Welcome.
This is a meditation for oxygen mask meditation,
Meditation and yoga for parents and caregivers of special needs children.
Take a moment to ease into your surroundings.
Make sure that you have adequate back support,
Possibly support for your arms,
Your legs,
And then allow your eyes to rest closed if that's comfortable for you.
If you're uncomfortable with closed eyes,
Just take a really soft gaze.
Once your eyes are resting closed,
Simply begin to feel the sensation of your body breathing.
Perhaps you notice the air as it moves in through your nose and out through your nose.
Maybe focus the attention on the sensation of the chest rising and falling.
But simply take a moment to feel yourself breathing in your seat and being exactly where you are.
As you take a moment to find your breath,
Perhaps begin to allow your breath to just move in through your nose and out through your nose.
Letting the slow and steady breath come in through your nose and allowing that slow and steady breath to go out through your nose.
If you'd like,
Perhaps even begin to set a rhythm for your breath that you can stay with and focus on for this next little bit of time.
A number that might be comfortable is four,
Inhaling in for a count of four and exhaling out for that same exact count of four.
Allow your mind to simply rest on that pattern of breath.
Counting in through your nose for a count of four,
Counting out through your nose through a count of four.
Allowing your parasympathetic nervous system to begin to activate by using your breath as a tool.
You may notice thoughts or images coming into the mind while you are resting your attention on your breath.
Simply allow these things to come into your mind.
And when they do,
Don't fight them,
Don't name them.
Just go back to resting your attention on the sensation of your breath as it moves in through your nose and out through your nose.
In for four and out for four.
Keeping your attention,
Your focus just on the breath.
While you're allowing your mind to anchor on the breath,
You may notice external distractions,
Ambient noises,
Sounds outside of this recording,
Sounds inside of this recording,
The sound of my breath,
The sound of my voice.
Simply draw your attention back to your breath.
In through your nose,
Out through your nose.
Just allowing your body to breathe.
Again,
As thoughts or images flash into the mind,
Know that it's not a problem.
It's okay to have thoughts.
Allow yourself to have the thoughts and go back to your counting.
You may have forgotten that you're counting in through your nose and out through your nose.
Each time the mind begins to think,
Begins to wander,
Go back in through your nose,
Out through your nose.
Inhale,
Exhale.
Again,
When you're ready,
Attention always going back to sensation of breath.
Inhaling in for four,
Exhaling out for four.
Knowing that distraction of the mind is simply a part of your meditation.
Just allowing.
Feeling your body inhale,
Feeling your body exhale.
Taking your attention and your focus to something real that is happening now.
Perhaps just feeling the temperature of air as it enters your nose and leaves your nose.
Maybe resting attention on the chest as it rises and falls.
Again,
As those images flash across the mind,
Do your best to let them come in.
Imagine the mind as an open door.
Things coming in the front,
Going out the back.
Welcome to come in and welcome to leave.
As they try to stay,
Allow if needed.
Use your breath as that anchor for the mind to attach to.
Continually returning.
Enjoying your meditation,
Enjoying this time here.
Just feeling your body breathe.
Simply allowing.
Perhaps you have forgotten inhaling in for four and exhaling out for four.
It's okay.
Simply return.
Coming back to sensation,
To being inside of your body.
Take a big inhale in through your nose.
Hold it in for just a moment and then open the mouth.
Long,
Slow exhale.
Sigh.
Feel your body releasing and letting go.
When you're ready,
Taking one more big inhale in through your nose,
Holding that breath in and then opening the mouth,
Letting out a sigh.
Feeling your entire body relax and let go at the end of that sigh.
Returning breath back to in and out through the nose.
Perhaps staying here and simply enjoying the breath for as long as you like.
Thank you and have a lovely day.
