Find a comfortable seat.
Roll your shoulders a couple of times.
Move your head from left to right.
And then settle into a relaxed position.
Take a big breath in.
And out.
Gently become aware of any sounds you hear.
The wind outside.
People in the next room.
Let your attention naturally wander to whatever sounds you hear.
And then naturally wander to whatever sound it is drawn to.
Is the sound soft?
Far off in the distance?
Or is it louder?
Closer to you.
Let the sounds become part of your meditation.
You do not need silence to meditate.
By gently letting your attention rest on the sounds around you,
Know that you are actually meditating by doing just this.
Take a breath in.
And then on the exhale,
You can sigh it out if that feels good.
Take another inhale,
Filling your lungs.
And then let the breath go.
Continue to breathe normally.
No need to change anything about your breath.
Your natural rhythm is just fine.
I invite you now to consider the quality of your breath.
Notice the pace.
And then take a breath in.
And then exhale.
Slow.
A little quicker.
Notice the texture of your breath.
The temperature of your inhales.
The temperature of your inhales.
The temperature of your exhales.
Again,
No need to change anything.
We are just bringing our attention to our breath.
Perhaps your shoulders are starting to lower a little as you breathe.
Maybe your breath is starting to assist your body to unwind a little more.
Or maybe not.
And that is okay too.
Gently bring your attention to your forehead.
Gently bring your attention to your forehead.
Do you notice any tension here?
How do the muscles in your face feel?
How do the muscles in your face feel at this time?
Observe any sensations in your face.
Expand your awareness to include your entire body.
What,
If any,
Sensations you are feeling in your body at this very moment?
Expand your awareness to include your entire body.
Notice any other sensations you are feeling in your body at this very moment.
Maybe notice some tightness or stiffness in areas of your body.
Perhaps you feel some warmth in your hands.
Tingling in parts of your body.
Settle here and be with the sensations in your body for a few moments more.
If your mind drifts away,
Know that this is okay.
It is the nature of the mind to move focus.
Thoughts may bubble up.
Something in the upcoming future or possibly thoughts drift to a past memory.
This is all okay.
The mind will wander.
Welcome any thoughts.
This is all okay.
The mind will wander.
Welcome any thoughts as they arise.
Perhaps a thought leads to an emotion.
Or maybe sitting here doing this meditation is causing certain feelings or emotions to arise.
Maybe it's frustration.
Peace.
Autumn.
Calm.
Whichever.
Let whatever is coming to the surface arise.
Strange as it sounds,
But this is all part of meditating.
By noticing what is going on in your body and mind,
You can be assured that you are meditating right now.
Before we finish,
I will leave you in silence for a couple of minutes.
I will leave you in silence for a couple of minutes.
I will leave you in silence for a couple of minutes.
I will leave you in silence for a couple of minutes.
I will leave you in silence for a couple of minutes.
I will leave you in silence for a couple of minutes.
Start to deepen your breath.
The inhales filling your lungs.
Maybe bringing a little movement into your fingers or your toes.
And in your own time,
When you are ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
