Hello there,
Welcome to this guided breathing meditation practice.
I invite you to make yourself as comfortable as possible.
Feel free to sit or lie in a position that feels most supportive to you in this moment.
Adjust your body as much as you need to and allow gravity to settle it deeper and deeper,
Grounding you into the floor,
Bed,
Or chair beneath you.
Don't close your eyes just yet.
Take a few more moments to orient yourself and become aware of all that surrounds you.
Familiarize yourself with your environment.
Maybe slowly shift your eyes from the left of the room to the right side,
Up towards the ceiling and down towards the floor.
Without judgment,
Just simply observe your space.
Notice the light or lack thereof surrounding you.
Acknowledge any sounds you may hear or scents you may be smelling.
Now still with your eyes open,
Acknowledge your body in this environment,
How you feel as you sit or lie in this space.
Do you feel comfortable or should you adjust a little to bring support to more areas of your body?
Now that we've oriented to our space,
Let's begin by sending a signal to our mind that we are now ready to fully engage in our practice.
Let's send a cue to our body that it is okay to let go of any tensions we may be feeling,
Whether from anticipation for the day ahead or worries from the day that's now behind us.
Together,
On the count of three,
We will fully inhale and then release a long cleansing exhale to prepare our bodies for this practice.
Now elongate your spine and take a big cleansing breath in three,
Two,
One.
Inhale.
And exhale it all out until you can't anymore.
Now allow the breath to return to its normal natural state without force.
And if you feel comfortable and are able to do so right now,
I invite you to gently close your eyes.
Take a moment to become aware of your body and its sensations,
Maybe how it feels in your space now that you've closed your eyes.
No need to focus or fixate on a single thought here.
We don't want to become overstimulated or influenced by our sensations or surroundings.
We just want to bring a general awareness to this moment in space by engaging with all of our senses.
Take your time observing how your mind and body feels in this moment.
No need to rush.
You are where you need to be.
So take your time.
As you maintain this general awareness,
Begin to shift your attention to your breath.
Again,
No need to force anything here.
Just simply breathe as you normally would.
Easy,
Effortless breaths.
Your breath is your life force anchor for which you can return to time and time again whenever you need a moment to pause.
Notice the sensations your body feels with each inhale and exhale as it moves from the nose into the lungs and body and back out again.
Allow each breath to flow as it may,
Relaxing your mind and body deeper and deeper.
Breathe and relax.
Breathe and relax.
Breathe and relax.
If you notice your mind has wandered,
That is okay.
Go with the thought and see if you can gently bring your awareness back to the rhythms and sensations of breathing.
See if you can get closer and observe the depths of each breath,
Carefully exploring each inhale and exhale with curiosity.
Notice if your breath is regular or irregular,
Short or long,
Deep or shallow,
Or if you tend to hold or push out each breath.
Mindfully observing each breath is a great indicator of where you are right now and it may give you good insight on how you are feeling in this very moment.
So just take notice.
Remember there is no need to control or change anything here.
You are just simply observing the motions and sensations of breathing.
Keep returning to your breath.
Notice if there are any changes.
Become aware of how your body feels right now in comparison to when we first begin the practice.
Listen take a few more breaths in through your nose and out through your nose or mouth.
Ah-ah.
Newspapers.
Ah-ah.
Sterling summary.
Ah relief last day.
As this practice comes to an end,
Take a moment to begin bringing awareness back into your body.
Feel free to wiggle your fingers and toes.
Really move your head from side to side,
Maybe even take a gentle stretch up above.
And when you feel ready,
You can gradually open your eyes.
Before moving,
Take a moment to sit quietly,
Reorienting yourself to your surroundings.
Remember that your breath is your anchor,
Always available whenever you need a moment to pause.
May you carry this moment of peace and stillness with you throughout your day or night.
Namaste,
Ashe,
And so it is,
Dear one,
And so it is.
Namaste.
