How are you doing today dear one?
My name is Sarap Shree.
I'll be leading you through a guided mindful breathing meditation.
To start with,
Let us just find a comfortable position.
Just see how you want to do this practice by sitting,
Standing or lying down.
Choose whatever is comfortable for you and your body.
Check if your chair is okay,
Has the support that you need or if you're on floor,
Do you have the cushion or mat if you need and if you're standing,
Do you need some extra support for your body to rest on?
Do you need a wall to lean on?
So whatever you decide,
Be comfortable with it and once you have decided your position,
Let us start by noticing our posture.
Keep your back nicely held and upright.
Is there any tension you notice in your shoulders and back?
You may turn your neck from left to right and right to left,
Gently feeling your feet on the ground and setting the tone for your breathing meditation.
Take a few deep nourishing breaths and invite yourself to be in the here and now.
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out softly through your mouth.
Breathing in through the nose and breathing out softly through your mouth.
In,
Out.
So this is just a way to bring a sense of centeredness and focus back to the body.
Since our bodies take all our stress off every day and breath is the gateway to our body,
The first point in our body that tells us we are alive and breathing.
So it is really a magic to be with our breath.
For this practice,
You may keep your eyes closed,
Partially closed or open all the time.
But make sure if you keep your eyes open,
Just leave them downcast at one place so you don't get into any distractions.
Breathe naturally without any alterations,
Without any need to force your breath to be in a certain way.
Just notice the natural bare breath as it is.
Breath as it is moving in its own rhythm,
Beauty and presence.
Notice the breath moving through the body and body moving along with.
What our dance of life is unfolding within you.
The magic of being alive right there within you.
Keeping your breath natural and normal.
Just notice where your attention is landing in the body when you focus on breath.
Is it your nose,
Chest or stomach?
These are the three spots in our body where we notice the movement of breath.
You might notice breath in your chest,
Expanding and moving.
You might notice it in your nose and it's okay.
If you want to bring your hand closer to your nose,
And experience the breath moving in and out of your nostrils.
Notice the quality of breath.
Is it warm,
Cool?
Is there any tingling or is there any other sensation?
How does it feel like when you bring your attention to your breath?
Breathing naturally,
Notice how is it in your abdomen?
Is there a rising and falling sensation?
How does it feel to be present to your breath?
How does it feel to pay attention to your breath?
It's okay if you find it hard to stay with breath at one spot.
And your attention wanders,
Moves from chest to nose and nose to abdomen.
Or you find your attention landing more comfortably at a single spot and not able to locate your breath elsewhere.
It's absolutely okay.
There is nothing right or wrong.
If you sense your breath comfortably in nose,
Then that's your spot.
If in chest,
Then that's your spot.
If in stomach,
Then that's your spot.
Let it be an open investigation,
An exploration to be with our breath as it is.
Continue breathing and just staying wherever your attention finds it okay to land.
Nose,
Chest,
Stomach.
Keep breathing.
And if there is any discomfort or uneasiness,
Pay attention to that.
Remember,
We do not have to imagine our breath or have thoughts about our breath,
But feel the breath,
Sense the breath as it is.
And you may notice how our mind will take us into storymaking and events of past,
Today,
Or future.
And whenever you see yourself doing that,
Just softly,
Gently,
Invite yourself back to the breath.
Breath is our friend,
Is always available,
And we can try this practice any time of the day.
Gently,
Softly,
Noticing our breath.
Dance of breath,
Rhythm of breath,
In,
Out,
Rising,
Falling,
Expanding,
Contracting.
Keep breathing normally,
Softly,
Gently.
Each time you notice your mind wandering to something else,
Other than breath,
Just make a mental note of wandering,
Thinking,
And then softly,
Compassionately,
Like an affectionate friend,
Invite yourself back to breath.
Continue sitting in silence for some more time,
With your breath,
And notice the magic of breath unfolding.
And whenever you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes,
Give your body a stretch,
Invite a smile on your face,
And get on with whatever is there next.
Thank you for your time for practice.
May you be well.
May all beings be peaceful and well.
