Hello and welcome.
I'm so happy that you have decided to be here today as we explore our breath in meditation.
So I invite you to find a comfortable seated position.
Perhaps you prefer to sit in a chair with your back well supported and straight and your feet planted down on the floor.
Or maybe you prefer to sit on a meditation cushion or on the ground.
Find a comfortable position.
You don't want to be distracted by any discomfort during your meditation.
You want to find a tall straight spine,
Comfortable hands resting on the legs,
The knees or your lap and softly and gently close your eyes.
If you do not feel comfortable having your eyes closed,
Feel free to keep them open.
But just guide the vision down to the floor in front of you and let your vision blur so you're not focusing on anything in particular.
And as you sit here,
Comfortable in your meditation position,
Draw your awareness now to your breath.
Without changing the breath,
Just begin to notice how your breath is right now.
Does it come with ease or a little bit of challenge?
As you breathe in and out through your nose,
Softly and easily,
Notice the chest expanding as you inhale.
Notice the diaphragm pushing down and the tummy softening out.
And as you exhale,
Notice the tummy softening back in,
The diaphragm moving back up and your chest softening back.
Breathing in and out softly and easily.
Allowing yourself to be breathed as you bring the awareness to the air coming in through the nose and travelling all the way down deep into the lungs.
And as you exhale,
Allow that to be a soft and easy release,
Letting go.
Breathing in,
Welcome in the breath.
And breathing out,
Let it go.
Keep the shoulders soft as you breathe in and out through the nose.
And allow yourself to soften into the breath.
Allow the breath to flow with ease.
Keep it gentle,
An exploration of your breath.
No need to go anywhere with this.
Just be here,
Right now,
You and your breath.
Breathing in and out.
And as you breathe in and out,
It's as if you're massaging the internal organs of the body,
This gentle movement,
This flow of the breath,
In and out through the nose.
And each time you notice that your thoughts are wandering,
Which they will,
Just draw them back to the breath,
Any part of the breath.
Could be the sensation of the air coming in through the nose.
It could be the chest expanding as you welcome in the breath.
It could be the diaphragm pushing down or the tummies softening out.
What could be the gentle,
Beautiful release,
Letting go.
And each time your mind wanders,
Just bring it back.
Your mind will wander,
And each time you bring it back,
You're using your breath like an anchor while the ship of your mind floats away.
And use that anchor,
That breath,
To draw the mind back.
It's as if you are lifting a weight in the gym.
Each rep that you do,
Each time you draw the mind back,
Is building up that muscle,
That muscle of meditation.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Slowly,
Easily.
And keep with this gentle flow of the breath.
In and out.
In and out.
You might notice a pause at the top and the bottom of the breath.
A natural pause.
You can explore that pause a little bit if you like,
Or you can just become aware of it.
Breathing in,
Maybe you notice that pause.
And breathing out.
That rest at the bottom of the exhale.
No need to change it as you breathe in and out.
Keep the breath soft,
Light,
And deep as you breathe in and out.
Just you and your breath.
In and out.
Just sit in the stillness of your breath,
Being aware,
Being connected as you soften into this meditation with your breath.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Noticing anything that arises.
Just an observation.
No judgment.
Just observe.
Any thoughts,
Any feelings,
Any sensations.
Notice them with kindness and curiosity and come straight back to your breath as you breathe in and out.
Each time your mind wanders,
Bring it back.
Just observe and bring it back.
Perhaps noticing where your mind likes to wander to.
But no making up of a story around this.
Just an observation as you breathe in and out.
Maybe becoming aware of yourself sitting here in your chair,
On your cushion or on the ground.
Noticing the parts of you touching down on the ground or the chair.
And again,
Noticing without any judgment.
No good or bad,
Right or wrong.
Just how it is.
Notice the breath still flowing,
Moving rhythmically through your body.
Notice the softness in your features.
Notice the stillness around your body as you breathe softly and easily.
Just allowing the breath to be what it is right now.
And draw your awareness right now to the sounds that you can hear close by.
As you slowly draw yourself back into this moment,
Hearing the sounds,
Feeling yourself sitting here,
Caressed by the breath.
Notice how you feel inside right now.
Perhaps you can gently start to move,
Maybe the fingers,
Maybe stretching out the hands,
Maybe moving the neck.
And bring your palms together and rub the hands together,
Creating some warmth,
Some heat between the hands.
And place your warmed palms over your eyes.
Open your eyes behind your hands.
Keep them open as you slowly move the hands down the face,
Allowing the light to creep in between the fingers.
As you ease,
As you transition back into this light,
Into the day.
Until your hands are back down on your lap and your eyes fully open.
As we give thanks to this beautiful life-giving breath.
And thank you too for joining me here today as we explored our breath in meditation.
