And let's begin.
First,
Bringing attention to body.
And whether you're seated in a chair or on a cushion.
Settling in to a comfortable posture that balances gentleness to body and wakefulness to mind.
If you're seated in a chair.
Both feet comfortably resting upon the floor.
And determining if your back is okay.
Seated unsupported,
Or if you need to slide back a little in the chair and offer your back some support.
Feeling thighs and bottom comfortably resting upon the chair or cushion.
And inviting a comfortable rising up of spine from pelvis up through torso,
Neck,
And top of head,
Gently rising up towards sky.
Nothing forced or rigid.
Simply a comfortable rising up towards sky.
And then maybe a shoulder roll or two to loosen and lower shoulders and torso.
And finding a comfortable resting place for hands,
Maybe resting upon thighs or cupped within laps.
And deciding whether you'd like to have eyes opened or closed.
If you're feeling sleepy,
Eyes open can provide some further wakefulness.
And if you're feeling a bit scattered or racing mind,
Allowing lids to lower,
Eyes to close.
Can help bring a quieter space.
Simply settling into body in this posture.
Feeling a comfortable alignment.
And allowing for the least amount of effort.
To hold yourself in this position.
With head.
Over shoulders.
Over hips.
Bringing your attention now down into legs and feet.
Noticing the presence of any tension or tightness.
And inviting a letting go as best as you can.
Bringing attention now into torso.
Noticing any tension or tightness.
And inviting a letting go as best as you can.
Bringing your attention now into arms and hands.
Noticing tension.
Inviting a letting go as best as you can.
Bringing attention now into neck and rising up into head and face.
And crown.
Notice the intention.
And inviting a letting go as best as you can.
And now bringing your attention around the physical sensations of body breathing.
Simply feeling the rise and fall of chest and belly.
Not needing to change or manipulate your breath,
Trusting body will breathe as is needed in this moment.
And simply allowing the physical sensations of body breathing to fill your attention in this moment.
And if you find that body breathing is not a comfortable,
Safe focal point,
Which is true for some folks,
And that's okay.
Choosing another sensory-based focal point for your attention.
Maybe feet resting upon the floor,
Hands resting upon thighs.
And allowing that to fill your attention in this moment.
And when your focus drifts away.
And it will.
That's okay.
That's what our minds tend to do.
Commonly into maybe memories of the past or worries of the future.
When you notice your focus has drifted away,
Simply acknowledging,
Oh look,
My focus has drifted away.
And then with gentleness and kindness,
Ushering your focus back.
To body breathing or whatever you choose to be your focal point once again.
And if you like,
We can even bring in the qualities of mindfulness,
Especially when you know it as your focus is drifted away.
Reading whatever you encounter during this meditation.
With suspending judging of your experience.
Suspending striving for things to be different.
Reading all that you encounter in mind,
Body,
And emotions.
With an acceptance or allowing as it unfolds.
Patience with it unfolding at its natural rate.
And curiosity of simply stepping back and observing this unfolding moment as it is.
Thank you.
No special state to achieve,
No special place to arrive.
Other than arriving in this space-time of here.
Breathing.
Observing this unfolding moment.
Letting go of expectations or shoulds.
Simply letting be.
Now opening eyes if they were closed,
Inviting in the light and surroundings.
Maybe a little gentle stretch or movement of body.
And inviting ourselves to bring mindfulness into our day.
As we bring this meditation to an end.
