Decluttering Your Mind

So just taking a few moments to settle into your seat for this meditation. And allowing the eyes to close. And taking three deep, slow breaths now. A deep breath in. And release it fully.

Two more like that. In. And out. And one more time. In.

And out. And just letting go of any control of the breath now. Letting the body breathe in its own way. But staying in touch with the feeling and sensation of the breath. And with each exhale, relaxing more and more fully into the here and now.

And can you reduce your focus down to just this one breath now. Following this next breath from the very first touch of the inhale. .All the way to the top of the in breath. And notice that little pause at the top. And then feeling the out-breath, all the way to the last touch of air leaves the body, and notice the little pause at the end of the out-breath before a fresh new breath begins.

So continue to follow the breath in this way. One breath at a time. All the way in. And all the way out. A wise man once told me that the way that we pay attention in meditation is a little bit like falling in love.

So when you fall in love, you give something your complete and undivided attention with openness, warmth, acceptance. So with this in mind, can you let yourself fall in love with the breath? Just giving it all of your attention, opening up fully to what's here to be felt and known. And we can bring this same focused, clear attention into our daily lives by focusing on just one thing at a time. So for instance, the next time you're talking to a co-worker or a loved one, instead of glancing at your phone or thinking about what you're going to do later, you could slow down and truly listen. And when you're eating your next meal, instead of watching TV or multitasking, you could just eat, savor and taste.

Take one bite at a time. Whatever it is that you're doing today, try to give the task your full attention and just do that one thing at a time. And in this way, you'll unwind from the habit of rushing through your life, stressed and frazzled, and find more ease, joy, and fulfillment. And as this practice now begins to draw to a close, just notice how your mind and body are feeling after taking this time for meditation. And begin to move the fingers and toes.

And gently opening the eyes. Enjoy your day.