Focus at Nostrils

Welcome back. In this practice we are going to explore bringing our attention to the sensation of the breath at the nostrils. So begin by closing your eyes, finding your seat. Hands placed on the upper thighs, shoulders dropped, relaxed, spine upright, sit bones making contact with the cushion, feeling the support of the earth beneath you, feeling the support of the earth underneath your legs, releasing any residual tension in the body, and really allowing the earth to support your posture. Now bring your attention to your throat, feel the softening of your throat, feel the subtle tilt at the back of your head, that very subtle sensation of the thread coming from the top of your head up to the sky, bringing some lift, the ascending movement as well as the descending movement, creating that subtle effect in the central channel.

Feeling the breath rising and falling and then finding the breath at the nostrils, the sensation of the breath. So usually it feels a little bit cool on the inhale. Very soft, bringing our attention into our sensory orifices without any tension. Feel the breath moving through your nostrils, down through your throat, into your chest and down into the belly. Now slowly open your eyes, soft gaze, a few feet in front of you, taking in the environment as you continue to feel your breath moving in and out of your nostrils.

Softening any tension in the face, any tension in the shoulders, any tension in the arms, any tension in the hands, softening your legs, grounding into your sits bones, feeling the softening of your belly, of your chest and the strength and stability of your back. You can feel your tongue slightly make contact with your upper palate. Then noticing any thoughts that arise like clouds in the sky, drifting past and then disappearing as you return to the sensation of your breath in your nostrils. Draw the eyes closed again. Bring your attention into the body, again, tune into any sensations present, feeling the weight of your seat, the grounding through the legs and the uprightness of your posture.

The subtle tilt at the back of the neck, resetting the posture, softening through the jaw, placing the tongue at the upper palate if it feels comfortable. Then opening the eyes, finding the sensation of the breath at the nostrils again. And now release the technique and simply allow your mind to mix with the space. Raise your gaze another couple of feet, taking in the environment around you, light, shapes, sounds, sensations, breath, body. Raise your gaze another couple of feet, taking in the environment around you.

And now expand your awareness even wider, taking in a larger field of awareness, softening your attention, softening your concentration, softening your body. Bring your gaze all the way up and exhale. Bring your hands into the heart and bow to yourself, namaste.