I'd like to introduce a small meditation,
a three minute breathing space that you can use anywhere whenever things seem to be overwhelming and you need to ground
yourself in the present moment and you can also practise it at set times during the day as well if you want to.
And to do this, find a posture the best, support your intention to be aware and awake, perhaps sitting with a straight back,
but not stiff, letting the shoulders drop and closing the eyes if you find that comfortable or lowering your gaze.
And then when you're ready. Step one of the breathing space is to notice what's going on with you right now.
Whatever thoughts may be around, whatever feelings or emotions.
Any sensations in the body just tuning into what the weather pattern is like inside
you right now and continue doing this and being open to this for a few moments?
As best you can, letting go of the tendency that we all have to want things to be different from what
they are right now and see if it's possible to allow things to be just as they are,
just as you find them in your mind and in your body, and then move into the second step of the breathing space,
gathering your attention on your breath right down in the abdomen as you breathe in and as you breathe out,
not trying to make the breath do anything special or be different from how you find it.
Just focussing on the sensations of in breath and the outbreath. And if the mind wanders at any time, simply acknowledge where it went.
And then very gently escort the attention back to the breath, to the sensations of breathing.
And then the third step of the breathing space,
the final step is to expand the attention to the body as a whole, as if the whole body could breathe right now.
You could be aware of all the sensations in the body from the crown of the head to the bottom of the feet.
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.
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.
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.
Moment by moment, the breath by breath. And then at a certain point, beginning to move fingers and toes,
letting your eyes open if they've been closed and resuming the activities of your day.