Mindfulness is a great ally to have by your side.
It teaches you about the wholeness of you as a person in an unjudging,
Kind way.
So before we begin,
Take a moment here to thank yourself for doing this practice,
For finding the time to honor your needs.
Let's start now by finding a comfortable position.
Sit in a way that is relaxing but also wakeful.
Keeping your back straight,
Chest open.
You can now softly close your eyes or soften your gaze and look at something neutral,
Like a wall or the floor.
Let's take a couple of deep breaths here.
On the inhale try to stretch up your spine and find some alertness.
And on the exhale,
Settle in and soften the body.
You can lengthen your breath by counting to 5 for each inhale and 5 for each exhale.
And with each breath,
Notice your attitude.
Notice if you can sit in a way that feels relaxed and open.
Remember that you are easing into this experience.
Making a commitment to yourself to not get concerned if this meditation you are trying feels maybe weird at first.
To not feel uneasy that you are going to experience unwanted distractions,
Thoughts and feelings.
You are aware that all of this is fine.
And you are allowing all of these experiences to be here with you.
And this acceptance and maturity is at the very core of having a meditation mindset.
So shift your focus onto your breath as you now let it flow naturally.
You are not trying to control it or change it in any way.
Explore what does this sensation of breathing feel like and get really curious about it.
You can start by exploring where you feel your breath the most.
Maybe it's in your belly or chest.
Maybe it's the tip of your nose,
Your nostrils.
Wherever it is you feel it the most,
Focus your attention there,
Following each breath.
You are not thinking about the one before or the one that will come after.
Only about the one that is happening just now.
To help you stay with the breath you can try noting each inhale and exhale.
Simply repeat to yourself the word IN as you inhale and the word OUT as you exhale.
This can be a useful tool to help you stay with your breath.
Except for the breath there are other sensations you can use to help you stay mindful and present.
This is completely up to you.
For example you can explore the sensations in your body.
Maybe focusing on the area where your body touches the floor or the cushion.
Or scanning your body from your feet all the way up to the crown of your head.
But try not to spend too much energy on deciding which sensation to go with.
Simply stay with the one that feels most natural at this moment.
And explore how delicately can you feel the sensation without latching onto it or anticipating anything.
Just being with the sensation.
And know that it is completely normal for distractions to rise.
I am certain they already have.
Your own commentary or criticism,
An itch or discomfort,
Someone wanted sound in the background.
This is what minds do and there is nothing more human than that.
The trick with meditation is to allow it to happen without analyzing,
Chasing,
Holding on to anything.
Even though the impulse to do so can be quite strong,
You just let it pass and come back to the breath.
You noticing your mind went somewhere else is you being mindful.
You are becoming aware of where your mind went,
Whether it was planning,
Fantasizing.
And this is a big moment,
Because you now have the choice to take it back to the breath,
Return it to the present sensation.
It is very common to jump to judgment here,
How you failed at meditation.
However,
It is quite the opposite.
When you notice your mind wandered off,
With a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction returning back to the breath.
Because this was a win for mindfulness inside you.
So appreciate yourself for waking up in that very moment and coming back to the sensation.
You can now come back to your breath.
Observe it like you never notice just how delightful it is to breathe,
How energizing the sensation feels.
And as our practice is coming to an end,
Slowly and gently allow your attention to expand.
Notice the room you are in.
Become aware of your whole body.
And when you are ready,
Softly open your eyes.
