Sitting in a chair,
Cradling your sleeping baby,
Notice his or her breath and the movement that comes with each tiny inhale and exhale.
Allow your breathing to slow to a calm and comfortable pace.
As you watch your baby breathing,
Notice how your breath and his or her breath overlaps and intertwines at times as your different rates of breathing float together and then float apart.
Allow your eyes to close and notice the sensation of your breathing and the sensation of your baby's breathing as you hold her or him in your arms.
Allow yourself time to rest all your attention on this moment.
Place your hand on your baby's head in a way that provides gentle support,
Perhaps on the back of the head,
On top of the head,
Or on the forehead.
Notice the warmth of your baby.
Notice the sensation of contact between your hand and the baby's head.
Draw all your attention to this point of contact,
Allowing the muscles in your shoulders to soften and the muscles in your arms to soften.
While remaining supportive to your baby,
Allow the muscles in your hands and fingers to soften.
With each exhale,
See if these muscles can soften a little bit more into relaxation while still maintaining comfortable support for your baby.
As you rest in this position for several breaths,
Imagine sending feelings of love and well-being from your heart down through your hand to rest on your baby's head.
If it feels comfortable to you,
Send any feelings of gratitude from your heart through your hand to rest on your baby's head.
Now,
When the time feels right,
Open your eyes gently just for a moment if needed and move your hand to rest on your baby's chest over the heart.
Notice the gentle rise and fall of the chest as the baby breathes.
As you notice this rise and fall,
Notice how the rate of your breath and the rate of your baby's breath weaves together,
Overlapping at times as your breathing floats together and floats apart.
Notice the warmth of your baby.
Notice the sensation of contact between your hand and the baby's chest.
Draw all your attention to this point of contact.
As you rest in this position for several breaths,
Imagine sending feelings of love and well-being from your heart down through your hand to rest on your baby's chest.
If it feels comfortable to you,
Send any feelings of gratitude from your heart through your hand to rest on your baby's chest.
And if it feels right,
Send feelings of patience and peace to you and your baby,
Recognizing that you are both in transition,
Sorting out this new form of togetherness moment to moment.
Notice any feelings or thoughts that arise.
Allow them to pass without judgment for now,
Without the need to long for something different or plan for something different.
Right now,
These thoughts and feelings can pass as you turn your attention back to your breathing and back to your baby's breathing.
There's nowhere to go in this moment.
There's nothing to do in this moment.
There is no one to be in this moment.
Next if you would like to,
Allow your attention to rise above you and rest on the view of you and your baby sitting in the chair.
As you gaze down upon this view,
You may want to take in the scene in its entirety.
You sitting in the chair,
Your baby in your arms,
The two of you together breathing and resting.
Taking several calm and relaxing breaths as you attend to this view in gentle silence.
Next move your awareness back to your hands.
If you would like to,
Allow your hands and arms to gently hug your baby,
Allowing any feelings of love and gratitude to flow from your heart to your baby.
And when you are ready,
Allow your eyes to open and gaze upon your baby while taking a few more relaxing breaths,
Sending wishes of well-being to yourself and your baby.
