So in this meditation we will explore the breath and the breath is a really great teacher.
It can teach us a lot about ourselves,
It can teach us about change,
It can teach us about how things are connected,
And so many more lessons.
So I invite you to explore this together.
So when you're ready go ahead and get comfortable and settled in.
Whether you're on a chair,
Cushion,
Whatever is comfortable for you.
Putting your hands on a lap or folded.
Gently closing the eyes if that's comfortable for you.
Feet connected to the ground beneath you.
And starting by taking a couple of nice deep breaths.
Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
In through the nose and out through the mouth.
If you like you can put a hand on your belly and just start to connect with the breath as you feel it rising and falling in the belly.
Imagining that you're inflating a balloon,
Your belly expanding and then deflating as you breathe out.
And then for the next five breaths you can maybe slow down the breath a bit.
Breathing in and then more slowly breathing out.
Breathing in and slowly breathing out.
If you like you can keep your hand on the belly or gently let it return to a comfortable position on your legs.
And just taking a moment to soften any tension you might be holding.
Relaxing the face.
Relaxing your tongue.
Relaxing the shoulders.
Relaxing the chest and the belly.
Arms and legs.
And now just starting to connect with the breath.
Noticing your breath in the rise and fall of your chest or perhaps the air flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Just pick one of these two positions,
These two places that are easiest for you to feel.
And so as you breathe just notice what's happening with your breath.
If the breath is deep or shallow,
Long or short,
Choppy or smooth.
What is the breath telling you right now?
What is the breath telling you right now?
That perhaps you're tired or maybe anxious,
Excited or frustrated.
Notice how the breath can be an indicator of our emotional state.
The state of our minds and our hearts.
And every time the mind gets pulled away from the breath,
Distracted by some thought or image,
You can take that as a really beautiful opportunity to gently notice and let go or let be.
And as if you are gently tugging the leash of a puppy,
You come back to the breath.
Relaxing any tension that might have built up physically for a total release of the mind and body.
And then just back to the rhythm of the breath.
As you breathe in now you might feel the body expanding and energizing and awakening.
And as you breathe out,
Relaxing,
Letting go,
Letting be,
Releasing,
Energizing,
Awakening,
And then relaxing and letting go.
If there's any discomfort in your body right now,
In the back or legs or wherever,
You might just notice and allow yourself to breathe into that.
Breathe through that.
Letting go of any stories that you're holding here.
Notice the air coming in on the in-breath,
Slightly cooler,
And as it comes out,
A little bit warmer.
And notice how each breath is actually different.
It's changing.
Sometimes you notice it,
Sometimes you don't.
An average of 700 million breaths in a lifetime.
Each is a new moment.
It comes and then it goes.
Showing us how even this simple life-giving experience is not permanent and always in a flux,
Always changing.
Continuing to breathe in to any discomfort,
Never resisting,
Allowing,
Softening,
Easing into it.
With the back straight,
Chin slightly tucked in,
Allowing emotions,
Thoughts,
Bodily sensations,
To all just be there.
Your breath holding the space for all of it.
And the breath reminds us of how fragile life is.
We depend on the breath and without it,
We wouldn't be here.
And this breath connects you to all people,
All living beings,
Everything in your environment.
You share this breath with the world.
As you breathe in,
Oxygen,
Nourishing,
Every cell in your body,
And breathing out CO2 and other gases,
You're in a constant exchange with the world around you,
Connected by this breath.
You might even notice there's something really nice about the breath.
Maybe it's a sense of calm,
Or ease,
Or maybe even joy,
Or pleasure.
You can feel really good to just breathe.
Nowhere else to be,
Nothing else to do.
Just sitting here and experiencing your own life as it is,
And all its pleasures and pains,
And joys and sorrows.
This is it.
And as we finish up this meditation,
In the next minute or two,
I want to invite you to just notice if there has been any shift in your awareness,
The quality of your awareness.
And I just let go of the breath for a minute.
Let go of any focus or attention.
And just notice what's going on in the heart,
In the mind,
In the body.
How has the breath helped you today?
How has it supported you?
Are there any lessons that the breath perhaps taught you?
And as we come to an end here,
You're of course free to continue the meditation on your own.
Or if you'd like to finish up here,
Then I invite you to just take one more deep breath in,
One conscious deep breath through the nose,
And out through the mouth.
Bringing a little movement into the wrists and the ankles,
Maybe even rolling the neck a little bit,
Small circles very gently.
Keeping this center,
Keeping this balance as you move into the rest of your day to do whatever you need to do.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
