Return now to your meditation position.
Find comfort as much as possible.
Carefully consider your body and check to see where any points of strain have been from the first meditation.
Check the position of your legs.
They don't need to be fully crossed.
In fact,
The half lotus position with one leg in front of the other is quite beneficial as it allows a better flow of blood and you will find less restriction in this way.
Sit nice and tall.
Move your shoulders a little to find again that point of center and stability.
Rotate your head on your neck a little.
Lift round,
Right around.
Come back to center.
Loosen the spine,
Chin slightly down,
Long neck.
Place your hands folded together in your lap,
Arms loosely dangling.
Feel the strength of this simple position.
Become aware of any sounds in your environment.
There may be the sound of wind outside,
The sound of insects,
Cicadas calling to each other.
There may be the sound of some air conditioning or fans or some machinery sounds.
What is the furthest,
Most distant sound that you can hear?
Bring your awareness closer to yourself.
Bring the focus of your listening to your immediate surroundings.
Gently close your eyes and become aware of your body sitting in meditation.
Feel peace arising as you dedicate yourself to this time.
Leave all your cares,
All your worries aside.
Bring your attention gently to your breath.
Just be aware of your breathing.
Notice the inhalations and how the body expands with each inhalation.
Turn your attention to the exhalations.
Note how the body relaxes on exhalation.
The release of tension from the inhalation.
Bring your attention now to the area around the nose.
Think of this as a triangular area from the bridge of your nose to the sides of your nose across the upper lip.
Concentrate your attention fully in this area.
Your concentration as we do this becomes more powerful.
Note that as we direct our awareness to this area that all awareness of other parts of our body are minimized.
Consider carefully this triangular area from the bridge of the nose to the nostrils along the top of the lip.
What sensations can be perceived?
You may feel the air circulating,
Touching the skin.
There may be a sensation of temperature,
It could be hot,
Warm,
Cold.
There may be a sensation of prickling,
A prickling feeling.
Be aware of any thoughts that may arise that distract you from this simple but complicated task.
You may find yourself thinking about what happened yesterday,
A conversation that you had,
An activity that you did,
Something that you should have done but didn't do.
See that thought happening,
Be aware of those thoughts happening and gently return your attention to the triangular area between the nostrils and the bridge of the nose.
Focus once again on the breath.
Note that when your attention wavers to another thought or story at the intent of bringing your concentration back to the area of focus,
Stops that thought from happening.
Concentrated awareness directs your mind,
Giving you stillness,
Giving you peace,
Giving you respite from thoughtless,
Mindless activity.
Bring your attention to your nostrils as you breathe gently through your nostrils.
Be aware of the quality of your breath,
Simply be aware to not change anything.
Is the breath on inhalation going equally into the left nostril and the right nostril?
Or is there an imbalance there?
Is the left nostril plugged and breathing happens through the right nostril?
That's okay.
Or is the right nostril plugged and breathing is happening through the left nostril?
That's also okay.
Simply observe the present moment as it unfolds in the here and now.
There's nothing to do except observe.
Every time we become aware of our thoughts going off to a different direction,
Gently bring them back to the point of concentration.
Don't be frustrated,
Do not be angry with yourself.
The mind is like a monkey that needs to be trained.
Bring it gently back to the point of concentration.
Let the thought stories go,
Let them disappear into the nothingness that they came from.
Note that when we do this and we refocus our concentration on the area of the nose,
Let All the thought stories dissipate.
All worries dissipate.
All thought tensions dissipate.
They are nothing.
Check the sensations around your nostrils again.
Has the quality of breath changed?
If before the left nostril was blocked,
Is it still so?
If before the right nostril was blocked,
Is it still that way?
Has there been a change?
Just observe.
If you find thoughts are coming back and distracting you from your concentration,
Take a couple of deep breaths and note the effect that has on calming the mind.
What other sensations can you perceive around the area of the nose?
When you inhale,
Can you feel a coolness around the entry to the nose,
Around the nostrils?
When you exhale,
Do you note the warmth of the breath leaving the body?
Be aware of this continuous flux of cool and warm,
Cool,
Cool and warm.
There is nothing that needs to be done.
The body takes care of itself.
The mind is peaceful now and quiet.
The awareness is crystal clear,
Observing.
This crystal clear presence,
This observing perspective is here all the time.
Gently let go of your concentrated perspective.
Bring your attention back to what you can hear in the room,
Where you are.
Gently roll your shoulders.
Be aware of any tension that's built up there.
Sway your spine to and fro.
Rotate from your hips.
Gently undo your legs.
Stretch your arms up above your head.
This is the end of our Anapana meditation.
