Let's breathe together!

Let your chair, the floor, or the cushion support your whole body. Soften your body. Relax. Yet be alert and tune your attention inward. Close your eyes if you haven't already. Now breathe fully, full breaths through your nose if possible. Easy yet complete breath with as little effort as possible. As you do this, let the body relax and soften even more.

Now let's take some cleansing breaths to let the breath, particularly the out breath, wash away any distractions that take you away from this moment. As you inhale, imagine breathing in new, refreshing energy. As you exhale, gently let go of anything that you do not need at this moment. So, inhaling new energy, new life, exhaling what's not serving you or anything that you do not need right now.

Let your breathing return to its normal rhythm and begin to notice your inhale turning into an exhale and that spot where your exhale turns back into an inhale. And in this manner, let the breath open you to your awareness and to your presence here in your breathing body. Opening to the flow of your breath and opening to the rhythm of your breathing body. Inhaling and exhaling. Your body creating and moving your breath through your whole being.

In today's meditation, we are going to practice letting the body breathe on its own. And follow its own course. And practice opening our inner awareness to whatever sensation arises. and to whatever experience unfolds. We're going to practice remaining objective, but caring and interested in the sensations that come and the sensations that go. We are also going to practice controlled breathing as a way to slow down and enter into an engaged, focused and connected inner state.

If it's uncomfortable to breathe through your nose for whatever reason, no worries, no judgment, simply open your mouth slightly and sip the air through your lips. Let us begin our journey. As your body breathes, notice where you might be holding tension along your breath's way. Maybe you have tension in your facial muscles, a clenched jaw, a tightened throat, or maybe you're holding your chest rigid and closed. How about your belly? Are you holding that in?

If you notice any tension, See if you can relax or soften that area of the body. Just let everything go. And in this way, release the body and let the body breathe freely. If your mind wanders, bring it right back, gently though, to your breathing body. Maybe noticing what tension may have arisen in the body with the wandering mind. Release that tension too. creating more space and more freedom for your body to breathe. Our respiratory system is unique.

Our body breathes whether we pay attention or not. But we also can manipulate our breathing by speeding it up, slowing it down. We can deepen the breath or breathe in short bursts. We can control our breathing to bring heat and energy into the body or to cool the body and relax in safety. The breath brings more help, happiness, and vitality to our lives in this unique way. Continue to pay attention or direct your attention to your breathing body, letting it breathe.

Today, if you sense a need to control or find yourself trying to regulate your breathing, see if you can release this need and surrender to your body and let your body breathe on its own, using its own intelligence. It's own wisdom to determine what is necessary in this moment. Continuing to relax and trust your body. Let it lead. Follow its lead. And notice with an open awareness and a mind free of judgment what unfolds. What sensations are there?

What do you discover as you relax and trust your body? Can you sense a moment of peace? A river of calm. What is it like to be here and experience your breathing body relief, freedom? Maybe you're noticing resistance to letting go and letting your body lead. Anything and everything is okay, but if anything becomes too intense or too distracting, simply notice that. With a non analytical mind and return your attention to the flow of your breath and the rhythm of your breathing body.

Just start anew in this moment, watching the body inhale and sensing the body exhale. Let's take five relaxing breaths to calm our minds and our bodies in preparation for more meditation. We'll be breathing in a pattern where our exhale is longer than our inhale, a pattern of four counts for the inhale and six counts for the exhale. If this pattern is uncomfortable for you or causes any unnecessary tension, simply focus on slowing down your exhale. Let's begin.

Inhale 2, 3, 4. Exhale 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale 1, Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Six. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Go ahead and release that pattern of breathing and let your body return to its own rhythm of breath.

Now bring your attention to the physicality of your breathing body, noticing how the breath begins in your core, by the diaphragm extending down into your belly, and as it does, notice how the lungs expand and draw air in through the nostrils or the lips. transforming the air around you to the breath inside of you. Maybe you can sense the sinuses regulating the temperature and humidity of the incoming air.

And then following it as it goes down your throat, your trachea, like a straw, into the lungs. Can you sense how the lungs work to pull the air deeper? So as to nourish your blood with oxygen? And can you sense the heart pumping this nourishment out into your body? And can you sense on the exhale the diaphragm releasing to help the lungs push the byproducts of your respiration back out into the air around you? Byproducts that other parts of nature use.

Your body, your breath, becomes the world's breath. And the world's breath becomes your breath, all flowing in perfect circulation inside and outside your body. Spend a few moments with this flow, this life giving and life sustaining circulation of breath. The process of breathing is complex, yet we can experience the simplicity of its peacefulness if we teach ourselves to tune in.

