We'll now do a 15-minute guided meditation of the breath together.
Begin by inviting your body to be as comfortable and relaxed as possible.
Whether you're sitting on a cushion,
Bench,
A chair,
Or lying down,
Make sure your body is supported in the position you have chosen.
See if you can get 10% more comfortable.
You might like to close your eyes,
Or if you prefer,
You can keep them gently open and lower your gaze.
If there's any obvious tightness or tension in the body that you can easily release,
Then do so.
If you can't see the tension in the area around the eyes,
Your brow,
The jaw,
The shoulders,
The belly,
With the out-breath,
Relax,
And with the in-breath,
Welcome these areas of tension.
If possible,
Don't make a problem out of these sensations.
Develop a more intimate connection with the body.
Perhaps filling your body with a gentle and kind smile.
Now bringing your attention to the fact of your body breathing.
Noticing that it is always breathing quite naturally.
And noticing where it's easiest to feel the breath.
Might be a coolness you feel in your nostrils on the in-breath,
Or warmth on the upper lip with the out-breath.
Or maybe you sense a swirling,
Tingling in the back of the throat.
Might be the rise and fall of your chest or belly,
Expanding,
Contracting,
Or it might be the sensation of the whole body breathing.
With a sense now of the whole body,
Tune into the breath coming in at the nostrils,
Flowing deep into the body,
Right down to the belly,
Or even deeper than that.
Invite your attention to ride with the breath,
Invite your attention to ride with the breath in and out of your body.
Like a surfer on a wave,
Or a boat on a swell.
And if this feels pleasant,
Then feel free to enjoy it.
Meditation doesn't need to be a struggle.
Wherever you find the breath easiest to feel or most pleasant,
Resting your kind attention there.
If the breath is subtle or hard to feel,
You can place a hand on your belly or on your chest,
And feel the rise and fall of the breath in the palm of your hand.
It's a beautiful way to stay connected with your breath.
Now I invite you to get curious about the quality of the breath.
What do you notice?
Is it smooth or jagged?
Is it shallow or deep?
Is the air dry or humid?
How does the breath move through your body?
And if you find that a thought pops into your head,
That's completely normal.
Simply note it with the same kind attention,
Like a cloud passing by,
Appearing and disappearing.
And as a friend,
Invite your attention to gather again around the breath.
And if the breath is not a comfortable anchor for you,
You can choose a different one.
For example,
The palm of your hand.
You can gently open your fingers on the in-breath and close them again on the out-breath.
You can imagine a few different sensations.
A flower blooming at dawn,
And closing at dusk.
And if at any point the meditation feels too much,
Listen to your body and feel free to open your eyes or move around the room and you can simply let the sound of my voice wash over you.
Now,
Let yourself feel the next three in- and out-breaths.
And as you feel each breath,
Let the mind calm and the body relax.
Now feel three more.
Continuing with this relaxed and calming attention on the breath.
Each time the attention wanders and you notice,
Gently bringing it back,
Like training the puppy.
No judgment.
Simply a kindly return sit,
Stay.
Every time you remember is a moment of mindfulness.
This breath,
Just now.
I invite you to breathe as you normally do and see if you can do this just a bit slower than usual.
Maybe it's 5% slower.
Maybe it's 10% slower.
I invite you to think about this pause between the breaths,
Like silence between musical notes.
And this pause is essential in a piece of music.
Without a pause.
Between the notes.
It's all noise.
Now see if you can let the breath breathe itself.
Each breath arising and passing with mindful awareness.
Noticing where your attention is.
And if it's drifted.
Gently returning to the sensations of breathing.
As you feel each breath,
Let the mind calm and the body feel at ease.
Breathing in.
Calm.
Breathing out.
Ease.
Fully here.
Calm and at ease.
Just a couple more moments.
And as we bring this meditation to a close,
I invite you to come back to the sensations in your body.
Perhaps gently inviting some motion into your hands or feet.
Taking a deep breath.
And a deep breath out.
And in your own time,
You may come back to wherever you are.
And thank yourself for taking a moment to practice mindfulness.
And to be mindful of your body.
To practice mindfulness.
