Return to Your Breath

Meditation is not about emptying your mind of all thoughts. It is about learning to rest, right where you are.Find a comfortable position. Let your spine be upright but soft. Release the tension in your shoulders, your jaw, your hands. You may close your eyes, or let your gaze rest gently on a spot nearby.Turn your attention to your breathing. Do not try to change it. Simply notice: the cool air entering through your nose, the gentle rise of your body as you breathe in, the slow fall as you breathe out.Thoughts will drift in. Plans, worries, old memories. When you notice your mind wandering, do not blame yourself. This is what minds do. Softly, gently, guide your attention back to your breath again and again.You are not your thoughts. You are the quiet space that watches them come and go, like clouds floating across an open sky.Stay here for a while. Rooted in this present moment. There is nothing you need to fix, nothing you need to achieve. All you need to do is be.When you are ready, wiggle your fingers and toes. Slowly open your eyes. Carry this quiet calm with you into the rest of your day.