Gil Fronsdal of the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) guides this anapanasati (mindfulness of breathing) practice on being aware of the body in the present moment and softening it as you exhale.
Take a moment to really know & feel. Your body is always in the present moment, the mind is not.
It’s quite common that we abandon the body, by having our attention go into our thoughts and concerns that have nothing to do with the here and now. And rather than abandoning the body in meditation we become more aware that we have a body now, here and now.
And as you’re sitting here, as you exhale, see if there’re places you can soften or relax in your body. Don’t be too ambitious, 10% more relaxed, 1% more relaxed is fine. So you might start with your forehead, your eyes, see if you can soften or relax the muscles. Letting your eyes settle back into their eye-socket there’s nothing to look at.
Mindfulness is more about the feeling than looking.
Soften around the mouth, the jaw. It might be helpful to let the teeth fall apart ever so slightly.
And feeling your shoulders, it’s possible to relax your shoulders. Let them sink down towards the floor.
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