Breathe Throughout The Body (Calm Abiding Part 3)

A series of guided meditations intended to gradually introduce the meditation technique. The basic practice is to bring attention to a particular object or scope of sensory experience (e.g. external sounds, or all body sensations), and then anytime you notice that attention has moved away, be glad for the moment of awareness, then gently bring attention back. Using this simple technique meditation practice can be enjoyable and assist in cultivating calm and clarity.

Transcript

Get settled in your meditation posture,

Finding a balance between being relaxed and alert.

Once you've found a sense of balance,

Once you're comfortable,

Then resolve to be still for the duration of this meditation.

And allow this stillness to be reflected in the mind.

Begin by coming into the present moment.

Have a relaxed,

Open awareness of everything that is making up your current experience,

Including sounds and body sensations.

However,

Try not to engage with thoughts,

As they will tend to pull us into the past or the future.

Anytime you notice you've been pulled away by a thought,

Be glad for the moment of awareness,

And then gently bring your attention back to the present moment.

Now,

Refine your scope of attention to just body sensations,

Placing body sensations in the foreground of attention,

While allowing everything else to remain in the background of awareness.

Be curious and interested in whatever sensations you find,

Noticing the quality of the sensations,

Where they are located,

And whether they are changing.

Now,

Tune in to any breath-related sensations in the body.

First of all,

Get a sense of the overall feeling of breathing.

Notice how the whole body moves slightly,

Feels slightly different on each breath.

Now notice how the breath feels throughout different parts of the body.

You may notice the sensations related to the expansion and contraction of the belly,

Or how this expansion and contraction is also felt in the chest area.

You may notice the rising and falling of the shoulders and upper arms.

Notice the feeling of the breath in your throat.

And you may notice some sensations of warmth or coolness as air enters and exits the nose,

Or moves over the upper lip.

Allow your attention to move freely between these different sensations,

While letting everything else stay in the background of awareness.

Try to breathe in a relaxed way,

Whatever feels comfortable for you.

Try to be a non-judgmental observer,

Just noticing the feelings of the breath throughout the body.

As you do this,

Relax any mental or physical tension,

Enjoy any feelings of pleasure.

Continue to observe the mind without judgment,

And try to let things be by just allowing them to remain in awareness.