Training Attention, A Beginning Step In Meditation

This entry into meditation is perfect for beginners. It introduces the method of meditation and a brief time of focusing on the breath. It's a great place to build from as you will learn a sound method without becoming overwhelmed by having to concentrate for a long time.

Transcript

Welcome to this short meditation.

The first thing to do is to settle yourself in the way that you'd like to sit for the next couple of minutes.

It's not crucial that you sit on the floor or on a cushion or have your legs crossed,

Just that you have a good seated position and your body feels a mixture of being alert and relaxed.

So in other words you're not slumping in the chair,

Not completely lying down but not too rigid or tight either.

As you're settling your posture,

Just thinking about what meditation actually is.

That it is a way to train your attention and not something that's happening to you.

The kind of stress that bothers us mostly,

That really causes us troubles,

Is a product of uncontrolled attention.

So when we meditate we're training ourselves how to control attention.

So we're going to begin by shifting the focus of attention to breathing and you pay attention to this next breath that's coming for you.

And then the next one.

Now for the next breath,

See if you can watch it the entire way,

Right from the beginning of inhaling all the way through to the end of the exhale.

For the next couple of breaths,

Please ensure that you're breathing in and out through the nostrils and the mouth is closed.

And now pay attention to the feeling of breathing right at the tip of the nostrils.

Just noticing the feeling of when that air comes into the nostrils and what that feels like.

And then maybe you notice the difference when the breath is coming out of the body and leaving the nostrils again.

Can you feel a difference there?

Let's just stay for two more breaths,

Watching it come in.

So when you breathe in you know you're breathing in.

And then watching it go out.

Well done.

Now you can relax your concentration and go about whatever you'd like to do next in the day.

Come back to this meditation anytime you'd like.

Reviews

Brief and impactful. Great reset, and check-in! Thank you Michele!

Great review of one of the most fundamental keys to effective meditation. Thank you 🙏