Finding the space that feels most comfortable to the body,
Perhaps it's seated,
Perhaps it's standing,
Perhaps it's lying down someplace where the spine can be long and the heart space can be open.
We begin by noticing the breath,
Meeting it exactly where it is,
Everything that it's carried into this moment with us.
Noticing if it is shallow,
Stifled,
Noticing it if it is deep and nourishing,
Simply noticing.
And through that awareness we begin to feel a softness or a heaviness in the eyes,
Maybe inviting the upper lid down to the lower lid and allowing the eyes to soften and allowing the space around the eyes to soften.
Softening the cheeks,
Loosening the jaw,
Feeling that softness and stillness begin to trickle down through the body below.
Softness of the outer form of the body inspires and allows the inner fluctuation of our thoughts,
Of our wakefulness,
To take a cue towards a quiet inner landscape.
Maybe beginning to notice the natural pregnant pauses between the top of the inhale and the bottom of the exhale.
Sinking deeper into that seat of awareness inside of the self,
No resistance to what is arising in this moment.
Becoming aware of the space at the heart center,
Breathing in this space,
Breathing in the silence of this space,
Going into the stillness,
The silence at the space of the heart.
Allow the exhale to empty,
Focusing on the sensation of breath as it moves and as it flows in and out of the heart space,
Moving in and out of the body.
And you can let the attention go wherever the breath feels most natural to you.
Maybe it's the sensation of breath through the nose,
The feeling of air as it comes in and moves out.
Maybe it's in the chest,
The rising and falling of the chest with each breath as it moves in and out.
Maybe it's in the belly,
Feeling the diaphragm under the lungs,
Pulling air into the lungs,
Expanding the belly as you breathe.
When the air is released and as you breathe out,
The belly moves in,
Sensing the abdominal movement in and out.
Allow the awareness to ride the wave of the breath wherever you feel it most naturally,
In the nose,
In the chest,
In the belly.
Maybe it's even the whole body breathing.
Whatever comes most naturally for you,
Allow the attention to ride the wave of the breath.
As you're sensing the breath moving in,
Moving out,
You may also sense that your mind,
It is as vast as the ocean,
Deep in the ocean,
Beneath the surface.
It is calm.
It is clear.
And from that deep place in the ocean,
You can gaze upwards,
Looking towards the surface,
No matter what is going on in your life.
No matter what the conditions are,
Deep in the ocean,
It is calm.
It is clear.
The simple act of sensing the breath,
It allows you to access the depth and the stillness of the mind.
The mind which is as vast as the ocean.
From this deep,
Peaceful place,
You gaze upwards at the waves of the surface,
The brainwaves,
The thoughts,
The emotions,
The conditions of the mind.
Can you notice all of those fleeting thoughts and emotions?
They are just there at the surface,
Coming and going,
Ebbing and flowing,
Moving in,
Moving out.
The movement is quick,
In and out of the awareness each day,
Each hour,
Each moment,
Each breath.
Just like the waves at the top of the ocean,
Sensing your breath,
Bringing you back into a peaceful place,
Swimming in the profound depth of the mind.
And when a thought,
Or a feeling,
Or a memory,
Or a sensation appears,
Warmly and calmly,
Take note of the activity,
And then redirect the attention to the breath.
Allow the attention to return to the breath,
To the depth of the mind,
Where you can simply sense and observe the activities,
Simply as activities,
Not the totality of who you are.
Enjoy the deep tranquility that comes with simply sensing the breath,
Knowing that focusing the mind on the breath brings you into a place of deep calm and clarity.
And when you are ready,
Breathing yourself to the surface,
Blinking open the eyes,
And welcoming back the place you are in.
