And now to the breath meditation.
The breath is universally used as a focus for meditation.
The breath is a perfect starting point.
It's always with us whether we're sitting,
Working or hanging out the washing.
It's immediately available to us,
Requiring no props or forward planning.
And by watching the breath we come quite easily and completely into the present moment.
The breath can also be an amazingly sensitive barometer for how we're travelling in life,
And how we're feeling in the present moment.
In this practice we simply become aware of our breath.
We breathe naturally,
Preferably through the nostrils,
And without attempting to control or change our breath in any way.
We gradually fine-tune our awareness to all the sensations and changes that occur within the body as we breathe.
We watch the breath from the moment we breathe in to the point at which we start to breathe out,
Right through to the very end of the exhalation.
And we wait there until the body asks us to breathe in again.
The breath is always changing and therefore always awakening.
In the breath meditation we simply focus our attention on the breath.
So I invite you now to take your seat.
You can do this meditation in a chair,
On a cushion,
Or lying down on the floor or a firm surface.
Ideally we want the body to be comfortable.
When the body is at ease and comfortable the mind will start to slow and calm.
This is our time to simply rest and observe the body breathing.
So closing your eyes,
Inviting a sense of ease and gracefulness into your practice.
Taking a few moments to allow your inner awareness to scan through the body and noticing any areas of the body that are holding tension or tightness and breathing into that space and as you breathe out,
Relaxing there,
Letting go.
So with each inhalation we bring fresh life-giving air into the body and as we breathe out we let go.
Just let go.
Loosening through the shoulders a common area of tightness,
Relaxing the arms and the hands,
The belly softening,
Receiving fully each new breath.
Simply relaxing into the body and into the breath.
Noticing perhaps that when you close your eyes and turn your attention inward you slip into a deeper sense of ease and stillness.
Aware of the sounds around you and simply allowing sound to be sound.
Remaining open and receptive to any sounds that move into your awareness and simply allowing them to pass without needing to respond or react.
Just sound.
When you open your awareness to the soundscape around you,
You come beautifully into the present moment.
Aware of the temperature of the air around you,
The feel of the floor or the chair and as the body starts to settle and relax in the midst of life all around and within us,
There is always the breath.
Perhaps you notice the breath most deeply in one part of the body.
Perhaps it's at the nostrils or the chest or the belly.
Simply notice how your breath moves through your body with each inhalation and exhalation.
Completely immerse yourself in the experience of the breath so that when you're breathing in,
You know that you're breathing in.
And when you're breathing out,
You know that you are breathing out.
Watching,
Being with the breath.
Becoming aware now of the breath at the exhalation.
Simply allowing the body to breathe in as it always does to its own rhythm and fine-tuning your awareness on the unfolding of the exhalation.
That magical moment when the body asks you to breathe out the long,
Smooth,
Gentle exhalation and then at the very end of the exhalation,
The pause.
Breathing in fresh,
Life-giving air and as you breathe out,
Watching the breath right through to the very last moment when the lungs are empty and there is a brief pause,
A moment of stillness before the body asks you to breathe in again.
The next few moments,
Simply watching the exhalation right through to the very end and the pause.
In this meditation,
The breath becomes the centre of our awareness and the breath is always changing.
So there is always something to observe,
Something to anchor our awareness on.
Allowing the body to breathe in fresh,
Life-giving air and watching with a deep and detailed interest in how your body breathes out.
Allowing that breath to simply spill out of the body right through to the very end and this beautiful moment's pause before the body asks us to breathe in again.
And so we become part of the rhythm of our breath,
Simply watching the breath as it moves in this moment,
Just this breath.
In the midst of life,
Just this breath,
Just this moment.
And in the next few moments we'll finish this meditation.
And it's always important to finish our meditation with the same ease and gentleness that we have rested with through our meditation.
And so in your own time,
Making the decision to finish your meditation,
Bringing your awareness back to the outside of your body and your place in the room,
On the floor in the chair.
Taking a slightly deeper inhalation,
Bringing fresh air into the lungs.
When you're ready,
Bringing some movement to fingers and toes,
Life energy back into fingers and toes.
And this can be a nice time to stretch very gently the neck from side to side,
The arms above the head,
The feet,
Stretching the body.
And then when you're ready,
Slowly opening your eyes,
But allowing your gaze just to rest for a few moments on something in the room or near to you.
Gently making your way back to your day,
Retaining some of that ease,
That stillness.
