It is best to do this mindfulness meditation in a warm and protected place in which you feel comfortable and secure,
At a time when you will not be interrupted by anyone or by anything.
Sit comfortably on a chair or floor,
Keeping the spine straight and energized while relaxing the muscles around the body.
When you are comfortable,
Allow your eyes to gently close.
It is best if you can manage to stay awake and alert throughout the session.
Make this to be the time in which we turn off the usual mode of constant activity.
We switch to a mode of non-doing,
A mode of simply being,
Allowing ourselves to be who we are,
Becoming aware of how being yourself feels.
Allow it to be a nourishing time,
And this time you deserve to give yourself some positive energy and attention,
A time in which to open to the sources of strength and healing within yourself.
It is important to remember not to try too hard to relax,
This will just create tension and distraction.
What we will be doing is becoming aware of each passing moment,
Playing kind attention to whatever comes up in each moment,
Paying kind attention to whatever comes up in each moment.
Allow the body to become still by bringing your attention to your breath.
Bring your focus on your nostrils and become aware of your breath.
Feel the sensations of the breath on your nostrils.
As the breath comes into your body and leaves your body,
Not changing the breathing in any way,
Remain aware of every breath,
Every breath coming in and every breath going out.
Natural breath,
Normal breath,
Just observe as it is.
If it is long,
It is long,
If it is short,
It is short.
Just remain aware of the breath,
Do not change your breathing in any way.
And when you feel comfortable,
Observe your breathing deep down in your belly,
As it expands gently on the in-breath and as it falls back towards your spine on the out-breath.
Simply being totally here in each moment with each breath,
Not trying to do anything,
Not trying to get any place.
Simply being with your breath going into your belly and coming out of it.
Now of course you will find that from time to time your mind will wander off into thoughts,
Fantasies,
Anticipations of the future,
Worrying,
Past memories and lot of other things.
But when you notice that your attention is no longer really on your breathing without giving yourself a hard time,
Just bring your attention back to the breath.
Whatever feelings,
Urges or sensations arise,
Whether pleasant or unpleasant,
Gently acknowledge their presence and let them be.
Allow them to come and go as they please.
Just like the waves arising from the sea then falling back in,
You can watch the waves from the beach without being carried away by them.
Gently bringing your attention to the sensation of the breath on your nostrils.
Remain aware of every breath,
Every breath coming in and every breath going out.
Normal breath,
Normal breath,
As it is,
As it is.
And as it happens with all of us,
There may be times when the sensations in one part of our body really becomes overwhelming.
It becomes very difficult to stay focused and concentrated.
If this happens,
You have two ways to respond.
One way to work with this intensity and try to simply observe it.
Make room for the discomfort by opening and softening,
Rather than tensing and resisting,
So that even within the intensity you may find stillness and acceptance.
Put your mind right there in the knee or in your back or wherever the discomfort is.
And totally experiencing what your body is saying to you right now,
Right here without reacting to the sensations.
Second way is to mindfully shift to be more comfortable position to relieve some of the intensity.
If you choose to move,
Just be aware of the intention to do it before you actually move.
When the intensity subsides,
Just refocus your awareness on the breath as it moves in and out of your body.
Going back to a sense of the fullness of each in-breath and the fullness of each out-breath.
Remember that this state of calmness and clarity is accessible to you by simply attending to the in-breath and to the out-breath in any moment.
No matter what's happening at any time of the day.
Let your breath be a source of constant strength and energy for you.
Remember,
You are learning a valuable skill,
So be kind with yourself.
If your attention wanders hundred times,
Your aim is simply to bring it back hundred times.
You may wish to congratulate yourself on having taken the time and the energy to nourish yourself.
Now you might want to wiggle your toes and fingers.
And when you are ready,
Bring yourself back to the room and open your eyes.
