As we all know,
Our minds often get busy,
Distracted,
Or caught up in stress during the day.
Difficult thoughts tend to get sticky and hold our attention too long.
And then,
When we feel stressed,
That state of mind leads to more stress because it changes how we think and feel and understand our world.
All of that is normal and part of our life.
It can be helpful to practice settling our thoughts instead,
To give ourselves a break from thinking and planning.
One way to do that is by focusing on how our body feels breathing.
We're not forcing ourselves to feel anything or to act a certain way.
We aren't going to stop thinking no matter how much we practice.
We just get better at catching ourselves and coming back more often and letting things be for a moment.
With time,
That kind of awareness becomes more natural and easier to sustain.
Sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor.
Notice your posture.
See if you can find a way to sit that's upright,
Alert,
And balanced.
When you're ready,
Take three deep breaths,
Paying attention to the rising and falling of your belly.
We're not trying to do anything special.
Just notice what it feels like when your body moves with each breath.
Almost right away,
You'll notice your mind going off somewhere.
That's normal and totally fine.
Everyone gets distracted.
Each time you notice that you did,
Come back again to the feeling of your belly or chest rising and falling.
That's all.
If you like,
Say to yourself in your mind,
Breathing in and breathing out.
Each time you lose track of your breath,
Start over.
Note any tendency to get frustrated and let it go.
Come back again to breathing in and breathing out.
Notice wherever your mind goes.
Thoughts show up and often will continue past if we let them alone.
Everyone has thoughts all throughout the day,
Even with meditation.
Notice your thoughts are only thoughts and come back once again.
Return over and over again to the feeling of your body breathing.
Don't blame yourself or worry about how hard this is or how often you lose track.
Come back again without giving yourself a hard time.
At some other time during the day,
There might be something to act on.
But right now,
Simply sit here and guide your attention to the sensation of breathing.
And when you're ready,
If you'd like,
Opening your eyes or continuing to sit still,
Just come back to yourself.
Use a moment to gather your attention and move on into the rest of your day.
Learn more at www.
Mooji.
Org
