Welcome.
My name is Michael Callahan,
And I've been meditating on a daily basis for 52 years.
It's become a part of who I am,
And it's impacted virtually every aspect of my life.
In a half century of meditating,
And it sounds strange to say that,
I've tried just about everything.
I've studied hatha and raja yoga in depth,
Done every kind of breathing and pose,
And read countless books.
About 30 years ago,
I came to the conclusion that the breath is everything.
You can sit in the lotus position,
Twist yourself like a pretzel,
Or stand on your head.
But ultimately,
The only critical aspect of meditation is the breath.
My breath,
Your breath.
When I first started meditating,
And you may laugh at this because even I laugh about it now,
I would put on a special robe and sit in a certain room and burn incense before I could start.
What I later realized is that you don't need a special room or even a special position in order to be mindful.
You have moments to be with your breath all through the day,
From the moment you wake,
In your bed,
In the elevator,
At your desk,
Waiting in the dentist's office,
Riding on the bus,
And countless other times throughout your day.
And each time you connect with your breath throughout the day,
Your life is a little better,
A little easier,
And a little calmer.
Get comfortable,
Whether you're lying down,
Sitting,
Or standing.
Just close your eyes and pretend with me,
If you will,
That you're just waking up in the morning.
With your eyes closed,
Picture yourself waking up in your bed.
Just take stock of your body.
Let yourself sag.
Let go of any tension in your shoulders or neck.
Relax your face.
Relax your arms.
Just let your body relax.
And as you do,
Come to focus on your breath.
With your eyes still closed,
Take a long deep breath.
Inhale slowly through your nose,
And then exhale slowly as well.
Continue to breathe in and out at your normal pace.
Let your mind focus on the movement of the breath as it enters your body and as it goes back out.
Notice where you feel it in your body.
A cool sensation as it comes in through your nose,
The movement of your chest,
The movement of your chest and your belly as the breath flows in and out.
Continue to breathe at your normal pace.
Don't force anything.
Just let your breath move in and out.
Let your breath flow and think about this.
Forever is now.
Eternity is in this breath,
And in the next,
And in the next.
No other moment exists for you except this one.
There is no moment that is certain except for the present moment.
Your thoughts cross your mind,
Just let them go.
Your breath is all that matters.
If you hear a dog barking or the sounds of a car,
Just let those go too.
Breathing in and breathing out are all you're concerned with in this moment.
I do this every morning when I wake.
Just be quiet and tranquil and relaxed and follow your breath.
Thoughts will come and go,
But your only concern is with your breath,
Moving in and moving out.
Continue breathing gently in and gently out.
Our lives can be so complicated if we allow them to be that way.
We can enrich our lives by getting in touch with our breath more often throughout the day.
How do we do that?
By taking advantage of the little pauses you have in your day.
It doesn't have to be a 20 or 30 minute session.
It can be three minutes.
Time enough to follow your breath,
Moving in and moving out.
Time enough to relax your mind and settle your thoughts.
Time enough to be at peace with yourself,
One breath at a time.
No one is too busy to snatch these moments from their day and turn them into something beautiful and something useful.
This mindfulness first thing in the morning sets up your day.
You can enter into your day from the moment you climb from your bed with more calm and thoughtfulness.
Just lay in your bed quietly for a few minutes each morning,
Focusing on your breath.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes and come into the room.
Come into the day feeling relaxed and refreshed.
Now take one long deep breath and exhale through your mouth,
Letting out a sigh.
You're ready to start the day.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming practice and I hope that you may find peace within yourself.
Till next time.
