This is the mindfulness sitting meditation.
In this meditation the breath will be the primary focus of awareness.
We're going to begin by finding a comfortable seated position,
Allowing your body to relax and settle into a way that supports both alertness and relaxation,
With a strong upright back,
A soft belly and a soft open heart.
When you are ready gently close your eyes or if you prefer you can keep a soft gaze in front of you.
Come into the practice with a sense of kindness and curiosity,
Coming back to the present moment by anchoring into the breath and being with whatever arises moment by moment,
Settling intention to keep an open mind and be with your experience in a non-judgmental way.
Whatever comes up is fine,
No need to change or like or dislike no right no wrong,
Just observing what is here for you,
Taking a moment to bring your attention to the breath.
Notice the natural flow of your breath as it enters and leave your body,
Paying attention to the sensations of the breath,
Whether it's cool or warm,
Deep or shallow,
Fast or slow,
Simply observing the breath without trying to change in any way.
You might notice that we have a tendency in trying to change or control the breath in some way.
We're just going to try to observe the breath and the sensations in our body,
Noticing how your body feels in each in-breath and out-breath as you continue to focus your breath and we're going to extend this awareness to our body,
Observing any physical sensations such as warmth,
Tingling,
Areas of tension,
Starting to focus on your chest,
Noticing how the chest rise in each in-breath and falls in each out-breath,
Moving your attention to the belly and noticing the rise and falling in the abdomen as you breathe,
Not thinking about breathing but just feeling it directly,
Moment by moment.
Maybe try to observe the whole duration of the breath as your breath enters in your body and then when you're breathing out,
Allowing yourself to just be sitting in stillness.
If you notice any areas of tension,
See if you can consciously release them by allowing your body to relax and soften with each breath.
And if your mind travels somewhere else,
That's okay.
It's part of the practice and that's what minds do.
So when the mind wanders,
Gently and kindly bring your attention back to the breath and the sensations of sitting here.
Paying attention this way is a kind of awareness and you bring compassion into ourselves.
Now gently shifting your attention to your thoughts,
Noticing any thoughts that arise in your mind,
Whether they are related to the present moment or thoughts that you take away from here now,
Without getting caught up into the content of the thoughts,
Just simply observe them as they come and go,
Like passing clouds in the sky,
Allowing any thoughts that arise to float away,
Bring your attention back to the breath.
No need to change anything,
Just observing what is here for you.
Next,
Bring your awareness to your emotions,
Noticing any emotions that are in the present within you,
Whether they are positive or negative.
Observe them without judgment and acknowledging their presence,
Allowing them to be as they are as best as you can.
By doing that,
By naming the emotion,
You can tame it,
Just observing all it is coming your way.
And if any emotion feels overwhelming,
Try to remind yourself that they too will pass,
Just like the breath or the clouds in the sky.
Lastly,
Gently shift your focus back to the breath,
Feeling the sensations of breathing once again as it enters and leaves your body.
Use the breath as an anchor to bring you back to the present moment.
Whatever your mind starts to wander,
With each inhale and exhale,
Let go of the remaining tension and distractions by simply and fully being present with the breath.
In the last minutes of this practice,
Take a few more moments to sit in this present moment awareness,
Allowing yourself to fully experience each breath and the sensations in your body.
So,
We are gently going to start to deepen our breath,
And if you're ready,
Slowly bring some movement to your hands by wiggling your fingers and your toes.
When you are ready,
Gently and slowly open your eyes,
Focusing your attention back to the room and the world around you,
And carrying the sense of mindfulness and presence with you as you continue your day.
