Awareness Of Breath Meditation - 15 Minutes

A crucial aspect of meditation is cultivating the right focus. When we sit in stillness, we often notice our minds wandering in all directions. In breath meditation, you become aware of your mind's tendencies and can practice returning to the present moment. Over time, this practice leads to a clearer mind.

Remember: It's natural for your mind to wander. There's no need to be hard on yourself if your thoughts drift. Be kind and gentle with yourself. It's not about how often you get distracted, but rather how often you return to your breath. And sometimes, that might be a hundred times.

Enjoy your meditation!

Transcript

Welcome, You're going to do a 15 minute awareness of breath meditation. If you sit in a comfortable posture, Sitting on your cushion or on a chair, I invite you to bring your awareness to the touch points with the ground, Feeling how your feet and legs are touching the ground, How you're sitting on the cushion or chair, And take a moment to keep your attention there. Usually it takes a few breaths to really sink into the experience. And from here you can build up the rest of your posture. You can sit upright in a dignified position, So your chest is open. Your back is straight, In a way that's also comfortable and feels natural, And in this way your body shows presence. You are awake and present with whatever is there. And you're invited to do this in a relaxed manner, So you can have your shoulders low, Your face muscles can relax, So you don't need to put much effort in the meditation. You very gently pay attention to your body and to your breath. I invite you to follow one inhale, Following the air coming in through the nostrils, Feeling the movement in the belly and the chest of the breath, And following the air out, Out of the nostrils. So in this way you can follow a few breath streams, And now you don't need to change your breath. Sometimes this happens automatically when you focus on it, But the invitation is to let it be as it is. Your breath is a natural thing, It happens automatically, There's nothing to do. Let her be curious about your breath, Feeling the movements in the body, Maybe the movement in the body is slightly different from the one breath to the next breath. Gently pay attention to your breath. And then I invite you to pick one point where you most clearly can follow your breath. It can be your nostrils, Where the air passes your nose, And there you can feel the movement of the air, The air touching the skin. You can also choose to direct your attention on the belly, And the movement that you can feel in the belly of your breath, And let your attention rest at that point. And allow yourself to relax into this exercise, In a relaxed manner you follow the breath. This is a sharp focus, But if something else pops up, It can also be part of the meditation. So maybe you also feel your body, Maybe you hear a sound in your environment, Then that's also part of the meditation, But the main object of your attention is your breath. You're aware that you're breathing in, And breathing out, In and out, And at some point you might notice that your mind is wandering off, And that's what the mind does, The mind starts wandering, And when it happens, You can gently bring your attention back to the breath, Always in a kind, Compassionate manner, And then you can simply continue following this in-breath and this out-breath. You're breathing, And you know that you are breathing, And when your mind is wandering off, You can bring it gently back, Like a puppy that runs away, And you pick up, Softly, And you bring back, And then you can, Again and again, Continue the practice, Being aware of your breath, And take your time to practice awareness of breath, And whatever comes up, You can include it in your meditation. Maybe you become restless, Maybe you feel pain in the body, You get sleepy, All different things can come up, Maybe something else, And let it include in the meditation, So you can give it attention for a few breaths, And then you simply bring your attention to the next in-breath, And the next out-breath, Breathing in, And breathing out, And what may help is to make your breath the most important thing in the world right now. Other things might come up in your awareness as well, Like plans for the future, Or thoughts about to practice, But for now, The most important thing is your breath, You don't need to go anywhere, You can be right here, And every time you focus on the breath, You are in the present moment, Aware that you are breathing in, Aware that you are breathing out, And where is your attention now? The moment you realize where your attention is, You also have the freedom to redirect your attention to the next in-breath, And the next out-breath, And then you are going towards the end of the practice. By doing this meditation, You train your mind. Good job.