Hello and welcome to this meditation where we bring mindful attention to our breath.
We breathe in and out multiple times a minute,
Often without our conscious control.
Yet the breath can also be a very important tool that can anchor us in the present moment once we start to pay attention to our breath.
In this meditation we will observe a natural inhalation and exhalation process.
It's important not to control or manipulate the breath in any way,
But rather observe it in its natural state.
This will bring more mindfulness and concentration to an activity we normally do.
And you can also start to see that the more we focus on our breath,
The more we can apply this concentration to all activities throughout our life,
Making us more present,
Mindful,
And calm.
To get started,
Find a comfortable upright posture.
Lengthen your spine.
Keep your ears in line with the shoulders.
And take a moment to close your eyes.
As you bring your attention inwards,
Start to observe your natural inhalation and exhalation process.
To bring more attention and mindfulness to your breath,
It can be helpful to use mental labels that accompany your in-breath and out-breath.
For example,
When you inhale,
You can mentally note in your mind,
In.
And when you exhale,
Mentally note,
Out.
So on your inhale,
You label in.
And on your exhale,
You will label out.
If you find that your mind has wandered or you're getting lost in various thoughts,
Simply just observe and redirect your focus back to your breath.
Once again,
Noting in as you inhale and out as you exhale.
As you continue to watch the breath,
If you observe any tension start to rise,
Whether it be physical tension,
Such as tightness in the muscles,
Or mental tension,
Such as agitation or boredom.
See if you can relax into these sensations of tightness as you exhale.
Once you feel the body and mind relax more,
Gently guide your attention back to the breath once more.
If you notice that you have a steady stream of attention onto your breath at this point,
You may choose to drop the labels of in and out.
And simply just rest,
Watching the breath come in and out with complete clarity and focus.
If you find yourself getting lost in thoughts once more,
Simply just pay attention without any judgment,
And gently redirect your focus to the breath again.
Notice a feeling of calm that washes over your body as you continue to notice your inhales and exhales in a peaceful and gentle manner.
As we end this meditation today,
Just note that throughout your day,
You can always find moments of peace and mindfulness by attending to your breath.
In moments which aren't too demanding of your attention,
You may simply choose to observe whether you're inhaling or exhaling in that moment,
Or you may mentally note in as you inhale,
And out as you exhale.
And this is how you can develop mindfulness off your meditation cushion.
Now bring your hands to heart center,
And thank yourself for taking the time to connect back with your breath,
And honoring yourself through the practice of meditation today.
Thank you.
