Settling with the breath.
Starting with a few deep breaths as we listen to the sound of the bell.
Whenever you feel ready,
Allowing the breath to drop back to its natural pattern.
Recognising that the body knows how to breathe.
We don't need to change the breath or make it a certain way.
We can simply allow it to settle in the pattern that it chooses.
And then bringing our attention to the breath.
Noticing the rhythm and the pattern as the body breathes in and breathes out.
Perhaps noticing how shallow or deep the breath is.
How long or short the breath is.
Whether it's smooth or shaky.
Or maybe it has a jaggy quality.
So simply noticing.
No need to change anything.
Simply being curious about the rhythm of the breath.
As you follow the breath you might want to say to yourself gently.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
These words can act as an extra anchor as we rest our focus with the breath.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Seeing if you can follow a whole in-breath from beginning to end.
And as you tune into the in-breath perhaps noticing the coolness of the air around the mouth or the nostrils.
Feeling all the movements in the body as the body swells to accommodate the in-breath.
And the belly is distended.
The chest expands.
The shoulders lift.
The skin across the back stretches.
As the body moves to accommodate the in-breath.
Breathing in.
And then turning the attention onto the out-breath.
Perhaps feeling that the air is warmer around the airways with the out-breath.
And feeling how the body deflates as it lets go of the out-breath.
That feeling of the air escaping.
How the stomach sinks.
The chest deflates.
The shoulders drop.
The skin across the back loosens.
All those signs that the body is letting go.
Expelling the air that it doesn't need.
Breathing out,
I can really feel my out-breath.
And then paying attention to the whole in-breath.
The whole out-breath.
And then leaning into all of these movements within the body.
As we take in the air that we need.
And get rid of the waste.
Perhaps you feel the air most keenly in a particular part of the body.
Maybe around the belly or at the back of the throat.
Notice in where in your body you feel the breath.
And allowing the attention to settle there.
Simply following the pattern of your breathing.
Feeling the body breathing in.
Feeling the body breathing out.
Knowing that no matter how many times you're distracted.
Your mind might wander into thought.
Or get lost,
Distracted by sounds.
You can always come back to the breath.
The breath is the anchor that's always present.
And we can simply return our attention onto our breathing.
As many times as we need to.
With gentle,
Firm kindness.
Simply sitting here.
Experiencing breathing.
Bell rings.
