Welcome to this guided awareness of breath meditation.
Before we begin,
Make any necessary adjustments to the body before settling into a posture,
Either on a cushion or in a chair,
That allows for wakefulness,
Stability,
And relaxation.
When you're ready,
Just closing your eyes.
Sometimes it can be helpful to begin the practice by taking a few deeper than normal breaths,
Releasing tension and letting go on each audible exhale.
Now,
Taking the next few moments to anchor into your personal intentions for being here,
Reminding yourself of why this practice is important to you.
Now turning your attention toward hearing and following the sound of the bell.
As you settle a little deeper into stillness,
Beginning to notice the experience you're having.
Filling into what it's like to be you in this moment with this mind and this body.
Being fully present to whatever arises from moment to moment with a sense of kindness and curiosity.
Are there any thoughts or stories still running through your mind?
If so,
Just noticing them and then allowing them to fade to the background.
No need to indulge or invest in the thinking mind in this moment.
Focusing attention now toward the body and feeling what it's like for the body to be sitting in the position you've chosen.
Noticing the pressure between your hips and your seat.
Feeling the feet and the hands.
The contact between skin and clothing.
Feeling the weight and texture and warmth of the clothes.
Maybe even noticing the heart beating.
Understanding the body to see if there are any areas of tension or areas of ease.
Holding both tension and ease with equanimity and allowing the body to be just how it is.
There's no need to do or fix anything in this moment.
Now gathering up all your attention and placing it on the direct experience of breathing in the body.
Feeling each breath fully as it comes in and goes out.
Present to the very inception of the in-breath all the way to its completion.
Present to the slight pause and the moment the in-breath turns into the out-breath.
Watching the out-breath until it dissolves and then noticing again the natural impulse to take another in-breath.
You don't need to control the pace or the depth of the breath.
Simply being aware of it and of any feelings in the body associated with breathing.
Feeling the breath at the tip of the nostrils.
Noticing the sensations of cool air entering the nose and maybe sensing slightly warmer air leaving.
Now dropping attention a little lower in the body and observing the breath at the chest.
Noticing the sensations of inflating and deflating of the lungs.
Breathing and relaxing in the ribs.
Now moving attention deeper down into your belly.
Feeling the abdomen as it gently rises on the in-breath and falls back on the out-breath.
Finally,
Resting your attention wherever you feel the breath most accessible in the body.
You might choose the tip of the nose,
The ribs,
The belly or the sense of the whole body breathing in and breathing out.
Continue staying with the breath.
Now you may begin the practice of counting your breaths.
Mentally whispering 1 after the next inhale and 2 at the next exhale.
Doing this all the way until you reach 10.
Once you're at 10,
Beginning again back at 1 for another cycle.
If you find that your mind has wandered from the practice,
Which it will from time to time,
Simply notice and return to counting 1 at the next breath.
We'll continue this practice in silence for a while.
Where are you now?
Simply noticing if the mind has wandered away from the practice and if so,
Recommitting to counting your breaths,
Still 1 cycle after the next.
Angle from the beginning at the first time you you you Notice the emotion and Contrast changes that will be created afterwards noticing the experience you're having in this moment without judging it in any way accepting whatever level of attention and focus you have available to you in this moment.
Continue feeling and counting each inhale and each exhale.
If the mind wanders away from the breath counting a hundred times then returning to the practice a hundred times.
Breathing in breathing out.
Now letting go of the mental breath counting practice but continuing to stay with the sensations of breathing throughout the body as a whole.
Breathing in and breathing out from the entire body staying present and returning every time the mind wanders.
Being present to the experience of being alive awake in the flow of this moment.
Going backwards.
Breathing in fully present to the sensations of breathing in.
Breathing out fully present to the sensations of breathing out.
Breathing out fully present to the sensations of breathing out.
Before today's practice comes to an end,
Acknowledging yourself for having spent this time cultivating greater ease,
Focus,
And concentration,
And for increasing your capacity to live and perform mindfully.
Taking one or two last deeper than normal breaths,
Allowing for an audible exhale.
Breathing in fully present to the sensations of breathing in.
Breathing out fully present to the sensations of breathing in.
Breathing out fully present to the sensations of breathing in.
