The Breath

This is a Mindfulness Meditation.  It can be done for three minutes for a quick meditation, or increased to 20, 40, 60 minutes or more with practice.

To begin:

Sit comfortably with an upright, yet relaxed spine.  Put your feet flat on the floor, and rest your hands gently in your lap.  You can close your eyes, or, if you prefer, softly gaze at the floor in front of you.

Now, focus your attention on the chair beneath you...the solid chair.  Now your feet on the solid floor..which is connected to the solid building....with its solid foundations deep in the solid earth.

Now, turn your attention to your breath.  Do not try to change your breath in any way.  Simply notice your breath as you breathe in and as you breathe out.....as you breathe in, say to yourself "in" or "one" and as you breathe out say in your mind "out" or "two."  Keep repeating this as you breathe in and as you breathe out.  Focus on each breath, without judgement, simply notice as you breathe in and as you breathe out.  If you become distracted by thoughts or noises, simply allow them to float by, without judgement....you can think about them later...for now focus on your breath.............in..and..out.........(you can continue this for as long as you like).

When preparing to end the meditation, bring your focus back to the floor beneath your feet...the solid floor...connected to the solid building..........with its foundations deep in the solid earth.....now bring your attention to the solid chair beneath you.....and the room around you......and when you are ready, open your eyes.  Gently rub your hands, arms and face.