Hi,
My name is Lottie Roberts and I'm going to be leading you through a 15-minute awareness of breath sitting practice.
So finding a comfortable seat that works for you.
It might be sitting in a chair or cross-legged on the floor or maybe on a cushion.
Just finding that posture that you feel comfortable in but also awake and alert.
And so just allowing yourself to drop into this moment in the body as best you can.
Feeling the points of contact that your body is making with the chair or the cushion or the floor.
And getting a sense of grounding of that support that's coming beneath you.
And maybe noticing the position of your arms and your hands.
Maybe relaxed at your sides or in your lap.
Feeling a sense of length in your spine.
Ensuring your spine is unsupported,
Upright.
A sense of space and length in the spine.
Just honoring this process of sitting with care,
Friendliness towards yourself wherever you are.
Maybe getting a sense of the whole body sitting here in this moment.
And now we're going to bring your attention to your breath,
To the process of breathing.
In this practice we're not looking to change the breath in any way.
Just noticing the breath as it is in each moment.
Noticing where you feel the sensations of the breath as the breath enters the body.
Maybe at the nostrils.
Maybe there's a sensation of cool air or even warm air coming in through the nostrils as you inhale.
And being released as you exhale.
You may be able to feel the breathing in the chest.
Maybe an expansion of the ribcage as you breathe in.
And then a falling of the ribcage as you release the breath.
Breathing out.
Maybe you notice the breath in the belly.
An expansion there on the inhale.
And a slight deflation on the exhale.
Just noticing the breath as it is right now.
Each breath unique.
This breath.
This moment.
And at times you might notice that the mind has wandered as minds do.
And if this happens,
Don't bother.
Just notice and gently guide it back to the breath.
The mind may wander again and again.
And so just notice when this is happening.
And maybe noticing what thoughts are coming up.
And then without judgment,
Just bringing your attention back to the experience of breathing.
Qualities and sensations of the breath.
Just taking them in and letting them go.
Expansion on the inhale.
Release on the exhale.
Bringing your attention and again and again to the experience of breathing.
Experience of breathing right now.
In this moment.
And then noticing the breath in this moment.
And this moment.
And then just notice and gently guide it back to the breath.
Being present for all the moments of the inhale.
Maybe noticing the pause in between.
And then all the moments of the exhale.
Maybe a pause again before the breath turns around and you inhale again.
The breath comes in.
And the breath releases.
Waves of breath that come and go.
And just noticing if and when the mind wanders.
And just gently guiding it back to focus your attention on the breath.
Meeting each breath.
Breath with some openness.
Some curiosity.
As best you can.
Being present and being with whatever arises in each moment.
Maybe noticing how things change or not.
An invitation to be intimately present.
Intimately present.
Now starting to bring your attention back to your body.
Noticing your sit bones.
Where they make contact with the floor or the chair.
Sense of the room around you.
And slowly opening your eyes.