To practice releasing our bodies from the demands that can come from the doing and striving and achieving that are a part of our lives. We can practice letting go, allowing the breath and the breathing body to be in a state of being and to allow ourselves to be there too. Nothing to do, nowhere to go, just being here in this moment with our breathing body. As it creates and moves our breath. And as it creates and moves the energy of our lives.

As you sit here or lay here in this moment, continue to allow the body to breathe on its own rhythm. And at the same time, allow yourself to connect with the nourishment and the aliveness, the vitality, that your breathing body brings to your whole being. Begin to focus your attention on feelings and sensations of love and gratitude, warmth and tenderness for your breathing body, and the amazing gift your breath is.

If you find your mind has wandered, remember, just bring your attention right back. No judgment. Just bring it right back to this beautiful river of peace and energy flowing through your body. Bring your attention back to your breath. And now we're going to practice a breathing pattern where the inhale and the exhale are the same length. This balanced breathing helps calm the nervous system and helps bring us to a state of calm, focus, and connection.

We will be inhaling to a count of five and exhaling to a count of five. If this pattern creates stress or strain for you, simply find a count that works for you and your body, such as inhaling and exhaling to a count of three or four. Let's begin. Inhale, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale, two, three.

Um, Uh, Um, Uh, Um, Uh, Um, Uh, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um One, two, three, four, five. Inhale, two, three, four, five.

Exhale, two, three, four, five. Inhale 2 3 4 5. Exhale 2 3 4 5. Inhale 2 3 4 5. Exhale 2 3 4 5. Inhale Now, let your body return to its own breathing rhythm, and open your awareness to the sensations that that flow created, letting yourself remain detached, and just simply let the sensations come and go as they will, and let any thoughts do the same. Let them come, and let them go. Our next breathing pattern is a box pattern. We'll inhale, hold, exhale, and hold, all with a count of four.

Again, if this is difficult for you or creates some stress and strain in your body, just simply watch your breath come and go. So let's begin. Inhale. Hold 2 3 4. Exhale 2 3 4. Hold 2 3 4. Inhale 2 3 4. Hold 2 3 4. Two, three, four. Exhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four. Inhale, two, three, four. Hold, two, three, four.

Exhale, two, three, One, two, three, four, hold, two, three, four, inhale, two, three, four, hold, two, three, 2, 3, 4, Hold 2, 3, 4, Exhale 2, 3, 4, Hold 2, 3, 4, Inhale 2, 3, 4, Hold 2, 3, 4, Exhale 4. Exhale 2, 3, 4. Hold 2, 3, 4. Once again, let the body return to its own breathing rhythm and experience the sensation this breath work has created for your body and mind. If your mind wanders off, bring it right back to the sensations of your body breathing and the experience this has created.

Your breath and breathing body connect you to the world and connects the world to you. As humans, we all breathe the same air no matter where we're living, what country, part of the globe. Our breath also connects us to the natural world, the animals that breathe the same air and the plants that use the byproducts of our breath, the CO2. Take a few moments to feel that connection and experience the gratitude for this living and giving connection.

As we enter the final moments of our meditation, we will spend a few minutes in Shavasana. If you would like to adjust your position, Go ahead and do so now. But honor the peace and tranquility that our work has created in your body today. So go ahead and adjust if you'd like. I invite you to take a deep inhale without any strain or tension and then let that exhale happen as slowly as possible.

And as you come to the end of your exhale, relax your body, let go, and let the floor or cushion or chair support you. And now with each exhale, release more and more. Let go more and more. Until you feel like butter melting into the floor. And become that butter. Warm and glowing. Happy, relaxed, flowing, floating. Continue to let go. Continue to let the floor or the chair or cushion support you. No need to hold on to anything. Just surrender.

Quietly return your awareness and your attention to the flow of your breath and the rhythm of your breathing body. Quietly and gently return your awareness. As you, as if you were tiptoeing back in, not disturbing your body's pace and your peace. As this meditation comes to a close, take a few moments to savor this experience. The experience of taking the time to let the body breathe and to connect purposefully with your breath and the experience of what unfolded for you.

Now begin to bring and breathe gentle movement back into your body and let this movement bring your attention back to your presence on your mat or your cushion or chair and become aware of you in your room and aware of anybody else that might be sharing this space with you in real life or virtually. And now when you're ready. And without disrupting your body's rhythm, gently open your eyes. And may you carry this peace with you throughout the remainder of your day. Namaste.