Day 2: Focus the Mind

Welcome to day two of ten of the meditation challenge. It's good to have you back. We'll dive right in. Let the eyes close or find your soft gaze. Settle into your seat and then rest your hands up or down or palm and palm base of the lap. And then we'll briefly review drawing the body into alignment, equal weight on the sit bones, lifting slightly through the center, lengthening the spine, lifting through the crown of the head and the base of the skull, shoulders back and down. And around that tall vibrant central channel, find a little softening, a little ease. Becoming aware of the thoughts and the pattern of thoughts gently. Becoming aware of the sensations in the body, what's happening right now in this moment in your body. And then drawing the awareness to the flow of your breath. For now just observing it, feeling the natural rise and fall. And then looking with a really simple awareness breath technique. For now silently to yourself, noticing each inhale and internally, silently saying inhaling as you breathe in and silently internally saying exhaling as you breathe out. To tether the awareness to the breath and give the mind something to focus on. So inhaling, exhaling. And we'll add one simple element to that, starting at ten and counting down to one. Inhaling and exhaling. And I'll count with you for this first cycle. Inhaling, exhaling, ten. Inhaling, exhaling, nine. Inhaling, exhaling, eight. Inhale, exhale, seven. Inhale, exhale, six. Inhale, exhale, five. Inhale, exhale, four. Inhale, exhale, three. Inhale, exhale, two. And inhale, exhale, one. If you find this technique is helpful, you can begin again, silently to yourself, counting down from ten. And every time you reach one, simply begin again. If it's not helpful, simply stay with a gentle awareness of your breath, noticing the sensation, noticing the rise and fall, and resting in the stillness and the silence.

If and when you notice, you've completely lost track of the count, if you're counting or the breath, if you've drifted off with the thoughts, just come back. Let it be that simple. Don't criticize yourself, don't evaluate the thoughts. Just notice and really gently drop it and return your awareness to the sensations of the body, to the count if that's working for you, or to the simple observation of each inhale and each exhale. Just this breath. Just this moment. And then just gently, if the eyes are closed, let them open, drawing yourself back. Thank you so much. I look forward to seeing you for day three.