So today's meditation we are going back to basics.
Sometimes it's good to refresh those very simple techniques that are at the foundation of meditation.
So go and get yourself somewhere comfortable and we'll begin.
So I thought it would be quite nice to go back over some of those very basic techniques and if I'm honest this is the technique that I use for probably 80% of my own self-practice meditations.
It's technique which I call my bread and butter and it's a very very simple breath work technique.
We are going to introduce a little bit of a pause in between the inhale and the exhale and we will also bring a little bit of mudra work in as well using our fingers.
So I won't be too prescriptive about which finger to bring to the thumb but I will just gently advise to start using the mudra.
So as you breathe in you bring your finger to the thumb as you breathe out you release and you can bring more than one finger all of the fingers if you like from the thumb and then release on the exhale.
So we'll do that in the middle section.
Let's just start off by getting somewhere very comfortable finding your seat taking and owning your seat for your practice today.
Finding a nice balanced posture remembering that we are trying to be awake and alert but just being relaxed and comfortable too.
So a fine line balance.
So just bringing your hands to your lap or to your knees just to start off with and when you're ready to close your eyes or soften your gaze.
I'm just taking these first few moments to allow any sounds of life or distractions around you to fade.
There will be sounds there will be distractions and there will be thoughts.
It's how we deal with these that are the making of a meditator it's the practice of meditation to acknowledge the distraction to let it go and refocus the mind back onto the breath.
So start to lengthen your breath just a little breathing in and out fully breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth.
As you breathe in take time to expand the chest feel the heart lift.
As you breathe out feel that release and relaxation just washing through your body.
So let's take two deep breaths together breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth and again in through your nose out through your mouth and then sealing your lips close your mouth and start to breathe in and out through your nose.
This is the usual breath simple breath that we use thousands of years old this technique and you might like to say I breathe in and I breathe out.
If your mind is particularly busy you can label the breath with I breathe in I breathe out or you might like to count the length of your breath as you breathe in and match the length of your breath as you breathe out or you might like to just simply count the number of breaths that you take and it'll like you would count sheep when trying to sleep.
So just take these first few moments to arrive here to be in this moment.
Feel your rise and fall.
Experience your breath if your mind begins to wander stubbornly bring your attention back to your breath I breathe in I breathe out.
It does not matter how long or deep these breaths are without any judgment just notice and observe your breath.
So now I'd like you to introduce a little pause between the inhale and the exhale and you can make this pause as long as it's comfortable for you.
I breathe in I pause I breathe out I breathe in I pause I breathe out.
Notice how you feel as you breathe in.
Notice how you feel as you pause.
Notice how you feel as you breathe out.
Notice how you feel.
If you would like to introduce some mudra some movement with your fingers to your thumb then simply turn your hands over now palms facing up.
You can all start by bringing our first finger to our thumb and feel that connection through the fingertips.
Breathing in pressing finger and thumb together breathing out release and now you just choose whichever finger you like or more than one finger to bring to your thumb as you breathe in release as you breathe out.
Just take this moment of connection within your body.
Magnify your attention to your fingertips so really feel that sense of connection.
Feel any sensations,
Temperature,
The texture,
The feeling.
Breathe in finger to thumb breathe out release.
Taking a few more moments here and then when you're finished just opening the hands so your hands and your fingers are relaxed your palms are facing up and relaxed.
Then bringing your attention back to your breath.
I breathe in I pause I breathe out.
Very slowly bringing your hands together just pressing the hands almost like a prayer position just feeling that connection.
Having your breath return to a comfortable rhythm and flow and then slowly moving the hands up and down just to give a little bit of heat to the palms.
Hovering your hands over your eyes,
Blinking your eyes open inside your hands and bringing your hands down away from your face when you're ready.
I hope it's good to sometimes refresh those basics of meditation and you can practice that technique for as long as you like so whether it's one minute,
Five minutes,
Ten minutes,
An hour that refocusing of the mind once distracted purely and simply focusing on your breath introducing the pause noticing what the experience is for you in that given moment on that given day know that each practice will be different.
I hope you have a lovely rest of your day and I'll speak to you again very soon bye for now.
