MIDL: Deepening The Whole Breath

In this MIDL Mindfulness Training you change your perception from mindfulness of your breathing as it draws in and out, to the expansion & deflation of your whole body as it responds to breathing. This is a necessary transition from the development of one-pointed concentration to cultivation of momentary concentration, in order to open to the experience of your six senses to develop Wisdom.

Insight Timer Group: MIDL Mindfulness Meditation

Transcript

And during this mindfulness training we will be developing the skill of deepening the experience of our whole breath.

Start out by taking your meditation posture.

Now close your eyes very lightly and start to be aware of what it feels like just to be here.

Becoming aware of any sounds around you.

Allowing the change within the sound to hold your attention.

Now slowly bring your awareness into your body.

Into the experience of just sitting here.

Become aware of any warmth or coolness within your body,

Holding them gently in mind.

Also become aware of the place where your body touches the chair or the floor.

Grounded.

Aware of your whole body and just sitting here.

Now relax your chest and belly,

Allow your breathing to flow freely and naturally within your body.

Becoming aware of the gentle movement of the breathing.

Just be aware of the full length of each breath as it comes in and as it goes out.

Aware of the sensations within your breathing as they move through your body.

Aware of these sensations as if from a distance,

Holding the awareness of your body.

Notice the movement of the breath within it.

Become in tune with the full length of each breath as it moves through your body.

Be aware of the breath as it comes in through the tip of your nose,

Moves through your chest,

Deep down into your belly and as it moves all the way back out again.

Allow yourself to soften into,

Relax into the rhythm of that breathing.

Now gently allow your awareness to move to the tip of your nose.

Notice the breath as it comes in and goes out there.

Notice the sensations within the breathing.

As your breath comes in it may feel cool at the tip of your nose.

As it goes out it may feel warm.

And gently be aware of the breath as it comes in and out of your nose.

Notice any different sensations you can feel in between the in-breath and the out-breath.

Notice any different sensations you can feel in between the in-breath and the out-breath.

Now gently bring your awareness inside your head.

And being very aware you may notice a feeling of movement within there.

Can you notice any pressure expanding within your head every time the breath comes in and goes out?

Can you experience inside your head with each breath?

Can you experience inside your head with each breath?

Now gently bring your awareness down to the base of your throat.

How do you experience breathing here?

Just be aware of the breath as it comes in and goes out.

If you notice any tightness or tension in the breathing in this area then gently soften,

Release that tightness and tension.

Now gently bring your awareness down to the base of your throat.

Now gently bring your awareness to your upper back.

Can you experience breathing here?

Notice a feeling of movement with each breath as it comes in and as it goes out.

Can you experience breathing here?

Now gently bring your awareness down to the base of your throat.

Gently bring your awareness to the movement of your chest.

Notice how your chest and upper back move in opposite directions with each breath.

Breathing and contracting.

Now also bring your awareness to the side of your ribs.

Notice how they also move in and out with each breath.

Now gently bring your awareness down to the base of your chest.

Notice how your chest,

Your upper back and ribs all expand outwards as the breath comes in and contract inwards as the breath goes out.

Notice your chest,

Upper back and ribs fully open with each in-breath.

Tune into that opening.

Now gently bring your awareness down to the base of your chest.

Now allow your awareness to move down to your abdomen.

Follow the movement and the flow of the breath as it comes in.

Notice how your chest and upper back move in and out with each breath.

Notice as the abdomen expands and opens up,

The breath moves upwards into the chest,

Upper back.

Notice the whole lot opening together,

Expanding outwards.

Now allow your awareness to widen to your whole body.

Becoming aware of the breath at the tip of your nose as it moves inside your head,

Throat,

Moving through your chest into your abdomen and back out again.

Now let your awareness go back to your abdomen.

Noticing the changing rhythm of your breathing,

The changing movement of the dance.

Now let your awareness go back to your abdomen.

