In this meditation,
We will use the breath as an object or reference point for gathering and collecting our attention,
Unscattering our attention.
And we'll use with the breath a practice called mental noting.
What that means is simply applying a very soft mental label to an experience of the breath,
Like rising and falling or in and out.
Just a little whisper mentally to help with settling and grounding and collecting the attention.
And we'll start by,
Of course,
Inviting the eyes to close or just softening the gaze and allowing the eyes to rest and settling into this meditation posture.
So finding a comfortable position with some uprightness in the back of the body.
It's erect,
But it's not stiff or tense in any way.
Maybe allowing the eyes to soften the muscles of the face to soften,
Relaxing the shoulders down,
Maybe back,
And softening the belly,
Sitting and knowing that we are sitting.
And as we're aware of the structure of this sitting posture,
We can gradually become aware of sensations of the body breathing.
And so finding a place in the body where the breath can be experienced most vividly.
So today,
Maybe that place is the chest and noticing a subtle rising and falling of natural breath in the chest.
Maybe it's the abdomen,
Similar rising and falling,
And maybe it's below the nostrils,
Tracking the sensations of in-breath and then the outflow of breath beneath the nostrils.
Living with sensations of breath wherever they're most vivid for you.
Becoming mindful of these sensations of the body breathing in and breathing out.
In and out.
It's not a breathing exercise,
It's just an exercise in awareness.
And so there's no special way to breathe,
Just letting this breath find its own natural rhythm.
And if you're feeling sensations of the air beneath the nostrils,
You can use the soft mental note of in and out,
Tracking,
Connecting with each half breath,
Using the note as a friend,
A whispered ally.
And if the awareness is in the chest or the abdomen,
Perhaps the note is rising and falling.
Again,
Very soft,
Maybe 10-15% of the attention with that whispered note.
And if you've noticed that the mind has hopped on the train of association,
The train of thought,
As soon as you become aware of thinking taking place,
Ah,
Celebrate,
Maybe inwardly smile,
Maybe outwardly smile,
This is a moment of mindfulness.
And we can gently bring the awareness back to tracking each half breath,
Perhaps with the soft mental note,
In,
Out,
Rising,
And falling.
Seeing how present you can be with these next two natural breaths.
And then allowing the attention on the breath to fall for now,
And noticing what the quality of presence,
The gatheredness of attention is right now.
Noticing anything else that might want to be noticed in your consciousness.
And then slowly we'll bring this brief period of practice to a close,
Allowing the eyes to slowly open if they were closed,
And once again becoming aware of our surroundings.
Thank you.
