Welcome to this classic mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness of the breath.
Here we are.
Before you start make sure that you're in a posture that's comfortable.
Give yourself a moment or two to settle into this.
This posture that has served you before,
Many times maybe.
You deserve this moment that you've carved out for yourself.
Giving your body the right to be here now.
As we settle,
If you're comfortable with closing your eyes feel free to and if not you can hold a soft gaze on something in front of you.
Why am I practicing this?
Simply for being more connected,
Grounded,
Present,
Aware.
Let's get into this.
In order to settle into the moments we need to remind ourselves that this is about the art of allowing.
Allowing all of our experiences to be.
So with this practice there's no need to change or alter anything.
It's simply about being with what is.
Notice how your feet are making contact with the floor.
Noticing the different areas of pressure from each foot.
As you do this let this be.
Noticing any judgments your mind may make about this experience.
Being with this.
Even when there's a difference in pressure from each foot it doesn't need correcting or fixing.
It's an invitation for us to drop further and further into this experience.
And as you've been doing this the natural rise and fall of your belly has been continuing its cycle.
Gently tune into this experience and rest your awareness here.
In-breath,
Out- breath.
Tuning into the subtleties of this experience such as the way your clothing may move against your skin or any other experience that only you have this felt sense of.
Notice any subtle experiences from the breath.
Specific aspects that only you can acknowledge when you fine-tune into them.
And of course again and again the mind does want to carry you away.
Every single time you notice distraction is a win not a moment of failure and an opportunity to come back to the waves of your breath.
And now moving your awareness inside your body and notice how your body breathes.
Feeling the texture.
Sensing into the texture of your breath.
In-breath,
Out-breath.
Maybe there's a different felt sense experience from the in-breath compared to the out-breath.
Two very similar experiences but when we tune into them we notice just how different they are.
Allowing everything else to be.
The sounds around you.
The sensations.
The thoughts coming and going in your mind.
Everything can happen whilst you anchor to your breath.
Noticing thoughts that hook you and carry you away compared to the thoughts that just come and go in the background are a different experience.
Mindfulness is about letting everything be.
And this includes the thoughts in our mind coming and going,
Coming and going.
All taking place whilst you connect to this anchor that you have chosen.
Staying with this point of connection.
Thoughts coming and going.
Sounds coming and going.
Thoughts coming and going like cars on a street.
Or clouds in the sky.
As you remain connected to your point of focus.
Staying with the experience of your breathing and this time fine-tuning into the temperature of your breath.
The cool air coming in and the warm air as it leaves.
See if you can fine-tune your awareness to exactly where this takes place.
Notice exactly where the cool air takes place.
Notice exactly where the warm air takes place.
This is your point of connection.
This is your focus.
Everything else just happens.
There's no way of experiencing this right or wrong.
All we're doing here is fine-tuning our awareness to a specific point of connection.
And allowing everything else to come and go.
Where is your attention right now?
Is it absorbed in thinking?
Or at this point of connection?
If you find this particular anchor,
This point of connection difficult,
You can always choose any other point of connection that gives you the least distraction.
What aspect of the breath serves me the most right now?
Notice when you become carried away by your mind and whether your thoughts in this moment seem helpful or unhelpful.
It really doesn't matter.
Can we allow the mind to continue its chatter whilst we gently come back and focus on this point of connection?
Now let's spend a few moments noticing any other aspects of the breath that only you can experience in this moment.
Are there any other physical sensations of the breath?
Gently acknowledge any thought whatsoever that pulls you away and guide your awareness back to the breath with this curious awareness.
Watching each breath appear and disappear.
There is the experience of my breathing and here I am.
And moving awareness from the physical sense experience of your breath to the sound of your breathing,
No matter how soft or subtle this may be.
And now as you've been focusing your attention upon the sound of your breathing,
If you wish to,
You can open your awareness further to include both the sound of your breathing and how your hands are gently resting in this moment.
Feeling the pulling sensations from gravity upon your hands.
Fine-tuning your awareness into this experience of your hands.
Sensations,
Temperature,
Maybe the space around your hands.
And as you do this,
Being aware of the in-breath and the out-breath.
Two different experiences at the same time.
This experience of your breathing and how your hands are gently being pulled by the flow of gravity.
And so here you are,
Allowing all your experiences to be without any attempt to influence them.
This open awareness requires an expanded concentration.
Opening up and absorbing everything in body,
Mind and world.
Allowing it to come to you like a sponge to water.
If you find that you need an anchor,
Feel free to come back to the experience of the waves of your breath.
Or the experience of your hands and the pull of gravity.
Then,
When you're ready,
Open up again and allow everything to be absorbed in this moment.
Notice how you are the witness to all of your experiences.
This is it.
Taking the time to thank yourself for opening up a space to practice this.
And so,
In these last few moments,
This meditation will be drawing to an end.
