Breathing Meditation For Focus

Today's mindfulness meditation offers a simple yet powerful technique: mentally counting our breaths. This practice is designed to focus your attention and calm your mind. The purpose of counting is simply to help the mind focus on the breath. You can use this technique every time you find yourself caught up in thinking.

Enjoy your practice, and remember to be kind to yourself throughout this process.

Transcript

Welcome to your guided meditation practice.

Get comfortable in a seated position of your choice with your hips higher than your knees and a tall neutral spine.

Rest your hands wherever they naturally fall and go ahead gently close your eyes or soften your gaze.

Together let's take three deep slow breaths.

With each exhale consciously let go relaxing the face,

Shoulders,

Hands,

Belly,

Whole body.

Take a deep breath in and slow breath out.

Consciously letting go.

Deep breath in slow breath out.

Relaxing,

Releasing any tension.

Deep breath in slow breath out.

Feeling sensations of your exhalation.

Now resume your natural breathing.

Slowly align your attention with the natural flow of your breath.

Our minds need a mental object to stay focused.

One object that is available to us in any moment is our breath.

We'll start by mentally counting our breaths.

The purpose of counting is simply to help the mind focus on the breath.

As you breathe in count mentally one and as you breathe out count mentally two until you arrive at ten.

Then count backward from ten to one.

Whenever you're ready you can start.

Breathing in one Breathing out two Breath by breath Counting your natural breaths.

No need to make them more distinct.

And if you do just notice if you're intentionally deepening or quickening your breaths.

When you notice you drifted off the breath,

You lost the count,

Just start over at one.

Wherever you are,

Gently drop the counting and allow yourself to simply be with your breath.

Enjoy the natural smooth flow of your breath.

We are practicing being present with our breath.

Feeling each inhale and each exhale.

Let each breath remind you that the only moment you have is this present moment.

Over the day connect to the present moment by letting your mind find your breath.

Leave more in the breath.