Hello! This is Iris Fae, and this is going to be a guided meditation to find stillness in the breath. Often times when we focus on our breathing our mind begins to drift. We may not know when or how but we become lost in thought. This meditation will allow you to focus easier and become aware of your breath and most importantly, the gaps between your breath. The gaps are key because that is when our mind wanders and we are often unaware. By bringing our attention to these gaps we will be able to get into a state of pure relaxation and stillness of the mind. Combine this with the breathing meditation I did before as well as the letting go of intrusive thoughts meditation and you'll be able to more easily master your mind and thoughts, allowing you to relax deeper in even the most stressful situations and environment.

Before we begin, be sure to find a comfortable place where you can fully relax and not be disturbed. And know that at any point, if something arises or you feel uncomfortable, that you can wake up. Please do not listen to this while driving or during moments where you need your focus elsewhere.

Once you have found a spot where you can fully relax and let yourself go, take a few deep breaths to calm the mind. Breathe in, and out. Breathe in, and out. Take a deep breath in, hold it for a moment, and breathe out. Do this a few more times to fully relax your mind and body.

While focusing on your breath, it is completely natural for your mind to become distracted as you lose focus. If this happens, which it often will, gently bring your attention back to your breath going in and out. That is why we are doing this meditation, to focus on the breath. Breathing in and out. Letting your mind fully relax. If you become distracted gently bring your attention back to the breath. There is no need to force anything to happen. Just allow the flow of ideas and thoughts through your mind and when you notice them simply bring your attention back to the meditation.

Often times we become distracted without even knowing it. As we are breathing our mind tends to become distracted and we are unaware for how long we have lost focus. The reason is often because we are focusing on our breath going in and out. We tend to ignore the gaps between each breath. These gaps are just as important as the breath. So let's try to focus on the entire breathing cycle.

As you take a deep breath in pause for a moment and examine that space of silence. And let your breath out and exhale and look at that space of silence after the exhale. Continue to breathe in while focusing on the breath as it comes in, becoming aware of the stillness. And then exhale fully as you become aware of the silence at the end of the breath.

Continue to do this as your breathing becomes more rhythmical. You notice a pattern of your breath going in and out as you analyze every part of the breath. Awareness of the silence between the breaths as well as the breath itself. If your mind wanders at all gently bring it back to your breathing and the silence between each breath.

A good way of looking at the breath is like a conveyor belt. Imagine a conveyor belt in your mind. Attached to this conveyor belt is a small ball. This ball is attached to the rubber of the conveyor belt and cannot fall off. And as the conveyor belt is moving you can see it going along with the motion of the conveyor belt. Imagine the ball is your breathing. When the ball is on top, breathe in. And when it is on the bottom, breathe out. And when it is making the transition from being on the top to the bottom or from the bottom to the top that is the stillness between your breaths.

So imagine this ball slowly moving on the conveyor belt as you breathe in deeply. And as it gets to the edge watch it as it goes from the top to the bottom, the stillness in your breath. And then watch it underneath the conveyor belt as you breathe out. And once it gets to the edge watch it carefully. This is the stillness in your breath.

Continue focusing on the small ball on this conveyor belt. With enough time and practice you will be in a state of pure relaxation. You are aware of your entire breathing cycle, the in and out breath, as well as the stillness, the gap, between the breaths. You feel a wonderful relaxation overcome your mind and body. This relaxation can be achieved at any point just by remembering this conveyor belt and the ball that sits on it. Synchronizing your breath with this ball and observing how your breath moves in and out.

Continuing to relax deeper and deeper. The more you do this the deeper you go and the more relaxed you become. This state of relaxation brings harmony to your life. It allows you to be productive and creative throughout the day. Breathing is the most beneficial way we can relax. It is needed for us to survive and be happy and healthy. By mastering the technique of observing your breath in its entirety, you can achieve a state of peace and relaxation like never before.

Still continuing to breathe in, observing the stillness, and breathe out, observing the stillness. The deeper you go the more relaxed you become. You are able to achieve anything you desire. And by relaxing your mind and body, it becomes easier for you to accomplish the things you desire. The breath and the stillness in the breath will allow you to achieve this relaxation necessary for personal growth and accomplishment.

Now you may continue with this for as long as you like. And when you are ready to wake up, simply open your eyes to the world retaining this piece that you have discovered. Know that at any point if you wish to return to this state of relaxation that all you have to do is close your eyes and visualize your breath going in, pausing for a moment as you observe the stillness, and exhale as you once again observe the stillness, and then repeat the breathing cycle again and again.

Thank you for listening. My name is Iris Fae and I hope you have a wonderful, stress free, rest of your day!