Through mindfulness, we develop self-trust which emphasizes being your own authentic self. In this meditation, we're going to explore cultivating this kind of self-trust, a trust in our own deepest nature. We'll do this by getting more in touch with our feelings and sensations and train in listening to them. Honoring them and what they may have to teach or show us. So now just finding a comfortable position on a cushion or a chair.

And have a sense of settling in. When you're ready, just allowing the eyes to gently close. And can you allow this posture that you've chosen to embody a sense of wakefulness? So perhaps lengthening the spine up tall. The crown of the head might extend a little bit towards the ceiling. And placing the hands in a comfortable way.

And as a support to coming home more fully to the here and now just taking three deep, slow, full breaths. And with each breath, seeing if you can follow the flow of the breath all the way into the body. And all the way out. Just two more breaths in that way. And at the end of this next exhale, just letting go of any control of the breath.

Just let the body breathe in its own natural way. And staying in touch with the feeling of the breath in the body. With each exhale, relaxing, more and more fully into the here and now. Just letting this moment be center stage in your awareness. And letting everything else struggle away now into the wings.

Just this moment, just this breath. And noticing how the body is breathing for you. And how you can trust the body to continue breathing in this way. And at the same time, you can depend on your heart to keep beating, your digestion to take care of itself, and all your body systems, just continuing to support you moment by moment. And noticing in the physical body where you feel the breath most easily.

The most vividly. And really getting a sense now of letting your attention take up residence inside the sensations of the breath at this point. And if you find it a little bit tricky to feel the breath, you can always place a hand over the belly or the chest, if that helps. And remembering that there's no need to try and control or push away anything at all. You're not trying to fix anything or change anything.

Just allowing the flow of experience to be as it is as you rest in the feeling of the breath. And whenever the mind gets lost, bringing it gently back to the breath. And now gently opening your awareness out from the breath and tuning into body sensations. Begin to scan slowly through your body with a kindly and curious awareness. And as you scan for sensations, you might like to find a sensation and just hold attention here for a few breaths.

Opening up to the sensation. Like a detective, becoming really curious about the feeling, the nuances of it. And if there's something a little unpleasant, see if you can gently open to it, making room for it in your experience, allowing it to be here, and gently listening to it. And when you're ready, if you care to, moving onto a new sensation. And listening to it, honoring it, letting it be felt.

And as you do this, there's no need to get into any mental commentary about the sensations in the body. Just simply getting in touch with them and feeling them fully. That's what's most important. And in this way, just continuing to scan your experience, tune into sensations, and move on when it feels right. For many of us, it can be a habit to ignore instead of honoring our feelings, but emotions and sensations can be like guides and the body has its own wisdom.

For instance, when we've been working too long, the body gets tired or overly revved. If we honor those feelings, they can teach us to take rest. A feeling of loneliness instead of being avoided, can be a signal that we'd like more connection. And we can seek out in our lives. Wisdom grows the more you listen to your feelings, intuitions, and sensations with an open-heartedness.

The more you cultivate this attitude of trust in your own being, the easier you'll also find it to trust other people much more and see their basic goodness as well. So just continuing to tune into body sensations. Allowing them to be held in an open, receptive, and kindly awareness, being open to what the body may have to teach you. If you're tired, perhaps there's a need for more rest. If you have a gut feeling that wants some attention, just giving it that.

Or maybe there's an emotion that you've been pushing away. If so, can you allow it to just be felt and known. Just continuing to scan through your experience, listening, feeling sensations. Knowing that in practicing mindfulness in this way, you're practicing learning to listen to and trust your own feelings and your own being. And now just guiding awareness back to the breath.

And taking a deep breath in. And out. And as this practice now draws to a close, just take a moment to notice how your mind and body feel after taking this time out for meditation. And when you're ready, beginning to wriggle the fingers and toes. And gently open the eyes.

And I'll close today with a passage by author and mindfulness teacher, Jon Kabat Zinn. He says, "Mindfulness provides a simple but powerful route for getting ourselves unstuck and getting back in touch with our own wisdom and vitality. And the most important thing is just to be yourself and not try to become anything that you're not already, being in touch with your own deepest nature and letting it flow out of you unimpeded."