Gently close your eyes and settle into your body.
Take a moment now to adjust your posture,
Sit with an upright and open posture.
Now in your own way,
Take a few moments to relax your body.
Take three slow,
Deep conscious breaths,
And as you breathe out,
Feel your muscles softening and loosening.
Sensing awake and alert,
Allow your breath to find its own depth and rhythm now,
To just breathe itself.
Now become aware of the space before your closed eyes.
It's like a field of darkness,
Perhaps there are some muted shapes or colours,
Just simply resting your attention there,
With relaxed eyes and a soft gaze.
Now bring your attention to any sounds coming to you from outside or inside the room,
Just simply listening,
With a gentle curiosity.
Allow the sounds to call your attention into the present moment,
Just listening.
Now as you bring your awareness to your breath,
Notice the feeling of the breath.
As you breathe in,
And as you breathe out,
Feel the air moving over your nostrils,
Feel the slight movement of your chest and your belly,
Rising with the in-breath,
Sinking with the out-breath,
Perhaps there is even a gentle sound with your breathing,
Just your natural breathing,
Follow each breath.
Next bring your awareness down to your feet,
Move your awareness through your feet,
Notice any sensations in your feet,
Just feel them,
Feeling into your toes,
Your heels,
The surface of your feet,
All through the feet,
And as you feel into your feet,
Feel the flow of your breath,
Simply coming and going,
Just watching,
Quite effortlessly.
Now bring your awareness up to your hands,
Rest your attention on your hands,
Feel the touch of your hands against your thighs,
Your fingers touching each other,
Notice that subtle sense of aliveness through your hands,
Explore all the small sensations around and through your hands.
Now bring your awareness to your shoulders,
Notice the feeling in the muscles of your shoulders,
The base of your neck,
A pressure or a tingling,
Just feel it,
Simply noticing,
And as you feel into the muscles of your shoulders,
Feel the flow of your breath,
Simply being aware of the breath.
Now as you are aware of the space before your closed eyes,
Become aware of any sensations in and around your eyes,
Move your attention through your eyebrows,
And across your forehead,
Notice whatever sensations are there,
As you feel through the eyes and across the forehead,
Feel the flow of your breath,
Just resting in the awareness.
Now with a willingness to get in touch with how you are feeling inside,
Bring your awareness to your centre,
The feeling line of the body,
Feeling into the throat,
Feeling into the centre of the chest,
Feeling into the solar plexus,
And feeling into the belly,
Resting your attention along the whole feeling line of your being.
Keep the feelings company with curiosity and compassion,
Just simply being aware,
And as you notice the feelings in your centre,
Feel the flow of your breathing,
Open your awareness to the whole body,
Notice whatever sensations are coming into your awareness at this particular moment,
Perhaps the awareness of the space in front of your eyes,
Perhaps the feeling of the breath,
If any thoughts come to your awareness,
Just let them come and go,
Watch the thoughts coming and going,
And notice the background of stillness,
The background across which the thoughts travel,
Just noticing whatever comes and goes,
Just noticing,
Being aware of that still and silent presence,
Simply resting in that stillness,
If you notice your attention wandering or becoming caught up in a stream of thought,
Simply bring your attention back to the next breath,
Being aware of the feeling of the breath,
And notice the sounds,
Your feet resting on the floor,
The feeling line through your centre,
As you rest your attention in the space in front of the eyes,
Now as we come towards the end of this meditation,
Allow your breathing to become a little stronger,
Perhaps a deeper breath or two,
Start to reactivate your body by moving your fingers and toes,
Have a stretch,
And when you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
