Find a comfortable seat.
You can make sure that your spine is long.
You can sit cross-legged.
You can sit on a chair.
You can kneel.
It doesn't matter which,
Just as long as your spine is long.
Lift your shoulders up to your ears.
And roll them back down,
Allowing them to drop.
Unclench your jaw.
Soften your belly.
Soften your belly.
And close down your eyes.
Bring your attention to your nostrils.
Notice cool air as it enters your body.
A slight warmer air as it leaves.
Trace the journey of the breath.
Through the nostrils.
Feeling the chest expand.
And then contract again.
And the air leaving.
Pay attention to the qualities of the breath.
Is it smooth or a bit ragged?
Fast or slow?
Shallow or deep?
And notice that as you bring your attention to it,
It naturally slows,
Steadies,
Calms.
We're going to bring an internal count to the breath.
Count can be at your own pace,
So the breath feels easeful and comfortable.
Next time you inhale,
Just count to four.
And as you exhale,
Count to four.
Inhale four.
Exhale four.
The inhale and the exhale equal length.
Inhale for four.
Exhale for four.
Notice how the body lifts as you inhale.
And there's an expansive quality.
Notice how there's a sinking,
Grounding as you exhale.
Inhale for four.
And exhale for four.
Then just notice as the inhale turns to the exhale,
There's a slight pause.
I'm going to feel into this pause.
Just add a count of four between the inhale and the exhale.
And then the same at the end of the exhale.
Add in a count of four.
We're breathing in for four.
Holding the breath in for four.
Exhaling for four.
Holding the breath out for four.
As you hold the breath in,
Make sure that you're dropping your shoulders and not holding with tension.
As you hold on the end of the exhale,
Feel that dropping sensation.
In for four.
Hold for four.
Out for four.
Hold for four.
Just a few more like this.
Making sure that as you hold,
You're letting go of tension.
After your next complete breath,
Drop all of the counting.
Drop the holds.
Just allow your breath to return back to its normal rhythm.
No need to control.
No need to count.
Allow the body to breathe.
And bring your attention again to the opening of the nostrils.
Place all of your attention here.
Witness every single breath.
As it enters and leaves your body.
The mind wanders.
Know that that's normal.
Just bring your attention back to your breath.
Back to the opening of the nostrils.
Next time you breathe in,
Just follow the breath from the nostrils,
The space between the eyebrows.
And then trace its journey back down again.
From the nostrils,
Space between the eyebrows.
Every single breath.
And again,
The mind wanders.
Know that this is completely normal.
And return to the breath.
Next time you reach the space between your eyebrows,
Don't follow the breath back.
Just rest there.
All your attention focused on that space.
Feel that space expand.
Wider.
Out to the left and the right.
Feel that space grow above you,
Behind you,
In front and below.
And rest in this expansive awareness.
Knowing that if thoughts come into your mind,
Perfectly normal,
Knowledge them.
Return your focus to the expansive space.
And then take a deeper breath.
Bring your awareness back to your body.
Back to the room that you're in.
Bring your hands together at heart center and just give them a little rub.
Bringing some sensation back.
And then place the hands over the eyes.
And blink open the eyes.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
