Today we're going to do a little practice with a breathing meditation.
Find your seat,
Whether you're sitting in a chair or on a bed,
Or if you're choosing to lie down,
But find yourself in a posture that is alert and relaxed and comfortable,
And settle in,
And bring your awareness here to this moment in space and time.
Notice whatever draws your attention here in this moment,
And bring the awareness to the breath.
The awareness to the breath.
Notice where it seems most prominent,
Whether it's at the tip of the nose as you feel the coolness of the in breath,
And the warmth of the exhale as it exits the body.
Or you might feel that same cool,
Cool sensation or warmth in the throat,
The different phases of the breath.
Or you might notice the chest as it rises and falls,
Or the belly as it contracts and expands.
It may help to place the hand on the belly,
Or on the chest,
Or both,
As you feel the body respond to the in breath and the out breath,
Gently allowing it to be,
And allowing our relationship with it,
Whatever it is,
To be.
You might connect with the breath,
Or you might feel the energy as it exits the body,
Or you might feel the energy as it exits the body,
Or you might feel the energy as it exits the body,
Or you might connect a word with the breath,
Such as calm on the inhale,
Or a mantra that serves you in this moment,
Whether it may be at ease,
Or may I be well,
Or whatever mantra you choose connecting it with the in breath and with the out breath.
Another option might be to simply count,
Counting the seconds on the inhale,
Noticing the pause,
And counting the seconds on the exhale,
And again noticing the pause at the bottom of the exhale.
You might notice as you move through your practice that the count may change from breath to breath,
Or it may lengthen.
And it's natural that the mind may wander,
And if you find yourself noticing that the mind has wandered,
That's really a magic moment where we're coming back to this moment,
Which is really the practice of returning over and over again.
Celebrate it.
The mind slips into planning,
Or memories,
Or judgment,
Even about this practice,
Or anything.
Simply note it when you notice it,
And you might label it planning,
Imagining,
Judging,
Or you might simply label it as thinking.
Thinking.
And gently come back to this breath.
And now this breath.
Be curious about the breath.
You might notice the beginning,
The middle,
And the end of the breath.
Just as it comes and goes in waves,
Allow thoughts,
Or other things in this moment,
Allow them to come and go in waves along with the breath.
You might notice the beginning,
The beginning,
Or the end,
Allowing thoughts,
Or other things in this moment,
Allowing the body to breathe itself.
Allowing the body to breathe itself.
Allowing the body to breathe itself.
