Hello and welcome to this breath and body awareness practice,
This sensory awareness practice.
Settling into awareness of our breath,
Our body,
Our senses is a great tool when you're feeling the pull of anxiety or overwhelm in your life.
It's a helpful practice to come back to anytime you need a sense of grounding,
Centering.
So if you haven't already,
Go ahead and find a comfortable position.
You can be seated or laying down.
If you choose to sit on the floor,
Consider sitting up on something just to give your spine and your hips a bit more space.
Then let yourself get comfortable.
Let your eyes grow heavy and either find a vague spot on the floor or if it's comfortable,
Let your eyes close all the way down.
Let the weight of your body sink into whatever it is that supports you.
As you begin to settle in,
Let your attention find your breath,
Just your own normal,
Your own natural,
Your own flow of inhale to exhale,
Exhale to inhale.
No effort or force,
Just notice your breath for what it is in this moment.
As you notice your breath,
Begin to look a little closer to notice its qualities.
Notice if it feels warm or cool,
Deep or shallow,
Fast or slow,
Smooth or a little unsteady.
Without forcing your breath,
Without trying to change it,
Simply observe its qualities.
What does it feel like to be breathing in this moment?
Can you be with your breath all the way from the beginning of an inhale to the end of the exhale?
As you observe your breath,
Begin to notice the transitions,
The spaces between your inhales and your exhales.
Do you notice if you hold your breath a bit at the top of the inhale or bottom of the exhale or does each half flow smoothly into the next?
Begin to notice where in your body you feel your breath move.
Maybe you notice the rise and fall in your belly,
The expansion and contraction in your lungs,
A slight tickle in your nose as your body breathes.
Bring your awareness to that space where you feel the movement,
Where you feel the life in your body with each breath.
It's an incredible function.
Our breath doesn't need us to engage with it to keep going.
It holds us,
It carries us,
It supports us every day,
Every night,
Through life's challenges and its triumphs.
Our breath knows how to keep going all on its own.
So notice it.
Notice those qualities of your breath.
Notice where you feel your breath move,
Observing it as it does what it does.
Eckhart Tolle said,
Being aware of your breath forces you into the present moment,
The key to all inner transformation.
Whenever you're conscious of the breath,
You are absolutely present.
As you continue to breathe,
Start to notice your physical presence in the space you're in.
Notice how your clothes,
How the air feel on your skin.
Notice the support beneath you,
Whether you're sitting or laying down.
Notice your spine,
Long and neutral.
Begin to tune into your body right where it is,
Here and now,
In this moment.
Noticing those points of contact,
Simply tune in to the direct experience of where you are right here and now.
As you begin to notice your physical sensations,
Can you begin to look a little closer?
How do your clothes feel on your skin?
Do they feel tight or loose,
Coarse or soft?
Notice the temperature of your skin itself.
Does it feel cool or warm?
Do you notice heat coming off of your skin?
Do you,
As a whole being,
Feel light or heavy as you rest down on what it is that supports you?
As you continue to breathe,
Imagine your breath extending throughout your body.
It fills and flows from the tips of your toes to the top of your head.
As you breathe,
Notice your inhale filling into each part of your body,
And let your attention follow as it begins to scan your body.
Moving from the tips of your toes,
Through your feet,
Your ankles,
Up your legs,
Into your hips,
From your fingertips,
Through your hands,
Up the length of your arms,
Into your shoulders,
And from your tailbone,
All the way up your spine,
Through your belly,
Your ribs,
Your chest,
Into your neck and your head.
Keep going with each breath,
Noticing your inhale filling every crevice of your body.
With each exhale,
Let the weight of your body grow heavier and heavier as it sinks down into what it is that supports you.
Begin to shift your attention away from noticing your own body,
Your own sensations.
Begin to notice the space you're in,
The room around you.
Without opening your eyes,
Notice your perception of the room.
Does the room feel bright or dark?
Does the energy feel light or dense?
Can you sense the presence of other people nearby or animals,
Children?
Or do you feel totally at ease in a space all your own?
Begin to notice distant sounds.
Maybe you notice sounds from the street,
A car passing,
A gentle breeze.
Maybe you notice other sounds from within the building you're in.
Push your sense of sound outside your immediate space and see what you notice.
Maybe you don't notice any distant sounds,
But you do notice sounds inside this space.
Focus on those.
Maybe you have music playing in the background.
Maybe you notice the sound of your own breath.
Notice the sounds,
Whether distant or nearby.
And as you do,
See if you can release the labels and simply notice them as sounds.
They don't need a name.
They don't need to be identified.
Simply observe the sounds you pick up.
Awareness.
Self-awareness is the first step to creating lasting change.
Lasting growth.
It's the first step to unlocking the truth that lives within each of us.
The truth of who we are.
The truth of our own desires and dreams.
The truth of our relationship with ourselves and the world around us.
Allowing ourselves to notice the subtleties.
To truly notice and observe.
Empowers us in turn toward even greater awareness.
Continue to notice your senses.
Let them fill your attention as it becomes ever more attuned to the space around you.
Stay here as long as you like.
As you feel ready to move on into the rest of your day,
Release your senses.
Draw your attention back to your breath.
Back to your normal,
Your natural.
And notice as your breath begins to deepen.
Follow a deep,
Full breath in and sigh it out.
And bring your palms to meet at the space in front of your heart.
Breathing in,
I calm my body and mind.
Breathing out,
I smile.
Dwelling in the present moment,
I know this is the only moment.
May you lean into the signs and signals of your breath and body to remember your truth as you continue ever forward on your path.
Thank you so much for sharing this practice.
