Hi there and welcome to Foundation Mindfulness and our first practice is going to be focusing in on the breath and focusing in on the pattern of breathing.
How does meditation work to develop mindfulness and concentration?
First is that we're directing our attention to an object of focus,
If you like,
Or concentration.
And once we've directed our attention,
Then we aim to sustain that attention and that requires concentration.
We concentrate to keep our attention on the object.
And the object can be the breathing,
As with this meditation.
The object can be a sound or a word.
The object can be anything of the senses,
So it can be focusing in on a sense of touch,
Perhaps the touch of your hands.
And our aim is to bring the wandering mind back to that object of focus and concentration.
What can happen when we start out,
And actually it can continue on for many,
Many years of meditation,
Is that we can get lost in thoughts,
Get carried away in a story.
And then it is that we remember,
Ah,
That's right,
I'm focusing in on my object,
Which for this meditation will be your breathing.
So we're remembering that we're doing the practice,
We're directing our attention,
We're sustaining that attention and focus.
And if the mind,
Because it will,
When it wanders off,
We notice it and we bring our attention back again to the object of our focus.
And so think of it as an ongoing loop of directing attention,
Sustaining attention,
Wandering off and then remembering to return.
This keeps this cycling and helps us to maintain our attention.
Yes,
We lose it from time to time and we remember to return.
And with ongoing practice our ability to hold attention develops and our direct understanding of mindfulness and our capacity to be more mindful increases.
This allows us to be more available,
More conscious and aware in the present here and now.
I'd like to briefly describe to you the importance of mindfulness,
Of breathing and how as we become more familiar with the practice of giving attention to our breath,
How that becomes like an anchor or even a lighthouse amongst the chaotic,
Often busy,
Busy mind of thoughts,
Images,
Distractions that all of us experience.
Being able to return in your practice of meditation,
Being able to return to your breathing helps to calm and steady the body.
Mindful breathing can be done sitting,
Standing or lying down.
Let your awareness drop down into the area of your abdomen away from all the thinking and simply let your body breathe in and out exactly as it wants to.
So taking some time now to position yourself comfortably and as you position your body comfortably,
Bringing your attention to the gentle rise and fall of your breathing.
I often like to rest my attention on the area of my heart.
You might like to rest your attention on the area of the nostrils.
You might be able to sense the air as it flows,
As you inhale and exhale.
You also might like to focus on your abdomen.
It's just a little below the belly button.
And so really bringing your attention there on the breathing for a few moments.
And you may be able to pick up whether your breathing seems to be shallow or are you breathing deeply?
And so you're just noticing the pace of your breathing.
And now what I'd like you to do is to take in a nice long inhale and a long exhale.
And as you breathe in,
Again,
Noticing the expansion.
And as you exhale,
Noticing the contraction.
And slow,
Long breaths.
In your own time,
Just taking comfortable,
Long breaths,
Inhaling,
Aware of the expansion,
Exhaling,
Aware of the contraction in the body.
And then what I'd like you to do is to,
Perhaps you can use your fingers to count,
And I'd like you just to now let the breathing fall to its own natural rhythm.
And I'd like you to count how many breaths.
And beginning now.
Right here or pitched in.
Okay,
That's good.
So when the mind wanders off and you perhaps get lost in thoughts,
Remember just come back to the breath,
Simply noticing the rise and the fall of your breathing.
And now resting your attention there and counting your breath.
The inhale and the exhale is one.
The inhale and the exhale,
Two.
And continuing with your practice there.
And each time you drift off,
Remember to come back to the breath and start counting again from one with a little smile as you practice again now.
And you can start an inhale and a exhale.
.
.
Back into the room,
Aware of your body and how you're feeling the posture.
To get back into your here and now experience,
You might like to wriggle your toes and fingers,
Reconnecting fully with your whole body.
And thank you for sharing this time.
I'm Simonette and I welcome you back time and time again.
I have a number of lovely guided meditations here on Insight Timer to enjoy.
Bye for now.
.
