Hey there,
Welcome to day one of seven days of meditation,
A mindfulness journey.
I'm going to ease you into your meditation practice.
So if you're a beginner,
No worries.
I want to start this journey with a meditation to help you really connect with your breath.
Your breath is your biggest tool in your mindfulness toolbox,
Something you'll use both on the proverbial cushion and out in your everyday world.
And coming back to the breath over and over again is what this practice is really all about.
And then over the next six days,
I'll help you to quiet your mind,
Quiet your body by guiding you on some of my very favorite meditations.
My hope is you will use this journey as a starting point for a lifetime of practice,
Bringing you ways to reduce your stress,
Increase your happiness and create peace.
So let's begin.
Let's start by settling into a comfortable position and allow your eyes to gently close or you could keep them open and just soften your gaze.
Begin by taking several long,
Slow,
Deep breaths in and out through your nose.
And now allow your breath to find its own natural rhythm.
Your body knows how to breathe,
Something we do day in and day out with very little thought when everything is going as it should.
Now I'm asking you to notice your breath,
To bring your full attention to noticing each in-breath as it enters your nostrils,
Travels down to your lungs,
Causes your belly to expand,
And then notice each out-breath as your belly contracts and the air moves up through the lungs,
Back in through the nostrils,
Through the mouth.
Invite your full attention to flow with your breath.
You might notice how the inhale is different from the exhale.
Maybe you notice that your breath is cooler going in and then leaves your lungs a little warmer as you exhale.
Maybe you notice that,
Maybe you don't.
Either way,
It's okay.
Notice what you notice.
Maybe that the exhale is a little longer than the inhale.
Just be curious and see what you notice.
And then if your mind wanders,
As it will,
And you start to notice thoughts or plans or problems or emotions,
Simply notice your mind wandering.
You could even think of your thoughts as debris on a stream,
Watching them enter into your consciousness,
And then just simply float away,
Not trying to stop them,
Knowing that they will pass.
And bring your full awareness back to your breath,
Your breath,
Your home base,
That touchstone that you can return to over and over again when you become distracted.
Simply notice when your mind has wandered and observe the types of thoughts that can sort of hook you or distract you in some way.
That noticing is the richest part of learning.
And with this knowledge,
You can strengthen your ability to detach from those thoughts and mindfully bring your focus,
Your awareness back on the qualities of your breath.
Those thoughts allow you to practice that coming home to the breath with your full attention over and over again,
Watching that gentle rise of your stomach on the in-breath and the relaxing,
The letting go on the out-breath.
Be fully,
Completely with your breath as it flows in and out.
You might also become distracted by physical sensations that draw your awareness away from your breath.
And simply acknowledging these distractions,
Noticing where your mind went without judgment,
Just being curious about it,
Without pushing it away in any way or wishing it were different.
And then come back to your breath,
Always back to your breath.
As you turn more deeply inward,
Begin to let go of the noises around you.
If you're distracted by sounds in the room,
Again,
Simply noticing them and bringing your attention back to your breath.
Breathe as you would breathe,
Not striving to change anything about your breath,
Not trying to control your breath in any way.
Observe with curiosity and accept your experience in this moment without judgment,
Paying attention to each inhale and each exhale.
As you breathe in and breathe out,
Follow the air all the way in and all the way back out again,
Mindfully being present moment by moment with your breath.
And when your mind begins to wander away from your breath,
Just simply notice without judgment,
Whether it's a thought or an emotion,
A sensation or sound,
Whatever hooks your attention,
Notice and gently glide your awareness back to your breath.
As this practice comes to an end,
Slowly allow your attention to expand,
Noticing your entire body,
Beyond your body to the room you're in.
Begin to bring some movement to your fingers and toes,
Maybe rolling your shoulders or your head a bit.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes and come back fully alert and awake.
The breath is always with you as a refocusing tool to bring you back to the present moment.
Set your intention to use this practice throughout your day to help cultivate and strengthen attention.
