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I'd like to introduce a small meditation,

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a three minute breathing space that you can use anywhere whenever things seem to be overwhelming and you need to ground

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yourself in the present moment and you can also practise it at set times during the day as well if you want to.

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And to do this, find a posture the best, support your intention to be aware and awake, perhaps sitting with a straight back,

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but not stiff, letting the shoulders drop and closing the eyes if you find that comfortable or lowering your gaze.

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And then when you're ready. Step one of the breathing space is to notice what's going on with you right now.

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Whatever thoughts may be around, whatever feelings or emotions.

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Any sensations in the body just tuning into what the weather pattern is like inside

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you right now and continue doing this and being open to this for a few moments?

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As best you can, letting go of the tendency that we all have to want things to be different from what

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they are right now and see if it's possible to allow things to be just as they are,

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just as you find them in your mind and in your body, and then move into the second step of the breathing space,

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gathering your attention on your breath right down in the abdomen as you breathe in and as you breathe out,

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not trying to make the breath do anything special or be different from how you find it.

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Just focussing on the sensations of in breath and the outbreath. And if the mind wanders at any time, simply acknowledge where it went.

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And then very gently escort the attention back to the breath, to the sensations of breathing.

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And then the third step of the breathing space,

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the final step is to expand the attention to the body as a whole, as if the whole body could breathe right now.

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You could be aware of all the sensations in the body from the crown of the head to the bottom of the feet.

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And right up to the surface of the skin and all the sensations inside your body as well aware of the whole landscape of sensations in the body.

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And once again, see if it's possible to allow the sensations to be exactly as you find them, trying to change them in any way.

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A sense of opening to what's here right now. A sense of coming home to the body and allowing yourself to be exactly as you are.

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Moment by moment, the breath by breath. And then at a certain point, beginning to move fingers and toes,

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letting your eyes open if they've been closed and resuming the activities of your day.