Today, we'll do a simple breathing

meditation which will help to

bring more balance, calm and

concentration to the mind.

So don't worry if you've never done

any meditation before, I'll be guiding

you through every step of the way.

So just settling into your seat

now in a position that feels

as comfortable as possible.

And see if you can sit

upright rather than slouching.

And allowing your eyes to gently

close, if that feels okay for you.

And as a way of settling in here a

little more fully, now just taking

three deep, slow, full breaths.

So breathing in.

And breathing out.

And just taking two more

breaths like that now.

And with each exhale, can you get

a sense of allowing your body to

relax and settle here into gravity

and into this moment a little more.

And at the end of this

exhale, just letting go now

of any control of the breath.

Just letting the body

breathe in its own way.

And gently shifting your awareness

all the way down into your belly.

And just focusing on the

feeling, the sensation of the

breath moving here in the belly.

The rising of your belly on the inhale.

And the falling of the

belly on the exhale.

And if you find it perhaps easier

to focus on the breath elsewhere

in the body, maybe the tip of the

nostrils or the feeling of the breath

moving in the chest, that's fine too.

Just pay attention to wherever you feel

the breath the most easy to follow.

That's where the sensations are the

strongest and just settling your attention

there, feeling the flow of the breath.

And from time to time, you'll

probably find that your attention

gets caught up in thinking.

Maybe about worries,

anxieties or your to-do list.

And so you're no longer

feeling the breath.

Whenever that happens, just noticing

what thought your mind got caught up

in, and then letting it go and simply

beginning again to focus on the flowing

sensations of the breath in your body.

As best you can, just keep following

the flow and sensation of the

breath as the body breathes in.

And as the body breathes out.

And as this practice begins now

to draw to a close, just gently

wriggle your fingers and toes.

And take a moment to notice how

your mind and body feel after

taking this time out for meditation.

So it's quite common to find

sitting in stillness a little bit

difficult at first, since our minds

are often racing and tense all day.

But rest assured that with practice, the

mind does settle and relax quicker and the

whole practice becomes easier and easier.

And you'll find as you continue

to practice meditation, that the

calm and clarity of mindfulness

will flow not only into your

meditation, but into your daily life.

So when you're ready, opening the eyes.