When you first start to meditate you may notice how the mind darts from one thing to another, like a distracted dog on the beach over excited running from one smell to the next, jumping into the sea,  everything is done at speed, without awareness or thought to each moment. With meditation we can slow down the dog and train the mind to become calm, focused and aware.

Meditation and mindfulness help you to stay in the present moment, returning your thoughts to a focus point, rather than letting it dash around untamed. A good place to start is with the breath, focusing your attention here helps you to develop concentration and calm the mind.

Awareness of your breath is the first step to becoming more mindful, as you begin to become more aware you will start to observe a range of different things, for example you will start to notice where the tension is in your body, you may feel nervous, anxious or actually really relaxed. Whatever you are feeling, through mindfulness you will begin to notice how the body and mind are linked. Taking time to observe your breath helps to slow down your thoughts and control your emotions, when you feel calmer, your body is less tense and you can feel healthier.

Start now by noticing where the breath is in the body, feel the movement of the breath, the gentle rise and fall of the breathing. As you simply rest in awareness, the breath may slow down, deepen or lighten, all of this is ok, be with the breath just as it is.