Hi friend,
It's Manuela from Ankura.
And this is a breath meditation practice.
The first step for you to start focusing your attention.
It will allow you to pause and rest.
So begin by settling into a comfortable position.
Try to keep your back straight,
But try not to be too rigid or tight.
Comfort is key.
And don't worry about being in a total silent place.
And remember,
Thoughts are not the enemy here.
So you can close your eyes or leave them open and just look downward.
And gently move your attention from what you are thinking to the sensations in your body.
In your forehead.
Around your eyes.
Try to relax and let go of any tension.
Bring a smile to your face.
Relax your jaw.
Let your shoulders feel heavy and drop away from your neck.
Relax your upper arms,
Your lower arms,
Your hands and your fingers.
This is an opportunity for you to rest and to bring your attention inward.
Into your body,
Into your senses.
So let's begin by taking a few deep breaths.
Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.
Inhale deep and exhale long.
Again in through your nose and even a longer exhale through the mouth.
By doing this you are calming down your nervous system.
One last deep breath in and a long breath out.
Feeling your body relax with the breath out.
And now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm,
To its natural flow,
Simple and natural.
Without trying to change your breathing in any way and taking this time to notice the sensations of your body breathing.
You may feel the breath as the air passes underneath your nostrils or in the rise and fall of your belly.
Choose one area to observe the breath for the next few minutes and stay with it.
Just notice the inhale and the exhale.
And whenever you find that the mind has wandered away,
Just gently come back to the breath.
You can bring curiosity and notice the different aspects of the breath right now.
When the inhale begins and when it ends,
When the exhale begins and ends.
The temperature of the air.
Whether your breath is warm or cool,
Deep or shallow.
Consider if there is a pause between the end of one complete breath and the beginning of the next.
Listen.
If your mind is wondering,
Counting can be helpful in maintaining focus on the breath.
You can mentally count 1 with the in-breath and 2 with the out-breath,
Still noticing the sensations of the breath.
And if the mind wonders,
Just come back to the breath and start again without judging the attachment.
And now bring your attention back to your body.
Notice if your body is sitting or standing or lying down.
Notice if there is any sensations asking for your attention.
You can mentally name the sensations,
Hatching or restlessness,
Vibration,
Tightness,
Pain.
See if you can feel where your feet make contact with the floor.
You can try to move your fingers and your toes.
And if your eyes were closed,
You can start to open them and notice the world around you.
And as you continue with the rest of your day,
You can access this energy by focusing a few moments on your breath in the way that we just practiced.
Take good care of you.
