When timing your meditation, use a gentle bell or place an ordinary timer under a pillow so it doesn't jar when it rings. I'll introduce you to a delightful Tibetan bell, like this one, following the meditation.

Amazon image

Sit solidly in your chair

Your back well supported. Uncross your ankles and place your feet flat on the ground, your hands loose in your lap or resting comfortably on your thighs.

Be comfortable

Let go. Let your shoulders drop.
Take a long, slow, deep breath

Inhale deeply four more times
long and slow, letting all the air from your lungs and filling them full with each breath.

You may experience
a long, shuddering sigh. Let it go.

Now, just naturally breathing,
not guiding your breath in any way, feel the intake of air through your nostrils.

Gently bring your attention

to the cool air touching the tips of your nostrils as you breathe in.

As you exhale

gently bring your attention to the warmer air touching the tips of your nostrils as you breathe out.

Thoughts will come

Lightly acknowledge each thought, as though giving it a slight bow with the head, then ever so easily, return your consciousness to the cool breath touching the tip of your nostrils, in.

Whatever you are feeling

however tangled your thoughts, let it go. Let your attention drift to your breath, just at the tip of your nostril, warm air out.

For now, just for this breath,

bow to your suffering, bow to your dreams. Let them go, and return ever so gently to your breath. Cool air in, aware of it again just at the tip of your nostrils.

It may help to imagine

your thoughts, distractions, images and sensations drifting away, like a bubble or a dandelion seed, quickly forgotten.

Returning each time

ever so gently, to the breath

              In              Out

You may notice

discomforts in your body.

Let these awarenesses

come and go.

Return each moment

to the breath in, the breath out.

A solution

to a problem in your life may float to the top. It is tempting to focus on the solution, perhaps to get up and take action.

Acknowledge the thought

and let it go, returning to the breath in, the breath out.

Trust

that any useful information will be available to you later.

This is always true

Some of your best problem-solving will occur in ten-minute meditations. Let the answers come and go, like every other thought. They will be waiting when you are ready. Ever so gently bring your focus again to the breath in, the breath out

You may notice

your shoulders rising. Do nothing. Simply acknowledge the fact and return your attention to your breath.

Cool air--in.

Warm air--out.

Continue to bring your awareness

gently to your breath, just at the tip of your nostrils.

For these few minutes

let go of time.

Acknowledge and let go

all thoughts, itches, bubbles and pains, letting them fall away like leaves from a tree, like water from a bamboo fountain, falling away, dropping, knowing the timer will alert you when these minutes are past.

For now

your only task is to breathe.

Cool air--in.

Warm air--out.

When the bell rings

gently open your eyes. Like a lazy cat waking, ever so slowly stretch your arms and legs, your torso.

Warm the muscles

in a big, long comfortable stretch--no straining--just a very comfortable, lazy stretch.

Yawn

a wide-mouthed yawn, opening the eyes wide, the nostrils wide.

 

Stretch your face

Exaggerate your yawn. Expand the body. Expand the lungs. Expand the arms.

 

Breathe.

It feels so good

Are you smiling?

Smile again.

When you are ready

gently resume your day.

At any moment

throughout the day, when you feel anxious, when you find yourself snapping back at someone, simply focus your attention for a moment or two on your breath.

Cool air--in.

Warm air--out.

This is how to make peace in your life--one breath at a time.

 

     With folded hands

     Namaste

 
 

If you want peace in your life, start your day with the ten-minute meditation, just after waking, while you're still in bed. You'll be amazed how energized you feel. Here's how.

Begin at your first awareness, before you've fully wakened. Allow your body to rouse gently, focusing again on the cool air passing the tip of your nostril, in, and the warm air passing the tip of your nostril, out. Gradually deepen the breath until your eyes pop open and you fairly leap from the bed, eager for the day.

Yes, you can carry this quiet joy, this peace with you as you step into the shower or bath, and return to it easily throughout the day.

It is possible to regain these moments of calm anywhere, anytime, simply by focusing for a few breaths on the air in and the air out.
 
 

I give gratitude to every person who reads this lens and finds something of value in it. May you be thrice blessed.

All rights reserved. With the exception of Squidoo and Amazon images, which are used under their terms, all images on this lens are included in this copyright notice and may not be used for any purpose without my explicit permission.

A version of this meditation first appeared on my now defunct blog, Mindful Jobs, which I am rewriting and reformulating for Squidoo.

Use this button to take you to the startup page. Don't worry, if you're not a member of Squidoo, they'll walk you through step-by-step. Careful, though. Squidoo can be addictive.