any point you feel pulled away,
Gently return to the breath.
This is the practice.
Now,
In these final moments,
Resting in this open awareness,
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
Just allow yourself to be right here.
And when you are ready,
Gently deepen the breath and bring small movements back into the body.
Noticing the space around you.
If your eyes are closed,
Slowly open them and take just a moment to observe how you feel,
Without needing to evaluate it.
And allow this awareness to carry with you as you move throughout the rest of your day.
Thank you friends for practicing with me.
I'm Julia,
And I wish you all calm and comfort in your day.
