(bell rings)
- [Guide] MindfulnessExercises.com.
Focused attention and open awareness.
(bell rings)
Let's begin by taking a moment to allow the body to settle.
Find a comfortable position
that allows your spine to be long,
but with a natural curve in the lower back.
(intense music)
You can close your eyes or keep them open
with a soft gaze downward, a few feet in front of you.
Let your belly and your shoulders relax.
And today I'll guide you through a meditation
that alternates between focused attention
and open awareness.
In focused attention, we keep directing our attention
back to the breath.
In open awareness, we expand our awareness
to include whatever is arising
with an attitude of curiosity and spaciousness.
(gentle music)
So before we start, take a full breath in through the nose
(guide inhaling)
and a long breath out through the mouth.
(guide exhaling)
And allow your breath to find its natural rhythm
in and out.
Just relaxing with the breath.
And as you breathe, the breath can be like an anchor
or a foothold
as you observe what's happening around you.
(gentle music continues)
And as you allow yourself to notice whatever is arising,
you can decide for yourself
if you want to dial up or dial down
how aware of the breath you are in any given moment.
In open awareness, thoughts, sensations,
feelings and sounds will come and go.
Some will float by like clouds in the sky
and others will be sticky,
taking us for a ride.
But whatever arises, try to just notice them,
watching them arise and pass away.
If you start to feel distracted,
you can ground yourself by focusing on the breath again
and then returning to open awareness.
(gentle music continues)
and now bringing your attention back again
to focus on the breath,
letting awareness of other things fade to the background.
Breathing in,
and breathing out.
Focused on the breath.
Simply aware of each inhale and exhale.
(gentle music continues)
And taking a moment now to appreciate your effort
in doing this practice.
Directing your mind,
resting, sensations,
without judgment.
Remembering that you can connect with a sense
of open awareness as you go through your day
and you can come back to the focused attention
on your breath to find calm in the body
and in the mind.
(gentle music continues)
And let's finish this open awareness
and focused attention practice
by taking a full breath in through the nose
(guide inhales)
and a long breath out through the mouth.
(guide exhales)
(bell rings)