Breath and Body Awareness

So, inviting you now to find a comfortable upright posture, one where you're relaxed, yet alert. Allowing the palms of the hands to rest on your legs or down by your side. Then gently closing the eyes if you'd like, or simply lowering your gaze. And we'll begin with a few steady, deep breaths, inhaling in through the nose and exhaling slowly through the mouth, settling into this moment, noticing any areas of tension or tightness. Now returning the breath back to its natural pace and rhythm. And just resting the focus on the breath, not changing the breath in any way. Just noticing the sensation of breathing. Allowing the breath to roll in and roll out. Noticing where you can feel the breath the most in the body, perhaps in the nostrils, the rising and falling of the chest and belly. Wherever you can feel the breath, just resting your focus there for a few moments. Riding the waves of each breath one at a time. If the mind wanders, as it naturally will, just acknowledging any thoughts, memories, stories, and gently guiding your attention back to the breath. No need to judge or analyze. This is simply a moment of waking up, a moment of mindfulness. So, just letting go and returning back to the breath, back to this inhale and this exhale. Bringing an attitude of openness and curiosity. Aware of the changing nature of the breath. Now beginning to expand your awareness of the breath to include the body, allowing the breath to be present in the background, and just gently shifting your awareness to the physical sensations in the body, wherever they may be. And when a physical sensation calls your attention, just bringing a gentle curiosity to it. And once it leaves your attention, returning to being with the entire body, allowing the body to be our anchor to the present moment. When you notice the mind has been distracted, lost in thought, stories, or sounds, this is an opportunity for us to begin again, to practice mindfulness and return our focus back to the body and back to the present moment. Now, seeing if you can hold both the breath and the body in awareness, feeling the movement of breath alongside the sensations in the body. You might imagine your attention as a soft light illuminating whatever's present, breath, body sensation. All is welcome in this moment. Noticing breath, noticing body. If either one calls for your attention, attend to it. Notice how it shifts. Notice how it changes, rising and falling, coming and going. Then gently return to the openness of this moment. The breath coming and going, sensations coming and going. Everything arises and passes. Letting go of any judgment when you notice the mind has wandered. Just gently returning back to this moment. Now, gently beginning to bring your awareness back to the breath. Feeling that gentle rising and falling of the breath. Maintaining a gentle, steady focus, riding the...