Breathe easily in and out of the nose,
Allowing each breath to fill the body with a calm attention.
Begin to notice each breath.
If it's helpful for you,
You can label the breath when it moves as inhale and exhale.
These labels can be an anchor for this practice.
If and when the attention leaves,
Simply invite it back to the breath.
Inhale and exhale.
Allow this anchor to center you,
To equalize,
And to return to the present moment.
Breathing easily in and out.
Next,
Notice the sounds around you.
Notice how these sounds move like the waves of the breath.
How the sounds enter and exit through the present moment.
In and out,
Just like the inhale and exhale.
Each time that a sound arrives into the present moment,
You can name the sound as hearing or simply sound.
This label is also an anchor for this practice.
So if and when the attention leaves you,
Invite it to return to the label hearing or sound.
Centralize,
Equalize,
Return to the present moment,
And breathe well,
Allowing each sound to be received just as you would receive the breath.
Begin now to notice how the thoughts move like the waves of the breath.
How they enter and exit through the present moment.
Also like the movements of the sounds around you,
Like sensations in the body,
Like emotions.
Each time that a sound arrives or that a thought arrives,
Name it thinking or thought.
This label is also an anchor for this practice.
So when the attention leaves you or when it attaches to a thought,
Invite it to return to the label thinking.
Centralize,
Equalize,
Return to the present moment.
Breathe well.
And now begin to notice the sensations of the body.
Notice how the sensations move and flow like the waves of the breath.
Notice how the sensations enter and exit through the present moment.
And each time that a sensation arrives,
Name it sensing or feeling.
This label is another anchor.
So when the attention leaves or when the attention attaches to a sensation,
Invite it to return to the label sensing or feeling.
Centralize,
Equalize,
Return to the present moment.
Breathe well.
Allow each breath to travel throughout the body like the wind.
Each inhale receives the sounds,
The thoughts,
The sensations,
And each exhale relieves them.
When the attention departs,
Simply guide it back to those labels if they're helpful or just simply to the movement of each of those qualities themselves,
What you might feel or see or experience in your own body and the space around you.
Allow these sounds,
Thoughts,
And sensations and any emotions that attach to them to circulate without trying to push them away or force them out of the experience or your body.
And if the sound,
The thought,
Or the sensation is too painful in this moment,
Consider imagining someone or something that helps you,
That assists and supports you to feel centered,
Calm and stable in the present moment.
And into the body,
Into the mind,
And into the present moment exactly like it is,
Exactly as you are today.
When we can train ourselves to observe our experiences without judgment,
We can more easily cultivate this sense of concentration,
Of clarity,
And of ease with ourselves and perhaps even with one another.
Centralize,
Equalize,
Return to this moment and breathe well.
And the practice of yoga is comprised of several elements,
Namely and most obviously the physical practice.
Also a practice of breath and meditation,
All of which help us to cultivate equilibrium,
Centeredness without too much effort or at least with a bit more ease.
These are all practices that help us throughout our lives to bring together the body and the mind to center.
And teacher B.
K.
S.
Iyengar says that yoga means,
Signifies the concept of union and it's a union of the body with consciousness and with consciousness and spirit.
That yoga cultivates these means of having an attitude throughout your life that is equalized,
Centered in your daily life just as it is and just as you are.
We can utilize these labels of inhale,
Exhale,
Thinking,
Feeling,
Hearing as an anchor to return to ourselves,
Into the moment and to find center.
For however long it lasts.
And simply just recognizing within you the ability to do so,
To return to yourself.
Breathe well.
Namaste.
