Breathing in, I am aware that this is an in-breath;
Breathing out, I am aware that this is an out-breath.
I enjoy breathing in; I enjoy breathing out.
Aware of the in-breath; Aware of the out-breath.
Breathing in, I'm aware of my whole body;
Breathing out, relax my whole body.
I can bring my attention to all the parts of my body
that are completely free from pain and tension.
How wonderful to have a body:
this miracle of evolution, this gift from my mother and father.
Breathing in, aware of my body; Breathing out, relaxing.
Breathing in, I know I am alive;
Breathing out, I feel the joy of being alive.
To be alive is a miracle.
Right in this moment, every cell in my body is pulsing with the energy of life.
Sometimes I get caught in my anxiety about the future,
my regrets about the past, my projects in the present.
And I forget the simple fact that I'm alive.
Breathing in, I'm aware being alive;
Breathing out, I allow joy to be born in my heart.
Breathing in, I'm aware of the many conditions of joy that I have in my life;
Breathing out, I allow the feeling of joy to nourish me.
There are so many wonderful things in my life that bring me joy.
All I have to do is bring them to mind
and the feeling of joy is instantly born in my heart and mind:
the face of a smiling child,
watching a beautiful sunset with my beloved,
walking along the beach in the surf,
this beautiful Planet Earth with its forests and oceans.
As I breathe in, I'm aware of the many conditions for joy;
Breathing out, I'm nourished by joy.
Breathing in, I'm aware of an unpleasant feeling that may have been triggered during the day;
Breathing out, I bring all my love and care to that feeling.
Perhaps something during the day triggered the feeling of anger or irritation,
frustration or anxiety,
and I may not have had the time to take care of that feeling
to look at it deeply and to understand why it came about.
In this moment, I take the opportunity to embrace that feeling with all my care and tenderness.
I am here for you, my feeling of anger.
I'm going to take good care of you.
Breathing in, aware of an unpleasant feeling;
Breathing out, caring for that feeling with love.
As I breathe in, I allow this difficult feeling to be embraced by the energy of awareness;
Breathing out, I feel this difficult feeling beginning to be calmed and soothed.
Just maintaining my awareness of the feeling as a feeling,
I care for it, I attend to it. And it is calmed.
Breathing in, bringing the energy of awareness to the feeling;
Breathing out, calming.
Breathing in, I'm aware that I am breathing in;
Breathing out, I smile.
Dear friend, you may like to open your eyes to move your head from side to side,
to massage your shoulders and face gently with love and care.
As you continue throughout your day,
at any time you can breathe and bring your attention to your in-breath and out-breath
so that this energy of stability can support you as feelings come and go.
Thank you for taking the time to do this practice.