Just feeling the wave of the breathing as it moves through your body.

Now let your awareness go back to your abdomen.

Allowing your whole body to open,

To expand with each breath.

Now let your awareness go back to your abdomen.

Start to be aware of your whole body breathing.

Now let your awareness go back to your abdomen.

Now let your awareness go back to your abdomen.

Noticing the movement of the breath throughout the whole of your body.

Notice the feeling of your whole body expanding outwards,

Filling with each breath.

Feeling the breath expanding,

Contracting.

Feeling the breath expanding,

Contracting.

Feeling the breath expanding,

Contracting.

Start to be aware of the borders of your body expanding outwards with each in breath.

Notice how the breath pushes outwards beyond the borders of your body and the borders of your body start to fade.

Your body is no longer separate from the breath.

Your whole body is the breath.

Just expanding and just contracting.

Start to notice the effect this is having on the strength of your mindfulness and your presence.

And also notice the effect it has on deepening your concentration.

And also notice the effect it has on deepening your concentration.

Notice when observing this expanding,

Contracting of breath within your whole body any feeling of separateness disappears.

There is just awareness and the breath is one.

Notice how the breath is one.

Notice how the breath is one.

Notice how the breath is one.

Notice how the breath is one.

Now bring your awareness back into your body.

Becoming aware of the experience of just sitting here.

Start to become aware of the experience of warmth or coolness within your body.

The heaviness of your body as it relaxes.

Start to become aware of any sounds around you.

Allowing those sounds to come into you.

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.

And goodbye.

Reviews

These instructions are exquisitely timed offering a framework for attention to deepen, settle and become wondrously still. Thank you 🙏

I was able to connect deeply with my breath and notice changes within it in different parts of the body. I feel more present, thank you💙

Thank you so much, Stephen!! I always love to come back to your sessions 🙏 I have a hard time with the body scan sessions I am trying to practice, and this felt like a reverse body scan I was completely able to tap into (finally ). Hope you are well ❤️

Amazing. Yesterday on this practice nothing and today I truly opened and felt myself becoming one. Practice makes prefect.

The slow and methodical building towards feeling your whole body breathing was effective for me. I appreciated the reward of feeling as though there was no separation between my body and outside my body. I also am grateful to notice that the tremendous tension between my shoulders seems to have released some. Thank you Stephen

Very thankful for this relaxing and very peaceful meditation. You hear "only" the gentle voice of the teacher and you understand every word spoken with a touching tenderness! You are not anymore attached to time, that's why the 40 minutes pass by very peacefully.
As I said I'm very grateful for the meditation this evening and may you reach many people.
Thank you so much
François

Really enjoyed the entirety of my breathe, thank you for this course!

Thank you. Best 40mins spent in a long time. So worthwhile to reconnect with my breathing and so much more. 🙏

Great experience. Recommend previous practices for better results on this one. If you follow the series as Stephen suggests, its a totally different practice...just keeps getting better. Thanks again, Stephen! 🙏🏻

Such a wonderful guidance. Helps enormously with staying present.

I like the idea of allowing your breath to enchant you, thank you. I also was able, for the first time, to observe my breath's response to a wandering thought, though it only lasted for a moment!

Thank you! Very relaxing

Amazing,
I felt my heart's fears melt away after 50% of this wonder session.
Thank you!

I've been meditating for some time now. After practicing #8 and now #9, I can feel my whole body breathing. Really feel like I'm connecting deeply through your guidance. Thanks for helping us make these connections.

Moving through the meditations, I am doing more than one a day. Have really improved my mindfulness and kindness.

I am truly grateful for these sessions.

Very good quiet body centric. Thank you for sharing

Deep and helpful! Thanks again Stephen

I found that having listened to the "MIDL PILLARS " podcast from a few days ago, my awareness of the intent of what we are doing here is broadened which makes for a more rewarding practice. I continue to enjoy and grow in my mediation practice through the progressive steps. Thank you.