Meditation exercise to calm the mind
Read this and other meditation texts slowly, with a short pause between instructions.
The past has already gone and the future is yet to come.
I am concentrating on being peaceful, happy, and free in this present moment.
Now I’m concentrating on being aware of each breath.
My attention on the breath is continuous.
I follow the breath as it begins, and my abdomen starts to expand.
I continue to pay attention as my abdomen rises and falls with each breath,
like a child going high and low on a swing.
Like a swing, my breath slows down at each end.
I follow it all the way as it slows down, and starts again.
I embrace my breath with all my care and attention,
like a mother holds her baby.
I do not drop the baby.
Thoughts stay in the background.
I enjoy the rhythmic rise and fall of my abdomen;
I enjoy staying in the here and the now.
I have stopped running forward and backward.
My mind keeps producing thoughts; that is its nature.
I do not follow the thoughts.
I concentrate on my breath.
I’m comfortable and at ease.
With each breath, I let go of tension somewhere in my body and mind.
I’m aware that thoughts can bring tension to my face.
With each breath, I relax my face muscles and smile.
There are sensations in my body, I accept them. I am aware of my posture.
I am aware of the rush of air around my nostrils as I breathe in.
If there are sounds, I do not react to them.
I just notice them and let them go.
I continue to enjoy my breathing peacefully.
A river of feelings and thoughts is flowing, but I am not drowning in it.
The concentration on the breath is like the anchor that
prevents the boat from drift ing.
Focusing on my breath keeps me from getting lost in thought.
I notice sounds and skin sensations without reacting to them.
I smile at disturbances such as memories, little itches, and noises.
Smiling relaxes me. I feel content.
With each breath I arrive in the here and the now—
I’m sitting upright, breathing comfortably.
My mind is peaceful, my body free of tension.
I am calm and rested.
I feel free. I feel at home
https://www.gaiam.com/blogs/discover/calming-the-mind-a-meditation-exercise