So let's settle into the space that we're in,
Resting in a comfortable enough position,
Not necessarily feeling like you need to find the perfect position,
Noticing this tendency to constantly adjust and fidget.
Maybe we can be okay just the way we are right now.
And if it's comfortable,
You can go ahead and close the eyes.
It's certainly okay to leave the eyes open if that's better for you.
But just pick something in front of you that you can rest your gaze upon.
And let's start just by noticing where our attention is.
Not feeling the need quite yet to redirect it or focus on anything.
But let's just find where it is first.
Are we thinking about something?
Are we focused on a feeling in the body?
Are we remembering something that we need to do?
And now that we've got a sense of where our awareness is,
Where that attention is,
Let's now direct it and point it at the breath.
And throughout this practice,
Using the breath as an anchor,
As a place to return to,
As a point of focus.
But not just breathing as a general act,
But to really be curious about the breath,
To investigate the breath,
And noticing how supportive curiosity and investigation can be in our efforts to remain focused.
And we'll do so by looking at all the individual components of the breath,
Starting first with the very beginning,
The start of the breath.
So noticing where does this breath begin?
In the nostrils?
In the mouth?
Do we feel it a little bit more on one side versus the other?
Can we identify any of its qualities,
Like temperature?
Does it feel warm or cool?
Does it feel sharp,
Smooth?
And for a few more breaths,
Just paying attention to the very beginning,
With each breath seeing if we can learn just a little bit more.
And now let's move with the breath down into the body.
And as we do so,
I'd like you to see if you can forget about everything you know about the way that we breathe.
Forget that you know that it's the lungs.
Forget that you know where the lungs are.
And based only on what we can feel,
Where would we think that the breath is going?
Where does it feel like the breath is going in the body?
And then paying attention to how the body moves when we breathe.
What rises?
What falls?
What expands?
What contracts?
How does the breath impact the rest of the body?
How far away from our torso can we experience these movements?
And how about the space in between the inhale and the exhale?
Noticing the way that our breath transitions.
Is it a nice,
Slow,
Smooth transition,
Gently moving from inhale to exhale?
Is it a hard stop and a turnaround,
Moving quickly from one end to the other?
Or is there a pause,
A moment in between when we're not breathing?
There is no inhale.
There is no exhale.
And noticing for the next few breaths,
Just directing our focus on that transition.
Now following the breath through the exhale,
Moving with the breath as it rises and leaves the body.
And noticing where this is happening.
Noticing how does this feel?
How might it be similar or different than the inhale?
And on each exhale,
I'd like you to see if you can find and identify the exact moment that the breath ends,
The exact fraction of a second that it's over.
And now let's be with the breath in its entirety,
Moving with each breath from the very beginning,
Down into the body,
Through the transition,
And the exhale.
Treating each breath as a completely unique experience.
Having the willingness to start over with each new breath.
And inevitably our mind will wander.
Our focus and attention will be pulled elsewhere.
It'll be pulled towards thoughts of things that we need to do in the future.
Memories of things from the past.
Sounds that we can hear.
Feelings in the body.
And to accept that this is unavoidable.
That we're not doing anything wrong when the mind wanders.
But that by noticing it's happened,
We're giving ourselves the opportunity to choose to come back.
To choose to come back to this breath.
Put our attention and our focus where we want it,
When we want it there.
Over and over again.
Maybe noticing the mind's tendency to check out when things get familiar.
When things seem to begin to feel repetitive.
Almost as if our mind gets bored,
Goes searching for something else.
Reminding ourselves that though this breath may be incredibly similar to the previous breath,
It's not actually the same breath.
Noticing and working with this tendency to tune out.
The willingness to be here for each breath.
And coming back as many times as needed.
Noticing if there's any feelings of restlessness.
Or if our attention is,
Little by little,
Trying to think of what's next.
What comes after this.
And to be aware of those feelings.
And do the best we can to let go of those.
To come back to this moment right here.
To this breath right here.
To be with the practice until the practice is over.
And then to be with what's next.
For now it's just this breath.
And now this breath.
We'll go ahead now and just slightly begin to deepen our inhales.
Breathing deep through the nostrils.
Bringing that breath way down into the bottom of the belly.
Almost as if we were trying to breathe into our hips.
Pausing,
Holding the breath there for just a few seconds.
And then slowly allowing the exhale to fall from the body.
Deep through the nostrils.
Down into the belly.
Slow exhale.
And if the eyes are closed,
You can slowly begin to reopen them.
Simultaneously bring some small movements back to the body,
Maybe just through the fingers and the toes.
And as you're ready,
Opening all the way back up.
Reconnecting with this space.
Reconnecting with your day.
