Welcome to your second week meditating.
Last week we sat quietly and counted our breaths and aimed to sit for just a few minutes each day to start building a habit of daily practice.
This week we'll extend our time sitting in meditation and aim to sit for at least five minutes every day.
You're welcome to use this meditation or any other to help you if you're keen to stick with guided meditations.
Otherwise use a timer to allow you to relax and not worry about timekeeping.
Take a bit of time to get comfy.
It's probably best to be sitting rather than lying down.
And if you're sitting on a couch or easy chair,
Try sitting at the front of the seat so you can keep your back nice and straight.
If you're sitting on the floor but struggle to maintain a straight back,
I'd recommend moving to a dining chair or propping yourself up on cushions so you can sit up nice and tall.
Make sure you're warm enough and won't be disturbed for the next five minutes or so.
Feel free to pause this meditation and get yourself set up before we begin.
Okay,
If you're comfortable closing your eyes,
Please do.
Otherwise you can defocus your eyes and gaze downwards.
Breathe in and out deeply three times and feel yourself becoming still.
And so we've begun.
Start tuning in to the sound of your breath.
You can make your breath sound louder to help you focus on it more easily.
Think Darth Vader at 20%.
You don't need to keep breathing deeply.
Just breathe at your normal pace and listen to the sound.
As you listen to the sound of your breathing,
You might start to notice other sounds around you.
Hopefully it's fairly quiet where you are,
But if not,
Try and simply notice the sounds without labelling them good or bad.
Return back to the sound of your breathing.
If your mind is wandering a lot,
You can count your breaths up to five and then around again.
This gives your brain something to chew on.
Now remember,
We aren't aiming to empty our mind of all thoughts.
It's more along the lines of not getting attached to these thoughts.
As your body becomes more still,
You might start to feel it move gently as you breathe.
You might even become aware of tummy rumbling.
You might experience discomfort from sitting in a way that's unfamiliar to you.
So if there's a sharp pain,
Then please move to make yourself more comfortable.
But if it's not too bad,
Try and notice and then take your attention back to your breathing while staying in the same posture.
As thoughts come up,
You can say quietly to yourself,
My mind is thinking about this,
But my true self is meditating.
To gently return your focus to meditation.
If you've wandered off,
Just bring yourself gently back to meditating.
Hear your breath moving in and out of your body.
Feel your breath moving in and out of your body.
Hear your breath moving in and out of your body.
Feel your breath moving in and out of your body.
Hear your breath moving in and out of your body.
Feel your breath moving in and out of your body.
Okay,
We're coming to the end of our meditation.
Start to breathe more deeply and slowly move your hands and arms,
Feet and legs.
Stretch and yawn and bring yourself back to your room and your day.
I hope you're feeling rested and awake.
You can return to this meditation whenever you like as you continue on your meditation journey.
Thank you for spending this time with me.
