Come into a comfortable seat.
That can be either sitting on the floor or sitting on a chair.
Either way,
Have your spine nice and long.
Allow your shoulders to be soft and feel a softness throughout your entire body.
Have your hands palms face down on your thighs and allow your eyes to soften closed.
Releasing any thoughts of earlier today or any anticipations of later.
And bring your awareness simply to your breath.
Just notice that you are breathing.
Observing the ebb and the flow of your breath.
For the next few moments,
Just continue this observation of your natural breath.
Simply observing your inhalation and observing your exhalation.
Without trying to shift or change anything in any way.
Without wanting anything to be any different than how it is right now.
Simply observe your breath.
Observing the movement of your breath.
Noticing how your breath moves into your body.
And how your breath moves out.
Now paying a little closer attention to your breath.
Observing if your breath feels fast or if it feels slow.
Noticing the tempo of your breath.
There is no right and no wrong.
But just simply deepening the awareness of our breath.
Now observing if your breath feels shallow or if it feels deep.
Observing that part in your body where your breath begins.
And the space where it returns back to.
And if your mind wanders off at any point during your practice,
That's okay.
At the point at which you observe that your mind has wandered off.
Just effortlessly come back to this observation of your natural breath.
No need to create story.
Just simply come back to your breath.
Come back to this present moment.
Now observing the different parts of your body that move as you inhale.
And the parts that move as you exhale.
Observing the gentle rising of your chest as you inhale.
And the lowering as you exhale.
Just keep observing the body in this way.
How the body responds to the movement of your breath.
And if your mind wanders off,
Just come back to your breath.
Now take your awareness to the movement of your belly.
Observing the gentle rising and the falling of your belly as you breathe.
That gentle expansion as you inhale.
And the softening back to center as you exhale.
Again continue observing the movement of your belly in this way.
Observing the belly rising and the belly falling.
The expansion and then the softening.
Now take your awareness to the sensation of the breath pouring in and gently pouring out of your nostrils.
Noticing the sensation as the breath gently brushes over your upper lip.
Just noticing the difference in temperature of the breath.
That slight coolness as the breath comes in.
And the warmth as the breath comes out.
Just simply keep your awareness rested on the breath.
Observing the natural rhythm of your own breath.
Observing your inhale and observing your exhale.
Just making sure that your shoulders are remaining soft and your spine remains long.
Observing the expansion of your whole body as you inhale.
And that softening and grounding as you exhale.
No need to shift or change anything in any way.
Simply allowing the breath to be exactly as it is.
Observing our awareness on this ever-present life force.
Observing your inhale and observing your exhale.
Take yourself through five more full rounds of breath.
Staying present to each and every breath.
And then at the end of your last exhalation.
Very gently beginning to wriggle your fingers and your toes.
And in your own time slowly opening up your eyes.
And then maintaining the sense of calmness,
Of centeredness and of groundedness as you continue on with your day.
