In a moment,
I'm going to guide you through a brief centering exercise.
First,
Find a quiet place free of distractions and come into a comfortable seated position.
Your seat could be cross-legged on your shins or in a chair with a straight back.
The goal here is to create a tall spine to prevent slouching and rounding in the lower back.
Once you've found a comfortable seat,
Allow your eyes to softly close or find a soft gaze down in front of you.
Imagine the spine is tall like a tree with your sits bones rooting down into the earth while the crown of the head rises up towards the sky.
Relax the shoulders down away from the ears.
Rest your hands comfortably on the knees or thighs.
Now take this moment to simply notice the space around you.
First,
Notice the sounds,
The sounds far away and the sounds nearby.
Scan through the body,
Starting at the crown of the head all the way down to the tips of your toes,
Noticing all sensations that are present.
As you begin to notice,
Try not to label anything good or bad.
Notice it and let the thought drift away as if it were on a fluffy cloud.
Now begin to notice how you are feeling both mentally and emotionally.
What is going on there?
Notice the quality of your thoughts or if there are any residual feelings from earlier in the day.
Observe and allow these thoughts or feelings to float away like clouds floating in the sky without giving them any extra attention or energy.
Now begin to focus on your breath.
Watch the belly rise as you breathe in and fall as you breathe out.
Notice the touch of air inside of your nose as you breathe,
The coolness of the inhalation and the warmth of the exhalation.
Watch the breath move in and out of you like the rise and fall of an ocean wave.
Inhale,
Belly rises.
Exhale,
Belly falls.
And if at any point a thought arises,
Gently bring your attention and focus back to your breath.
Now when you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes and notice how you feel.
