Breath meditation.
Come to a seated position where you can sit comfortably on a chair or cross-legged on the floor.
Feel free to use pillows to support you and have a shawl or a blanket next to you in case you feel a need for it.
Let's take a couple of deep breaths.
Exhale,
Inhale,
Feel the full diaphragmic breath.
So you exhale fully and inhale deeply.
And as you inhale,
You feel your ribcage expanding to the side,
To the front,
To the back.
Feel abdomen expand and then contract.
When we begin to understand our breath,
We begin to understand its relations to the whole of life.
The breath shows us how to let go of old habits and relationships that don't serve us anymore.
So we can open ourselves to new energies and new ways to live.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Inhale,
Exhale.
Just witness the breath for a while.
Inhale deeply,
Exhale slowly.
Just feel the depth of your breath.
Don't change it.
Notice the speed of your breath.
Don't change it.
Inhale deeply,
Exhale slowly.
Deeply,
Slowly.
Deeply,
Slowly.
Have no expectations,
No judgement.
Just witness the rhythm.
Deeply,
Slowly.
Sensations and feelings may arise in your body.
Feel the presence.
Be with it.
Let it go.
Just witness the breath.
Inhale,
Exhale deeply,
Slowly.
Thoughts often come when we sit still and quietly.
And we are not trying to stop them.
Just acknowledge them.
Witness them.
Let them go like a cloud disappearing in the sky.
Exhale,
Release.
And inhale a sense of lightness.
Exhale,
Release.
Inhale a sense of lightness.
Allow the in-breath to calm your body.
And as you exhale,
Feel your body smiling.
Calm body,
Smiling.
The present moment is here.
Just be.
Doing nothing,
Just being.
Renewing,
Recharging,
Witnessing the breath.
Inhale deeply,
Exhale slowly.
Deeply,
Slowly.
Calming the body,
Smiling to the body.
Release and feel the lightness of your being.
Let go as sensations and feelings and thoughts arrive.
Outer noises,
Inner noises.
Let it go.
Just witness the breath.
Inhale deeply,
Exhale slowly.
Always come back to the present moment.
Just dwell in the present moment.
Just witness the breath.
It might change.
Deeper,
Shallow.
Let it just come and go as it pleases.
Just witness.
No judgment,
No expectation.
Just be.
Enjoy the stillness of your body.
Enjoy the relative quietness of your mind.
Inhale deeply,
Exhale slowly.
Relax.
So I like to conclude this meditation with some words from one of my teachers,
Thich Nhat Hanh.
If we are peaceful,
We are happy.
We can blossom like a flower.
And everyone in our family,
Our entire society,
Will benefit from this peace,
Our peace.
May you be peaceful.
May you be happy.
Many blessings to you.
Namaste.
