This is a meditation for mindfulness of the breath and body.
It'll last about 20 minutes.
It's traditionally done in a seated position but if you need to lie down please feel free to do so.
Settling into a comfortable position.
If it's kind to yourself to do so,
Shuffling around,
Making some adjustments and as best you can having the feet firmly planted on the floor,
The legs uncrossed and adopting a dignified posture with the back upright and perhaps away from the back of the chair if that's possible for you today.
Gently closing the eyes if that feels comfortable for you.
Tuning in to the physical sensations of contact between you and whatever is holding you up.
So the feeling of the feet on the floor,
Sensing into the contact between you and the chair and having a sense of the body as a whole sitting here.
When you're ready,
Bringing your attention to the feeling of the breath.
Perhaps noticing the sensations in the lower abdomen.
It may be helpful for you to place a hand on the tummy to feel the gentle movement of the breath.
Perhaps taking this hand away when you feel tuned in to the sensations of the breathing just as it is right now.
Sensing the slight stretching on the in-breath as the tummy rises and the gentle deflation as the breath leaves the body.
There's no need to control the breath in any way.
Following it as it is right now.
And as you sense the feeling of the breath knowing that there's nothing to be fixed,
It is okay to be with the breath as it is.
Sooner or later the mind will wander as this is what minds do.
It's not a mistake,
It's not a problem.
Congratulate yourself when you have noticed that your mind has wandered.
Perhaps notice where it has been and then gently escort it back to the breath allowing the attention to settle on the sensations of breathing.
Each time the mind wanders bringing the attention back in a gentle and kind way to the breath.
So bringing the attention back every time the mind wanders and perhaps seeing this as an opportunity to be kind and patient with yourself when this happens.
Perhaps be curious that this is what our minds do.
Then kindly and gently bringing the attention back to the breath.
Being as kind to yourself whenever this happens as is possible for you.
Following the breath just as it is right now.
Perhaps noticing the slight pause is in between the in and the out breath.
Following the breathing sensations wherever you feel the most clearly.
So this may be at the tip of the nostrils,
Perhaps the gentle fall and rise of the chest or anywhere else in the body.
And when it feels right for you perhaps expanding the awareness of the breath to include the whole body breathing.
Tuning in to the sensations of the body breathing here as it is right now.
Following the breath and as best you can accepting how it is for you today.
Perhaps exploring the feeling of contact that the body makes with the surface it is resting on.
Really sensing into the experience rather than thinking about it.
And we know that the mind will wander.
This is not a mistake.
It's an opportunity to bring some mindful attention perhaps to where the mind wandered to but then to gently bring it back to the feeling of this body sitting here.
And it's possible that for you today some sensations may be more intense than others.
You may want to experiment with gently and attentively moving,
Changing position in a mindful way.
Or you might want to experiment with staying with the sensation,
Perhaps focusing in on it.
Maybe exploring the edges if it is particularly intense and going gently with yourself.
You may want to notice what the sensation actually feels like rather than thinking about it.
Does it have a shape or a texture?
Does the sensation change at all?
Perhaps exploring whether you can breathe into this sensation and perhaps soften a little as you breathe out.
If these sensations sweep you away at all remembering that the breath is always here to help you to ground yourself.
Perhaps coming back to the sensations of the body as a whole when you're ready.
Knowing that the breath can be your anchor whenever you need to ground yourself and come back to the present.
Allowing the attention to expand out again to the body sensations.
Perhaps following another area of intensity or tuning into the sensations of the body resting here.
It may be that you want to scan through the body to tune in to how it feels right now.
Bringing some gentle curiosity to your experience.
Allowing the sensations to be here as best you can.
Noting that this is your experience right now.
Perhaps being curious about whether this changes.
Knowing that you can come back to the breath or to the body as a whole whenever you need to.
Following the sensations of the body as they are.
Perhaps noticing how the body moves gently as the breath goes in and out.
And for the last few moments of this practice bringing the attention back to the breath,
To the feeling in the abdomen,
The movement of the breath.
As best you can.
Accepting yourself as you are in this very moment.
Perhaps bringing a sense of groundedness to the rest of your day.
As bell nears.
