This practice is just that,
A practice that we can spend some time intentionally deepening and developing to allow us to come into presence with all that may arise as we meditate and also one that follows us into our day as we create moments of mindfulness and checking in throughout the day.
Begin by closing down your eyes if you're comfortable to,
Relaxing the eyelids,
Relaxing the mind.
Then bring your attention to the space between your brows,
An area where we tend to furrow and hold.
See if you can refine the attention and smooth out the space across the forehead.
Then bring that same soothing sweep of the awareness across the eyes,
Simply allowing the attention to find a place to rest.
Taking a deep breath in all the way to the top of your head.
And then on the exhale,
Let it go.
Allow the breath to drop down into the body wherever it feels easiest for you to rest with the breath.
Maybe the belly,
The ribs,
The chest.
Maybe the nasal passage,
The back of your throat,
Or the space above your upper lip.
Or maybe it's a sense of your whole body breathing.
Stabilizing the attention for a couple of breaths.
Wherever the breath feels most noticeable to you.
The instructions for this practice will be kept very simple.
When we begin,
You'll breathe in for a count of five and out for a count of five.
Using your non-dominant hand,
You'll tap your fingers on your thigh as if you were doing scales on a piano to count the breath.
Breathing in and out through the nose.
It is natural for the mind to wander during a meditation and throughout the day.
Even one mindful breath can allow us to be a little more here,
A little more aware.
For today's practice,
I'll guide you through the first cycle of six breaths,
Which equals one minute.
And then you will continue on for four more cycles of six breaths each.
Five seconds in,
Five seconds out.
So take a moment to make any adjustments you need and just get settled in.
Take a deep breath in all the way to the top of your head and then exhale with no force.
Just let it go.
Let it release.
Beginning now and breathing in two,
Three,
Four,
Five and out two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Out two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Out two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Out two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Out two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
In two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Out two,
Three,
Four,
Five.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
Keep going on your own count.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four,
Five,
Six,
Seven.
You may have noticed the pull of thoughts or mental commentary on the attention that took you away from the breath.
Being aware that we are no longer mindful is also mindfulness.
The breath enlarges our capacity to be mindful.
It offers a way back.
This practice will help you keep the space between anything that might be triggering and how you decide to respond open.
That is the space of your choice.
It is there that you will find the freedom to decide what you will do with what is happening or what has happened to you throughout your day.
During the moments when life seems to be moving at 100 miles per hour,
Take a moment to breathe in as much air as your lungs can take and then slowly let it go.
Use this practice of breathing in for five seconds,
Breathing out for five more seconds or even one breath before continuing.
Direction is so much more important than speed and you don't need to be in a hurry going nowhere fast.
Travel breath by breath,
Moment by moment.
Let your breath take you places in your life and in your day that take your breath away.
