This is the 10 minute mindfulness of the breath meditation practice.
In this practice we are going to focus our attention on the breath,
Paying as much attention as we can to any sensations of the breath in a specific area of the body and when we notice that our mind has wandered off,
We bring our awareness back to the breath and begin again.
For this practice,
Sit in a comfortable but alert posture in your chair.
Your feet should be flat against the floor.
Your back should be straight,
Preserving the natural curve in your spine.
You can rest your arms wherever feels comfortable for you.
It's important to note that we're not trying to change how we're breathing or trying to make anything happen.
We're simply noticing where we feel the breath most clearly in our body and following the breath from that home base,
One breath at a time.
Once you're seated comfortably,
You can gently close your eyes or look down in front of you with a soft gaze.
Begin by tuning into the feeling of your feet against the floor,
Your hands in your lap,
Or the armrests of the chair you're sitting in,
Feeling your body supported by your spine and the chair,
Just tuning into the felt sense of your body in this moment.
Letting the breath happen very naturally,
Without forcing anything,
Notice where you feel the breath most clearly or vividly in your body.
You may be at the tip of your nostrils or lower down in the chest or the belly.
Wherever you notice the breath most strongly,
Anchor your awareness there.
There's no best place to be feeling the breath in the body.
Simply tune into where you can sense it most clearly.
The place you feel the breath most clearly or vividly is your home base,
Where you'll be returning your attention to,
Again and again,
Every time that you notice your mind has wandered off.
From your home base in the body,
Where you feel the breath most strongly,
Simply notice breathing in and breathing out.
If you like,
You can say silently to yourself,
Breathing in as you breathe in and breathing out as you breathe out.
Feel the rising and falling of the breath from your home base as you breathe in and breathe out.
Or if you're focusing on the tip of your nostrils,
Feel the coolness of the breath as it enters your body and the warmth as it leaves.
When you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Simply know where you've been and without judging or criticizing yourself,
Return to the next in-breath.
Now see if you can follow the breath from the beginning of the in-breath all the way through to where the in-breath turns into the out-breath.
See if you can be present from the very beginning of the in-breath all the way through to the end of the out-breath.
As you follow the cycle of the breath,
You might notice that there's a moment between the in-breath and the out-breath where the in-breath is transformed into the out-breath.
Or just breathing in and breathing out,
Not trying to change anything or make anything happen.
When you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Simply note that your mind has wandered,
Note where it's been,
And return to the breath without judging or criticizing yourself.
For the next few moments,
We're going to sit quietly and as best we can,
One breath at a time,
Staying connected with and curious about the sensations of the breath at our home base of the breath in the body.
And you notice that your mind has wandered off,
It's not a problem,
Just recognize that it wandered away from the breath,
Note where it's been,
And simply return your awareness to the present moment,
To the next in-breath,
The next out-breath.
Always coming back and beginning again,
To the in-breath,
To the out-breath,
This moment right now.
No need to change anything or make anything happen,
Just being interested in the breath as each breath reveals itself,
Beginning again when your mind wanders off,
Beginning again as many times as you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Without judging or criticizing yourself.
We're just breathing in and breathing out,
Noticing the full cycle of the breath.
When you notice that your mind has wandered off,
Simply note that your mind has wandered,
Note where it's been,
And return to the breath.
Now,
Still with the breath,
Open your awareness again to your body,
Sitting in the chair right now,
Your hands in your lap or resting on your chair's armrests,
Your body supported by the chair,
Your feet against the floor.
Maybe you can notice the feeling of the air against the skin on your hands or against your face.
Take three more nice,
Deep breaths,
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes and bring your full awareness back into the room where you are right now.
