Sit your head, neck and spine straight. Relax your shoulders. Allow your arms to rest on your lap with your hands still. Bring the awareness to the "place" your body occupies. Note the environment, consider where you are, and close your eyes.
Become aware of the "space" your body occupies. Bring your attention to the breath by exhaling through the nostrils. As the breath returns through the nose, fill the lungs completely, always avoiding any strain or exertion. Concentrate on the flow of the air in the nose, and feel the temperature of the breath - the warm exhalation, the cool inhalation. Let the rhythm of the breath be even, smooth and unbroken with no jerks or breaks in the stream of air. Remember to avoid any strain and discomfort. Eventually you will notice that the breath breaths by itself.
Concentrate the mind on the observation of the flow of breath. As thoughts, feelings and other mental activity come, notice them. Let them remind you to bring the focus of attention back to the breath. Feel the touch of air in the nose, the gentle in and out of the flow of exhalation and inhalation, and keep the awareness on the exerience of the breath.
Increasingly, you will realize that the body is calm, and the mind focused and a feeling of peaceful alertness remains. There will be an internal silence as the process of meditation becomes more familiar. |
