Begin by tuning into your posture.
What would it look like if you were sitting in a state of alert relaxation?
Keep the back straight,
Sitting up straight and tall,
But without any unneeded tension in the body.
Keeping the head perfectly balanced on the neck and torso,
Making sure that you are not looking up or looking down.
The eyes can remain slightly open or closed if that is easier.
Which way will help you to maintain a level of focused attention?
Once the body is in a posture that allows you to be alert and relaxed,
Gently place the hands in a traditional mudra,
One hand over the other with thumbs lightly touching,
Holding this hand posture just in front of the navel.
Can you feel how you are sitting with dignity?
Maintaining this posture,
Keeping the body grounded,
Rooted,
Relaxed and attentive.
Gently shift your attention to the breath.
Allow your breathing to be relaxed,
Easy,
Soft and natural.
Choose a way to focus on the breathing by noticing bodily sensations.
Perhaps you focus on the movement of the belly,
Expanding with each inhalation and contracting with each exhalation.
Simply watching the belly move in and out.
Maybe you focus on the feeling of the air moving through your nostrils.
Noticing the cool air moving in with each in-breath and the warm air moving out with each out-breath.
Choose a single point of focus for this meditation and hold your attention there.
For the remainder of this meditation,
Gently and quietly count each breath cycle.
Inhaling and exhaling.
This is one.
Inhaling and exhaling.
This is two.
Continue watching the breath and counting until you reach number ten.
When you reach ten,
Simply return to the beginning and continue the process.
When the mind wanders and you lose track of the number,
Simply return the focus to the breathing.
Patiently and non-judgmentally returning to number one and beginning again.
Remember there is no good or bad.
This is simply practice.
Whatever happens and however the mind behaves,
Remember that this is just information.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
And counting.
When the mind becomes distracted,
Simply recognize this and gently return attention to the breath and the counting.
Continue this practice for the remainder of the meditation.
The three bells will signal that the meditation is complete.
The bell will signal that the meditation is complete.
The bell will signal that the meditation is complete.
