For this 12 minute mindfulness practice,
We bring ourselves into a posture that's upright and stable,
Not too rigid,
Not too relaxed,
Alert,
Engaged.
As we form the intention for this time together,
Focus,
Clarity,
Compassion,
Gratitude.
Whatever may be something that you find to be needed would be helpful.
Take a few moments as you close or lower your eyes and find for yourself within that intention,
That desire as you breathe.
And with the intention formed,
Held in the back of awareness,
Bring your attention to your body,
To your posture.
With a sense of your body from head to toes,
Side to side,
Belly to back,
You in this moment of your life.
Aware of where your body makes contact with the chair,
The touch points,
The edges of contact and the sensations that you notice when you turn your attention in that direction as you breathe.
Of your feet making contact with the ground,
Your socks,
Your shoes.
Of your hands resting one in the other or on your lap.
And of the sensations arising within your fingers and at your fingertips as you breathe.
Throughout the day there were sensations flowing through the body,
Changing,
Growing in intensity,
Diminishing,
Shifting and our attention is elsewhere.
But for the beginning of this practice,
We direct our attention inward to notice the data that we tend to miss as we breathe.
Music When the mind wanders,
Which it will,
When you notice your mind wandering,
You've woken up out of forgetfulness.
And when you notice that your mind has wandered,
You gently return your attention to the sensations of the body.
Music To the sensations of the breath,
Aware of the movement of the body around the breath,
The lifting of the rib cage and of the torso on the in breath and its softening on the out breath.
Music Aware of the breath itself flowing in and flowing out.
Feeling,
Sensing the movement of air where the belly rides the wave of the breath or where the air flows into and out of the nostrils or the mouth.
Resting your attention on the knowing movement of the body and flow of air,
The rhythmic coming and going in and out.
Rhythm of the breath and body.
And when we find ourselves lost in a story or being tugged away from this felt sense of the breath,
We remember that we're here,
Sitting,
Breathing.
Music Returning to the breath.
Music Staying with the breath as the object of your attention.
Music The mind can go in a thousand directions,
Travel into past,
Anticipate future.
But there is only this moment.
So when you find yourself now or later in the day being pulled away,
Lost in another point in time or in a story,
Even a story about this moment.
Come home to this moment as it is.
And to yourself as you are.
And in the next moment or two,
When you're ready,
With an awareness of doing so,
Lifting the gaze,
Opening the eyes.
Music
