This is meditation on the breath.
I'll be ringing this singing bowl to signal the start and the end of this meditation.
So as we get started,
Take a comfortable seat or choose to lie down.
This is your first opportunity to check in with the body.
What do you need right now?
Do you need to be seated,
Supported,
A cushion,
A pillow?
Or do you really need to lie all the way down?
Listen to what your body is telling you it needs and settle in.
If you're seated,
Encourage yourself to have a tall spine and allow the shoulders to fall back,
Releasing any tension they might be holding,
Letting it melt down.
Taking any position with the hands that's comfortable.
You may choose to put one hand on the belly,
One hand on the heart for nurturing,
Grounding,
Or perhaps you'll have the palms face up.
You might experiment with a few different positions,
Just choosing whatever is right for you in the moment.
Start to notice now your body.
Are there any areas that are calling for your attention?
Can we witness those and notice them?
Can we breathe a little more softness into the tight spaces?
Start to breathe in and out through your nose.
And allow your awareness to remain with your breath,
Noticing how good it feels to simply breathe.
The breath is always with us.
And if your mind wanders like it inevitably will,
Gently smile,
Come back to your breath.
Notice its texture,
Temperature.
Its rhythm and pace.
Can you breathe fully,
Inflating your lungs as if they're two balloons?
Not just breathing in the upper chest,
But filling the lungs,
Imagining like you could fill the abdomen and the belly with breath.
And not just the front of the lungs,
But also the back and the sides.
Feeling in and out through the nose.
Your hands are on the body,
You might notice the bottom hand,
The hand on the belly.
Feels the belly filling with air with every breath in.
And with every breath out,
Feeling the belly slightly contract as the body exhales the air.
Breathing in,
Filling up.
And breathing out,
Letting go.
Breathing in,
Imagine the area of breathing,
Filling the lungs.
Imagine the air has a color.
Imagine colors filling your lungs,
Filling your body,
And as you breathe out,
Exhaling,
Exhaling that color out,
Out through the nose,
Back into the air,
All the air that's surrounding you.
Breathing in,
Imagine that color filling the lungs,
Expanding them within you.
And breathing out,
Releasing,
Letting go,
Noticing how good it feels to nourish your body with breath in this way.
Simple practice of breathing.
It's nothing for you to do here,
But simply breathe.
That's enough right now.
As the mind gets distracted,
Thinking about the future,
The past,
Just notice it,
Just this human tendency,
Smile and laugh at it,
And just come back.
This is the practice of meditation.
It's just returning again and again.
Breathing in and sighing it out.
Notice your body.
Notice if there's any changes from the beginning of practice.
Again,
An invitation to breathe more softness into any areas of tension,
Maybe any areas that you might be experiencing pain.
Where can you soften them with your breath?
And exhaling,
Letting go here.
Breathing in,
Just witnessing your experience without judgment.
Realizing that you are not your thoughts.
And you can be the observer of your thoughts.
Take one last deep breath in through the nose.
Exhale,
Sigh it out.
Releasing,
Letting go.
Take a deep breath in,
Maybe lifting your arms above your head.
Take a nice stretch.
And letting go.
And I will bring the singing bowl,
Signifying the end of this breath practice.
Thank you for sharing your practice with me.
The light in me sees and honors the light within each of you.
Namaste.
