Caleb receivinglaughter undb Begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
Wherever you are,
Allow your spine to remain long.
Allow your hands to rest either on your thighs,
Palms facing up or down.
Or allow your hands to lie gently on your lap.
Wherever you are,
Find comfort in your seat.
Once you find a comfortable seated position,
Invite your eyes to close.
Or if you would prefer,
Invite a soft downward gaze.
In such a way where you're gazing but not seeing or getting distracted by the environment around you.
Now begin to draw your awareness to your breath.
For the next few moments,
Allow your breath to naturally flow in and out.
As you inhale fully and exhale completely.
Allow your breath to flow in and out fully and exhale completely.
If or rather when thoughts or distractions begin to filter into your mind,
No problem.
How can you acknowledge the thought or distraction and let it go with your exhale as you draw your awareness back to your breath,
Back to the here and now.
Just as persistent as your thoughts may be,
The continual practice of bringing your awareness back to your breath will strengthen over time.
When you're ready,
Draw your awareness to the sensations of your breath in your body.
Maybe noticing the rise and fall of your abdomen,
Ribs or chest.
In your own time,
Begin to invite a cyclical rhythm of your breath within your body.
As you inhale,
Feel your breath move up the front of your body from your pelvis to your crown.
As you exhale,
Feel your breath cascade down the back of your body from the crown of your head down to your sacrum.
Inhale your breath up the front of your body,
Pelvis to crown and exhale,
Ride the wave of your cascading breath down the back of your body,
Releasing any tension or tightness that may be held in your shoulders or upper back.
Continue with this rhythm of the cascading breath three more times at your own pace.
As you inhale up the front of your body and exhale down your back.
After your third exhale,
Reverse that rhythm of breath and inhale up the back of your body from your sacrum to your crown and exhale as you feel your breath cascade down the front of your body,
Crown to pelvis.
Inhale up the back of your body,
Sacrum to crown and exhale,
Ride the wave of your breath down the front of your body,
Crown to pelvis.
Continue with this rhythm of breath for three more rounds at your own pace.
After your third exhale,
Continue with the rhythm of the cascading breath that feels most comfortable for you,
Whether that is inhaling up the front of your body and exhaling down your back or inhaling up the back of your body and exhaling down your front.
Check in with your experience as to what feels most comfortable.
Understand yourself that there is no one right or wrong way to be breathing.
How can you listen to the wisdom of your body and allow the cascading breath to be your anchor in the here and now?
After a few more moments of breathing in this manner,
Let go of the effort of the cascading breath and allow your breath to return to a natural rhythm.
Feel the sensations of your breath as the air enters and exits your body.
Without judgment,
Begin to notice your experiences of your breath in your body and in your mind in this moment.
When you feel ready,
Begin to invite gentle movement to your fingers and toe.
In your own time,
Allow your eyes to slowly blink open as you return to the room.
Take a moment to offer yourself gratitude for taking these few mindful moments.
Let go of the effort of your breath as you return to the room.
