Welcome.
Let's meditate.
Set up your seat so that your sit bones are pressing to the seat or cushion,
So that your spine rises up tall.
The crown of your head reaching upward,
Draw your chin back toward your neck.
So your head is situated comfortably right at the top of your neck,
Like it balances there.
Move your shoulders up and back,
Relax your shoulders and arms down.
Place your hands wherever they're most comfortable.
And let's start with three deep breaths.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
A little pause when you're full,
And then exhale through your nose.
Deep breath in through your nose,
Pause,
Deep breath out.
One more deep breath,
Fill up,
Open up.
Exhale,
Let it go and feel your body and mind relax.
Notice how your body feels.
Bring your attention to your forehead,
Especially the skin between your eyebrows.
And soften any tension that might be lingering there.
Your attention to your eyes,
Your nose,
And your cheeks.
Skin softening,
Relaxing.
Bring your attention to your mouth and your jaw.
Letting go of any tension there.
Your attention to your neck and to your throat.
From the inside out to the skin.
Notice the space that's there.
Space through which your breath freely flows.
Bring your attention across your chest.
Feel it widen and lift a bit.
Relax your shoulders back and down a bit more.
Notice your arms soften and relax.
Your upper arms,
Your forearms.
Notice your wrists and your hands.
Relax and soften your hands and just notice how they feel.
From the inside out to the skin.
Just notice the energy and the sensation right here in your hands.
Bring your attention back up your arms.
Across your chest to your upper back.
Notice if your shoulders can melt and soften a bit more.
Notice the space in your chest and upper back.
From the inside out to the skin.
Space that expands with breath in and relaxes with breath out.
Bring your attention to your belly and your low back and the space that's there.
Notice your seat where it's connected to your physical foundation right here.
Notice your legs,
Your thighs,
Your knees.
Notice your shins and calves.
And if while keeping your upright alert seated position,
Can you relax your legs a bit more?
Notice your ankles and your feet.
Expand your awareness out,
Open it up to include your whole physical body.
Notice the feelings and sensations of your whole body here.
Notice the sensation of your breath moving in through your nose and out through your nose.
Might notice the actual sensation of air as it passes in through your nostrils and out through your nostrils.
Let your attention rest with observing the flow of your breath.
And knowing that after several breaths,
It's perfectly natural that our attention starts to wander.
So we simply practice noticing,
Becoming aware of our mind's tendency and returning to observe the flow of your breath.
No judgment,
Just noticing what is and practicing your attention being focused on breath.
Notice where your mind is perfectly normal that our brains which are trained up to,
To seek more busyness,
Start to follow after thoughts.
Each time we become aware of our mind following after thoughts,
It's a good moment of pure self awareness.
And that moment you might label thinking or you might label aware from that moment of awareness.
You bring your attention right back to your breath.
Breath only occurs and is real in the present moment.
So we keep it as our anchor,
Our drishti,
Focus.
Breath in through your nose and out through your nose.
Breath out through your nose.
Our thinking mind is like the surface of a large body of water.
Our thinking mind,
The surface of this water is subject to the wind and the weather and the elements that can change it and make it rough,
Make it active,
Sometimes roiling.
It's always available to us however,
To seek to go inward to the calmer,
Quieter waters deep below the surface.
As we practice settling our mind on breath and observing our thinking mind from that place of deeper,
Calmer,
Quiet water,
We begin to have the ability to return to that deep calm more readily.
We observe the surface of the water from a deep calm place and dive back down to the depths of peace and ease.
Practice just observing the flow of your breath in through your nose and out through your nose.
Breath in through your nose.
Each time you notice the mind tending towards busyness or thinking,
Be kind and gentle to yourself in that moment.
Simply label thinking or aware.
Appreciate a practice which cultivates that inner awareness.
Simply return to the flow of your breath,
Resting your attention there,
Calming your mind.
Breath in through your nose and out through your nose.
Breath in through your nose.
Breath out.
Practice where your mind is with gentleness,
With kindness.
Become aware.
And then back to the drishti,
The focus of breath awareness.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
Filling up.
Exhale,
Let it go.
Start to move your fingers and your toes.
Then bring your palms together.
Place them in front of your heart center,
Your thumb knuckles connecting to that space on your chest,
Right at your heart center.
Take a breath in and a breath out.
Press the knuckles of your thumbs to the center of your forehead.
May this practice be of benefit to you.
May this practice be of benefit to me.
May this practice be of benefit to all we come in contact with.
May this practice be of benefit to the world.
Namaste.
