This is a mindfulness recording by Gemma for the owl and the coconut.
This is the mindfulness of breath practice.
This mindfulness of breath may help you to learn to simply be and allow yourself to switch off from the usual mode of doing or having to do things to a mode of simply being.
Sitting with a dignified posture,
Feeling the weight of the body going down and the height of the body rising up,
Sensing the contact of your feet on the floor and noticing where exactly your feet meet the floor beneath.
Being aware of the points of contact of the back of the body on the chair or the support beneath you,
Sensing yourself being held,
Letting gravity and support take your weight.
Allowing your body to come to a sense of stillness and guiding your attention just gently to your breath,
To where you sense your breath most vividly in this moment.
Maybe at the nostrils or at the mouth where the breath enters the body.
Maybe inside the mouth or the back of the throat,
Maybe the top of the chest,
The chest area,
The side ribs or the belly,
The abdomen.
As you breathe at your own pace in and out,
Just letting the breath breathe itself in its own rhythm.
So come into an awareness where you notice your breath most intensely in your body right now.
Where is that place?
And knowing that this place in your body where you sense your breath can be an anchor point for you to return to when you notice the mind wandering and thoughts coming and going.
If thoughts are overcrowding the mind or emotions or feelings becoming overwhelming,
Just returning to this anchor point of the breath in the body.
This anchor point is a place for you to return to over and over again and again.
So simply observing now the journey of your breath as it enters and travel through and leaves the body.
I'm not trying to alter or change your breath in any way,
Just letting the breath breathe itself in its own rhythm at its own pace and simply being curious,
Tracking that journey of the breath in and out,
In through and out of the body.
Where does it travel?
Perhaps being aware of the sensations of the breath,
The full breath in and the full breath out.
Being here in each moment with each breath,
Just not trying too hard,
Not striving to attain any particular state,
Just simply connecting the sensations of your feet in contact with the floor beneath,
The body in contact with the support of the chair or whatever you're sitting on and the sensations of your breath,
Simply this.
Feet on the floor,
Body on the chair,
Awareness of breath and when you notice your mind has wandered and your attention might be hooking onto thoughts or traveling with thoughts,
Just when you notice this without any judgment or criticism,
Simply becoming aware that this has happened and gently bringing your awareness by unhooking from the thoughts and guiding your attention back to this anchor of the breath in the body.
As you continue to just sit and to breathe.
Breathing in and breathing out over and over.
Possibility on an out-breath to release and let go of any holding on.
With every out-breath,
The exhalation,
The possibility of softening in the body of releasing.
Maybe some awareness with each in-breath of oxygenating and energizing and revitalizing the body,
The cells,
The blood,
The brain,
The whole body.
And with every out-breath releasing and letting go of any holding on.
So letting go on an out-breath if that's possible for you,
Just exploring this as best you can.
Breathing in and breathing out,
Simply being,
Connecting with the contact of your feet on the floor,
Body on the chair,
The weight going down,
The height of the body rising up and breathing.
Noticing what this is like,
How are you right now with this breath.
Breathing moment to moment,
Just letting the breath simply breathe itself.
And when you notice the mind has wandered and thoughts are coming and going or thoughts,
Emotions or feelings are overwhelming,
Just knowing that this is okay and gently guiding yourself back to the anchor of the breath in the body once more.
With each breath there's a fresh opportunity to begin again and begin again over and over.
With each breath there's a new possibility to begin again once more.
So now as you continue to breathe just come into awareness of your whole body sitting here,
Being and breathing.
An awareness of the whole body breathing right now in this moment.
Expanding the focus of your awareness outwards to encompass the whole body sitting here and breathing.
Giving yourself this moment and this time to simply be and simply breathe just as you are,
Just for right now.
I'm beginning to end this practice and open your eyes if you've had them closed,
Make any movements as you transition back to the area you sat in,
Taking in the objects around you and ending this practice for now.
