Welcome to this simple guided meditation for beginners where we will settle into the present moment.
This can be useful while at home,
The office,
Riding in a car,
Anywhere where you have a few minutes to be quiet and mostly still.
Take a moment to arrive.
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down.
If you're seated,
Let your feet rest flat on the floor,
Your hands resting easily in your lap.
If you're lying down,
Allow your arms to rest alongside your body.
There's no perfect posture,
Just one that allows you to be alert and at ease.
If it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes.
If not,
Soften your gaze and let your eyes rest on a spot in front of you.
Now begin by taking a slow,
Deep breath in through the nose and a gentle breath out through your mouth.
Again,
Breathing in and breathing out.
One more time,
Breathing in,
Feeling the chest and belly expand,
And breathing out,
Letting the body soften.
Allow your breath now to return to its natural rhythm.
You don't need to control it,
Just let it breathe itself.
Bring your attention to where your body makes contact with what's supporting you.
Notice the feeling of your feet on the floor,
The weight of your legs,
The support beneath your hips or back.
Let the ground or chair do the work of holding you.
If you notice any areas of tension,
Perhaps in the shoulders,
The jaw,
The forehead,
See if you can't gently soften them without forcing anything.
There's nothing you need to fix,
Just notice.
Now bring your attention to the breath.
Notice where you feel it most clearly.
It might be at the nostrils,
The chest,
Or the rise and fall of the belly.
Choose one place where the breath feels most vivid,
And let your attention rest there.
As you breathe in,
Notice the sensation of the in-breath,
And as you breathe out,
Notice the sensation of the out-breath.
If you don't need to label it or analyze it,
Just feel it.
It's natural for the mind to wonder.
Thoughts may arise about the past,
The future,
Or even about how this meditation is going.
When you notice that your attention has drifted,
Simply acknowledge it.
You might silently say to yourself,
Thinking or wondering,
And then gently and kindly bring your attention back to the breath.
There's no need to judge yourself for getting distracted.
Noticing that the mind has wondered is the practice.
Each time you return to the breath,
You're strengthening your ability to be present.
Now allow your awareness to widen slightly.
In addition to the breath,
Notice any sounds around you.
You don't need to identify them or push them.
Let them come and go like waves passing through awareness.
Notice sensations in the body,
Warmth,
Coolness,
Tingling,
Stillness.
Allow whatever is present to be present.
If emotions arise,
Restlessness,
Calm,
Boredom,
Ease,
See if you can notice them with curiosity rather than judgment.
Everything that appears is welcome.
Nothing needs to be different.
If at any point you feel lost in thought,
Overwhelmed,
Or unsure,
Return to the simple anchor of the breath.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
This returning again and again is not failure.
It is the heart of what meditation is.
As we begin to bring this meditation to a close,
Take a moment to notice how you feel right now.
There's no correct answer.
Just notice what's here.
Gently bring awareness back to the body as a whole,
Your posture,
Your presence.
If your eyes are closed,
Slowly begin to open them,
Letting light return gradually.
Before moving on with your day,
Take one final easy breath in and a full breath out.
Remember,
You can return to this moment,
To the breath,
To the body,
To awareness at any time.
This practice is simply about showing up one breath at a time.
