The Begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
Wherever you are,
Allow your spine to remain long.
Your hands may 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,
Allow 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.
Draw fully and exhale completely.
Begin to get curious about the quality of your breath.
Does it feel short or long?
Soft or jagged?
Smooth,
Rigid,
Shallow or deep?
Without judgment,
Draw your awareness to your experience of breathing in this moment.
Remind yourself that there is no one right or wrong way to be breathing.
Acknowledge your experience in the here and now.
As you settle into your breath,
Draw your awareness to the duration of your breath.
Evening out your inhale and exhale.
We'll begin to invite a four count breath to the inhale and exhale.
If my count feels uncomfortable of either too long or too short,
I invite you to listen to the wisdom of your body and find a count that feels best for you.
When you're ready,
Begin to count the duration of your breath.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 4,
3,
2,
1.
Continue to count your breath at your own pace.
Even if the pace I am offering is either too long or too short,
Find your own comfortable rhythm where your breath naturally flows in and out.
If,
Or rather when,
Thoughts or distractions begin to filter into your mind,
No problem at all.
How can you acknowledge the thought or distraction and let it go with your exhale?
As you come 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.
If you lose track of your counting,
No problem.
Acknowledge that your mind has wandered and non-judgmentally bring your awareness back as you follow the count of your breath.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 4,
3,
2,
1.
Inhale 1,
2,
3,
4.
Exhale 4,
3,
2,
1.
Follow the pace of your own breath.
After a few more moments of breathing in this manner,
Let go of the effort of counting your 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 toes.
In your own time,
Softly allow your eyes to blink open as you return to the room.
Take a moment to offer yourself gratitude for taking these few mindful moments.
