So now just take a moment to find a comfortable position.
If you are sitting on a chair being able to have your back away from the chair,
Having your head,
Neck and back in alignment and having a posture that can embody a state of alertness and wakefulness.
If you're able to have your feet on the floor,
Being able to have them hip width apart and if it feels comfortable to be able to close your eyes and have a soft gaze in the room.
If you're undertaking this practice sitting on the floor,
Being able to have your legs crossed and being able to have your back away from a wall or from the side of the bed.
Being able to have a posture that embodies alertness and wakefulness.
So if we now just focus our attention on our body and just recognize those points of touch as we may be sitting on the chair,
Sitting on the floor,
Lying on our bed.
Wherever we may be,
Just take in a few moments just to recognize what's here.
For our bodies there's areas of touch,
Of service.
So our feet on the floor or how our body makes contact with the chair,
Floor,
Bed.
Just tune into those sensations that are here.
Next is to acknowledge our breath.
So to focus that attention on our breathing.
Because that in-breath and that out-breath and with each out-breath just seeing whether you're able to give your body up more to gravity.
The gravity of your body resting on the chair,
The floor,
The bed.
It's falling deeper into that sense of connection where your body might be.
Breathing into that on the in-breath and softening to those sensations of touch and the out-breath.
So you may notice a rise and fall for your abdominal wall as you're breathing in and out.
It's time just to notice the pauses between each breath.
So that in-breath to out-breath and out-breath to in-breath and then the in-breath to out-breath.
So the next invite is to notice if there is any thoughts that are here in your mind.
Our minds are amazing sense-making machines where we can often have many hundreds of thousands of thoughts each moment,
Each day.
Just noticing what's here in your mind at this moment.
Often our minds can be drawn into the stories,
Worries or fears that our minds may play out.
Just allowing these thoughts to be here in your mind.
Just acknowledging that they're here.
It doesn't mean that we have to like our thoughts,
Find them pleasant.
Just recognizing that our thoughts are here.
Whether we have any thoughts or emotions attached to them,
That they're here anyway.
And if you do find there are thoughts here,
One suggestion maybe is consider our thoughts coming in as if it were the waves of the ocean coming in and out.
The thoughts coming and going.
These thoughts can pass.
Having that knowledge that you've had difficult unpleasant thoughts before and these thoughts are passed.
You may have noticed the emotions and sensations that are here with the thoughts.
Let's bring that gentle curiosity if there are any changes with the intensity of the emotions.
And if possible just seeing if you're able to breathe into that area where those emotions are more intense.
And if you find that your mind has wandered away from the thoughts,
It may have been caught in the narrative,
The stories,
Perhaps plans for the rest of the day.
Just bringing it back,
Bringing it back to allowing the thoughts to be.
Knowing not to fall in any direction.
Not to have to make decisions or outcomes.
Having that open being receptive to what's here because these thoughts are here anyway.
Knowing that our body is always an anchor point if you notice that thoughts become too overwhelming.
So we can return to the anchor points of touch of us sitting here on a chair,
The floor,
Lying on the bed.
Or perhaps it may be sort of noticing that touch of your feet and your feet on the floor.
All the sensations of our breath breathing in through our nostrils,
How our abdomen rises and falls with each in breath and out breath.
These are areas of stability where we can ground ourselves when times are difficult.
When there's unpleasant thoughts that are here we can return to our body in the present moment.
Sort of knowing that our thoughts and our present sensations will come and go but we can be grounded in our sensations and our body.
Then on the next in breath if it's possible if you're still noticing thoughts here in your mind,
Seeing if you're able to bring some compassion towards yourself.
Being able to be gentle,
Kind to the experience.
You may notice that times when there's thoughts and difficult sensations that our body often tenses and embraces.
If we feel this discomfort and if this is the case for you,
Being able to bring some of that kindness and gentleness and being able to soften into those areas of tension with each in breath,
Letting go on the out breath.
So now if we were to return to our whole body,
Our whole body sitting here and seeing if you're able just one last time to offer it warmth and kindness.
Seeing on the next in breath that warmth and kindness and travel through your body as you breathe in.
Letting any tension or any difficult sensations,
Just letting them go on the out breath.
As we come towards the end of this practice it's always knowing that you can always return to the present moment.
The present moment of your body,
Body being connected to the ground,
Sensations of touch,
Environment that you're in and sounds.
Knowing that every experience is fluid,
That experiences come and go.
Our minds,
Our thoughts,
Our sensations change with every moment to moment,
With every breath to breath and every touch.
So in a moment I'm going to ring the bell which will signify the end of that practice.
You'll be able to return back to your wider environment and to notice what else is around you.
