During this meditation,
We develop the skill of observing breathing free from control.
If you start out by taking your meditation posture,
Placing one hand in the other,
Resting in your lap,
Thumbs lightly touching,
Allowing your eyelids to gently close over,
Allowing them to relax,
Allowing that relaxation to come to your face,
Feeling that relaxation coming to your cheeks,
Your jaw,
Allowing your shoulders to drop slightly,
Releasing your chest,
Your upper back,
Allowing the relaxation to flow down in your arms,
Your hands,
Your fingers,
Relaxing your belly,
Opening your hips slightly and allowing the relaxation to flow down your legs to your feet.
Notice how relaxing in your body in this way establishes mindfulness.
Taking awareness to your hands resting in your lap,
Becoming aware of your thumbs lightly touching each other,
That single point of touch.
Keeping this point of touch in mind,
Remembering that touch to establish mindfulness.
Now,
Gently open your awareness to the room around you,
Tuning into distant sounds,
Their flow,
Their change,
The touch of air on your skin.
How nice it is to just be here in the room.
Nothing to do,
Nowhere to go,
No one to be.
Now,
Gently soften awareness into your body.
Becoming very aware of sensations within your body.
Just keeping them gently within your mind.
Continue to soften,
Relax into your body.
Now,
Aware of the pressure of your body as it rests on the chair or on the floor.
Becoming very present within your body.
If your attention wanders off to any thoughts or any sounds,
That's okay.
Simply acknowledge that your attention has wandered.
And with a few slow softening breaths,
Soften and relax back into your body.
Noticing how nice it feels to be present.
Breathing in and out.
Breathing out.
Now relax your chest and belly,
Allowing your breathing to flow freely and naturally within your body.
Be aware of the gentle movement of that breathing.
Breathing in and out.
Notice as the breath comes in,
Your body gently stretches outwards.
A gentle stretch.
How nice it feels.
And as each breath goes out,
Your body deflates and it relaxes.
It feels good to relax.
The breath comes in,
Your body gently stretches.
A gentle stretch.
The breath goes out,
Your whole body relaxes.
How nice it feels.
Notice how this breathing happens by itself.
Breathing in and out.
Breathing out.
Now we're going to start a training to learn how to observe our breathing free from control,
Without any strain or stress.
Begin by tuning into the natural flow of breathing within your body.
On the next out breath,
I'd like you to gently breathe out through your nose.
And relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
As the breath comes in,
Notice its lightness,
Its smoothness.
Now reset your breathing again.
On the next out breath,
Gently breathe out through your nose.
And relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
How long can you observe this natural breath without interfering with it?
Can you let it be?
Okay.
Now relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Now relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
How long can you observe this natural breath without interfering with it?
On the next out breath,
Gently breathe out through your nose.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Each time you do this,
See how long you can observe breathing without interfering with it,
Without controlling it.
Now relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Now see if you can notice any mental effort,
Any mental tension in the watching of the breath itself.
Are you trying to watch too closely?
If so,
Relax,
Back off this watching.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Now we're going to apply this skill of resetting breathing to distraction.
Anytime you notice your attention has wandered off to a thought or a sound,
Simply acknowledge it,
Bring awareness back into your body.
Gently breathe out,
Relax and wait for the breath to draw in back naturally by itself,
Resetting mindfulness of breathing.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Relax and wait for the breath to come in naturally by itself.
Now bringing awareness back into your body just sitting here.
And when you're ready you can gently open your eyes.
Thank you for spending this time meditating with me.
Take care of yourself and have a wonderful day.
