Welcome to session two,
Counting the breaths.
In this session,
We're gonna build on the technique of following the breath that we learned in session one.
Except this time,
We're gonna start to count the breaths mentally to try and increase our concentration on the breath.
So begin with your eyes open.
Try to sit comfortably with a relaxed but alert posture,
Making sure that your spine is straight.
Then just briefly check in with yourself.
See how your mind and your body are both feeling.
And then just take three deep in breaths through the nose and out through the mouth.
In and out.
In and out.
In and then gently closing your eyes on the out breath.
Start to notice how heavy your body feels,
The heaviness of your legs,
Your arms,
Your torso and your head until you can precisely feel the sensation of gravity gently tugging you down towards the ground.
Then start to notice any sounds that might be arising.
Again,
Sounds happen all by themselves,
So there's nothing really to do here.
Just sit back and allow the sounds to come to you.
And then when you're ready,
Gently start to focus your attention on the breath.
Again,
Just choose wherever you feel the breath the most clearly.
This could be at your nose,
In your shoulders,
Your upper chest or your belly.
Any of them is fine,
Just choose the one which you find easiest today.
Whenever your awareness is Again,
Don't worry if your mind has wandered.
It's completely natural.
Just put a little smile on your lips and in your mind and just gently return your attention back to the breath.
Except this time,
I'd like you to start mentally counting the breaths from one to 10.
Counting one on the in breath and then one again on the out breath.
Two on the in breath and two on the out breath and so on.
This technique should make it easier for you to maintain concentration on the breath,
But at this stage it's still not going to be completely successful in preventing your mind from wandering,
So again,
Don't be disheartened if your mind has wandered.
If you're not,
You're not going to be able to do that,
But if you're not,
You're not going to be able to do that.
If your mind has wandered,
Just gently return your attention back towards the sensations related to breathing and then counting the breaths.
If it helps when you're counting the breaths,
You can elongate the sounds of the counting.
So on the in breath,
You would mentally count one and on the out breath,
You would mentally count one.
By elongating the sound of the counting,
It again helps you to concentrate your attention more closely on the breath.
It's really important to stress here not to get frustrated if you're struggling to maintain attention on the breath.
At this stage,
If you're even getting to two or three,
You're probably doing very well.
At this stage,
I doubt none of you will get to 10 and this is just a testament to how busy our minds usually are.
So try not to get frustrated and just smilingly return your attention back to counting the breaths.
And now just gently letting go of all effort entirely,
Letting your mind be free to do whatever it wants.
Then start to notice any sounds or smells that might be present in the room,
Noticing any sensations related to sitting.
And before you open your eyes,
Again,
Check in with yourself,
See how your body feels,
See how your mind feels.
Notice if they feel any different to how they felt at the start of the session.
And then gently opening your eyes.
And then before you rush off,
Just quickly congratulating yourself for meditating today.
And have a great day!
