Welcome to the Beginner's Guided Breath Meditation.
In a comfortable position,
Either seated in a chair or sitting cross-legged on a traditional cushion,
Begin to wind down and release any tension you feel in your body or in your mind.
We will begin by gently closing our eyes and taking a couple slow,
Deep cleansing breaths.
Inhaling deeply through your nose to the count of three,
Holding it for just a moment,
And then exhaling slowly through your nose.
Begin now.
Inhale.
One,
Two,
Three.
Hold for a moment.
And now begin a long,
Slow,
Controlled exhale.
As you exhale,
Visualize exhaling all of your built-up stress,
Tension,
And worry.
Feel your body release and relax.
Once again,
Inhale.
One,
Two,
Three.
Hold for a moment.
And then exhale slowly,
Slowly,
Releasing and renewing.
Feel a sense of calm and peace wash over your body as we begin our mindfulness meditation.
Let's center in on the sensation of your breath.
You may feel the breath at the tip of your nose or in another area of your nostrils or even just the sensation of the air as it brushes over your upper lip.
Feel all of the qualities of your breath,
The coolness of the air as you inhale,
The warmth and moistness of the air as you exhale.
Just try to form a single-pointed focus on your breathing,
Not trying to alter the speed or length of your breaths.
Let the breath take the lead in and out.
Now let's release our attention to the breath for just a moment and begin focusing on the sensations of the body.
Let's first bring attention to your head.
Feel all of the sensations that are penetrating your head,
Your scalp,
Face,
Forehead,
And eyes.
How does it feel?
Is there any tension in any of those areas?
If so,
Observe it and then release it.
Move slowly down to your ears.
How do they feel?
Do they hear anything?
If they do,
Try not to label it.
Just hear the sound for what it is.
Let it penetrate your being as part of everything surrounding you and then let it go.
Now your nose.
Aside from the feeling of your breath traveling in and out of your nose,
How else does your nose feel?
What does your nose smell?
Continue to focus on your in and out breath of your nose while moving down your neck and into your shoulders and your spine.
Relax each muscle and each vertebrae as you move your attention along.
Let go of any tenseness or tightness you may feel.
Now move to your legs.
How do they feel?
Do you feel any discomfort in your legs?
Are they beginning to feel numb?
If so,
Acknowledge the sensations and then let them be.
Now move down to your feet.
Feel the blood and energy circulating in your feet right down to your toes.
Once again,
Note the sensations for what they are and then let them be.
Slowly move your attention back to your chest.
Feel the rise and the fall of this life force and energy within you with the breath.
Feel the oneness that is all around you as you breathe it all in and then breathe it all out again.
While continuing to focus all of your attention on your breath,
Bring yourself to this present moment.
Be aware there is no other moment.
There is only now.
Any thoughts that arise in your mind,
Allow them to just be there.
They are either related to the past or the future.
Acknowledge their presence,
But don't think about them.
Just let them move on and float by as a cloud would in the sky,
Eventually dissipating.
Continue to observe your thoughts without judging them.
Just as there is no such thing as a wrong or misshapen cloud,
Let your thoughts be what they are.
Just try to shut off the thinking mind and shift to the observing mind.
As we continue to focus on our breathing for the remainder of this meditation,
Continue to practice observing any thoughts,
Feelings,
Or sensations.
Let them arise,
Observe them,
And then let them pass.
Everything is impermanent and interdependent.
You may open your eyes at the sound of the bell.
Cradle.
You you
