The Daily Meditation with Brother Richard
Body Awareness Meditation: Noticing Subtle Sensations
27 Apr 2026
Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Chapter 1: What subtle sensations should I notice in my body during meditation?
Welcome back. In our meditation today, we're going to go a little deeper into the subtle sensations of the body. So far, we have identified the body and the breath as anchors that hold us close to the present moment. And we've even used our thoughts as another anchor. Today, though, we're going to go even deeper into the body.
Chapter 2: How can I deepen my awareness of my breath?
to begin to dwell in those subtle sensations that so often we miss. Each of them in turn can be used as a further anchor that connects us through meditation to the very depths of the transcendence of the present moment. So let's begin. Coming to the time of meditation, we do so with open heart, recognizing the opportunity, the gift that this time is to us.
Even if there is a certain reluctance in us to practice, we can at least acknowledge the potential that exists within the practice.
Chapter 3: Where does the breath begin and how does it move through my body?
Acknowledging this potential allows us then to reorder our awareness so as to enter fully and generously this time of practice together. Then, gently, sit once again. Sit in such a way that the feet are in contact with the ground, the back is open, the breath unobstructed, shoulders loose and hanging from the neck. Aware of the hands resting upon the lap.
Chapter 4: What are the differences in chest and belly movement during breathing?
Aware of the breath moving, ebbing and flowing. The gentle tide of breath constantly in the background. And really deepening our awareness of the cycle of the breath now. I want you to try and notice the exact moment that an inhalation begins. Really, really be aware now.
Chapter 5: How can I cultivate whole body awareness during meditation?
Try and bring your awareness to the coolness of the air around the entrance to the nostrils, the upper lip, And if you breathe in through your mouth, the sensation of the air across your tongue. Take a moment to really be present to the coolness of the air. What does it feel like? At what point in the cycle of the breath do you begin to notice the tiniest beginning of inhaling?
Chapter 6: What practices can I use to enhance my body awareness in daily life?
For some people, this sensation is also connected with smell. So try and enter into the awareness of any smell or scent that enters with the breath. If it's a recognizable odor or fragrance, you might like to name it. If not, just be with it. And if there is nothing at all, just be with the coolness of the breath.
And following the sensation of the breath, follow it now through nose, through mouth, to the point where it disappears, where you lose the sense of the inhalation. You may still feel the expansion of the chest or the belly as the air is drawn into your lungs, but at what point does the sensation of the coolness of the air entering the body fade out from your awareness?
You may need to breathe a number of cycles of breath to really get a handle on where it disappears, at what point in the cycle. Gently then we can begin to ask the opposite question. At what point do you begin to feel the exhalation start? What does the very beginning of the exhalation feel like? Where in the body does exhalation begin from?
And sitting with the path of exhalation, notice now as the air returns to mouth or nose, how warm is the air? And is there any fragrance or scent from this part of the cycle of the breath? As you let the air out through nostrils or mouth, notice any sensation as the air moves over the edge of the nostrils, the edge of the lips, maybe even over the top lip.
Really, really drill down with your awareness. What is the very first movement? At what point does one part of the breath become the next? And as we have done before, seek now for that moment where the in-breath becomes the out-breath, where the out-breath becomes the in-breath. Really draw your attention in.
Imagine that your attention is like a microscope that you are slowly adjusting the focus on to find the tiniest, smallest, finest place where one side of the breath cycle becomes the other And then gently begin to draw your awareness back now. Draw it once again to your chest and belly. And notice all of the tiny movements of chest and belly that accompany breath.
In some people, the belly moves first and then the chest, In others, it is the other way around. Ask yourself, what way is it for you? And gently then, allow the field of your awareness to grow even wider. taking in the whole of the body from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head. And notice any subtle shifting or movement that takes place during the breath cycle.
Some people have an almost imperceptible rocking reflex as they breathe. Some people will notice a tightness or tautness in the solar plexus or even in the lower belly as they breathe. And some people will just notice the rise and fall of the chest. Again, we're not looking for anything in particular, we're just noticing.
And as you notice then, check in with the totality of yourself and notice any change since you began this meditation. Slowly then begin to draw your attention back to the contact with the floor, with the chair. Begin to move a little, to stretch a little, even to smile a little.
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