In this meditation, we will practice paying attention to and extending the lengths of our breaths.
This is a practice that can be used anytime, whether you want to take a break,
refocus, or simply ground yourself into the here and now.
Please take a moment to find a comfortable position.
If you are sitting, keep your back tall but relaxed.
Gently close your eyes or rest your gaze on a spot on the floor in front of you.
Notice the ground as it provides support beneath you.
Take a couple of deep breaths, and settle into the natural rhythm of your breathing.
Notice where you feel your breath most prominently, be it your mouth, your throat,
your chest, or your belly. You may even notice your breath more externally
as your body expands on the in-breath and contracts on the out-breath.
Follow the natural rhythm of your breathing.
Once you have your attention focused on your breathing,
count softly to yourself as you breathe in and again as you breathe out.
For example, breathing in 1 - 2 - 3 and breathing out 1 - 2 - 3 - 4.
Allow yourself time to settle into your count,
and determine how long your in-breath and your out-breath are.
If your mind wanders, gently bring yourself back to your breathing and to your current breath count.
You may notice that your in-breath or your out-breath is longer.
The next step is to try to lengthen the shorter breath in order to have equal breathing.
Match the length of your in-breath to the length of your out-breath.
Now allow yourself a moment to equalize your breathing.
Once you have equalized your breathing, the next step is to slowly try to
lengthen both your in-breath and out-breath by a count of one.
If your breath counts were four counts in and four counts out,
try to lengthen that to five counts in and five counts out, then six and so on.
If your mind wanders and you lose count, simply start fresh at the next breath.
You may need to restart many times, and that is okay.
Continue with the slower breathing for a few moments.
This practice can be as short or as long as you would like to make it.
Just breathing in and breathing out, breathing in and breathing out.
Thank yourself for the time you took for this practice today.
Take note of how you feel now before re-entering your day,
and know that you can always return to this practice at any time.