Welcome,
I'm glad you found your way here today for this practice.
Together we'll be doing a mindfulness of the breathing body meditation,
Anasati.
Tending to the breath is a beautiful way to anchor yourself in the present moment and to nurture a calm and focused mind.
It's a lovely act of self-care in the midst of our busy work and family lives.
So let's get started.
Go ahead and find a comfortable position for meditating,
Sitting or lying in a way that honors your practice and respects how your body is feeling today.
So using any supports and making any adjustments you need to feel relaxed and alert.
And if you feel comfortable to,
Please go ahead and close down your eyes or you can lower and soften your gaze.
Feel in here,
Quieten,
Soften and connect with your breath flowing in through your nose and out through your nose.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Attuning to your breath in its natural rhythm,
Flowing in and flowing out like the tide lapping the shore.
And now using the out breath to intentionally let go of tension pent up in your body,
Allowing your body to unwind part by part as you breathe.
So letting your brow unfurl,
Jaw drop,
Shoulders relax down,
Belly soften and legs melt into the surface below you.
And see if you can get a sense of being held,
Supported as you continue to breathe in through the nose and out through the nose.
Now bringing all your attention to your nostrils,
Noting the qualities of the breath as it enters and exits here.
Tuning into sensations with a beginner's mind as if the breath were a whole new fascinating thing and be curious about what you find.
Does the breath feel cool or warm?
Does it flow freely and smoothly?
Or is it ragged and constricted in any way?
Does it make any sound or produce any tingles?
Knowing whatever you feel or don't feel is perfectly fine.
The breath is just how it's meant to be.
There's no need to judge the breath as right or wrong in any way or try to change or control it.
So you witness the breath in its natural form here at the nostrils in this moment and the next.
Now following the breath down into your body,
Noting whether it's shallow or deep right now.
Most vivid in your chest or in your belly.
Again knowing there are no right or wrong answers here.
You might like to place your hand on your chest or your belly to feel into the rise and fall of your body breathing.
Feel the expansion and contraction,
How the body inflates and deflates like a balloon.
Curiously observing how the breath feels in the body without judgment,
Without reaction,
Simply bringing awareness.
And if the mind becomes distracted,
As minds do,
Simply note the thought arising,
Labeling it with a smile at your humanness.
This non-judgmental awareness in itself is mindfulness.
You might imagine the thought as a leaf on your path or there might be a leaf pile and gently brush it aside.
Then deliberately come back to the breath,
Training the mind to return to a focus which can be so freeing.
You might like to use some supportive words to help you stay focused on the breath.
As you inhale saying to yourself,
Letting the breath and as you exhale saying silently,
Be just as it is.
Altogether that's letting the breath be just as it is.
Repeating this wording as you continue to breathe mindfully.
Now bringing all of your attention to one single inhale,
Finding its beginning,
Middle and end.
Noting the feeling of fullness at the top of the inhale and pinpointing that short pause before the breath turns over.
And now giving the exhale your full attention.
Feel into every small moment of the breath as it flows out of the body,
Noting the sense of emptiness at the bottom of the out-breath followed by that brief pause.
And if your mind starts to wander,
Simply return to the breath,
To the present moment.
Not getting tangled up in thoughts,
Usually about the past or the future,
But coming back to the breath and all the richness of experience available here and now.
I will hold space for you while you continue to practice.
Feeling,
Witnessing,
Simply being with your breath in your body.
Giving every inhale and every exhale your full attention.
As we draw towards the end of our practice,
Let's take three more mindful breaths.
Now releasing your focus on your breath,
Bringing your attention back into your body by feeling where it meets the surface below you and inviting back movement.
Your shoulders stretching out and when you feel ready,
Open your eyes.
Thank you for your practice today.
I hope you found some presence and calm using your breath as your anchor.
The breath is always available to you anytime you feel overwhelmed and need to find some stillness and steadiness.
And as you go forward into your day,
I invite you to meditate on this idea of letting things be,
Nothing to fix or change or control.
And perhaps consider if there are any areas of life where this practice might bring you some freedom,
Some peace.
