Just having a sense of ease and relaxation,
Acknowledging any sounds in your environment,
Any strong sensations in the body.
And this is a concentration practice to a great extent,
Which means that we're not going to particularly observe thoughts and distractions,
But rather try to keep coming back to the experience of breath and the words that I'm going to suggest you use with the breath.
It's most helpful to pay attention to the breath at the nostrils for this practice.
Right now,
Let your attention come to the tip of the nose,
The place where the air comes in and out of the body.
Feeling the sensation of breathing in and the sensation of breathing out.
That sensation might be quite subtle or even difficult to feel.
One way to start to perceive that is to just notice the difference between the feeling of the in-breath and the feeling of the out-breath.
Usually that will be fairly distinct.
We'll just do that right now.
Notice the difference between the sensations of breathing in and the sensations of breathing out.
And now,
Begin to say the words in,
Out,
Silently with each breath.
Breathing in,
I say in.
Breathing out,
I say out.
In,
Out.
Feeling the sensations of breath and repeating the words with the sensations.
In,
Out.
Anytime you notice your mind is wandered from the words and the breath,
Just come right back to the sensations,
Right back to the words.
Start again.
No need to think about it or judge that experience.
Just come back to in,
Out.
And now we'll move to a second set of words.
Breathing in,
Say deep.
Breathing out,
Slow.
Deep,
Slow.
Feeling the breath and repeating the words.
Deep,
Slow.
Your breath may naturally slow and deepen as you repeat the words,
But you don't have to make an effort to do that.
Just stay with the sensations and the words.
Keep it very simple.
Breath and words.
Deep,
Slow.
The words and the sensations merge and fill the mind.
And now moving to the next set of words.
Breathing in,
Calm.
Breathing out,
Ease.
Calm,
Ease.
Let the words be soft and in the background while the experience of breath is in the foreground,
Feeling the sensations and repeating the words.
Calm,
Ease.
The mind absorbed in breath and words.
Breathing back anytime the mind wanders.
And moving to the next set of words.
Breathing in,
Smile.
Release.
Smile,
Release.
With these words,
You can gently,
Intentionally turn up the corners of your mouth into a little Buddha smile.
Don't force that if it feels wrong,
But if it comes easily,
Let it come.
Smile,
Release.
Staying with the sensations of breath and repeating the words.
Smile,
Release.
For the next many seconds of Sadhana,
Rest for two seconds.
Enveloped by breath and words.
And now moving to the final set of words.
Breathing in,
Present moment.
Breathing out,
Wonderful moment.
Present moment,
Wonderful moment.
Feeling the breath and repeating the words,
Seeing that any moment in which we are present,
We will see the wonder.
Present moment,
Wonderful moment.
