Noticing Life As It Is

Through this mindfulness meditation, we will connect with the presence of the body and we proceed to notice the environment and life just as it with no judgment and through the unconditional presence of the breath.

Transcript

Welcome.

My name is Helena Stockstil and I invite you to take your seat.

We're about to start with this guided meditation of just perceiving life as it is.

In this Vipassana practice or insight practice,

We start by just taking our moment for relax and bringing our attention to our body through long deep breaths.

And let's begin by just inhaling deeply through your nose.

Make it natural,

Just noticing how you're breathing in this moment.

And just little by little on your inhalations,

Start just deeply feeling your chest,

Your lungs expanding your belly.

And gently from each cycle start releasing even more through your breath,

Just noticing how your breath starts to relax,

Going deeper,

Slower.

And allowing yourself to just connect with your breath and releasing everything that is in present in this moment.

Just as thoughts,

Your tasks or any activities and in this moment just take the time and space for just noticing things as they are.

And by every inhalation,

Maybe you start noticing your face,

Your body,

Your seated posture and take your space,

Take up this moment for just adjusting yourself and reminding yourself that in this space,

In this present moment,

You're full of awareness.

You can allow yourself to just be new with no judgment,

No ego.

Breathing in and breathing out.

Maybe with every exhalation,

You can sense that you're releasing tightness or tensions.

Maybe on your face,

Maybe in hands,

Maybe your feet or your seated position.

Again and again and again.

Sending through your breath compassionate,

Warm feeling,

Awareness and presence.

Trying to just relax even more,

Releasing,

Expanding and connecting.

Allow yourself to just breathe and noticing your shoulders,

Noticing how your shoulders are strong but also relaxed.

Inhaling,

Exhaling and with that feeling also,

Your shoulders are continually expanding,

Contracting,

Releasing or grounding.

And just letting go,

Letting go.

Full of awareness,

Softening,

Listening and continue with your breath.

Notice how your breath,

It just nurtures your chest,

Your lungs,

Noticing the cavities,

Your ribs,

The contact of your clothes,

The temperature,

Maybe tingling sensations,

Movements,

Sounds.

Just letting go,

Noticing and releasing.

Find your awareness on your hands,

Hands fully relaxed,

Maybe your hands are on your thighs and maybe they are closed or maybe they are open,

Maybe palms facing up,

Maybe palms facing down.

And it doesn't matter the expression of your hands,

As long they are soft,

Relaxed.

And noticing the contact of the tip of your fingers,

Noticing the energy,

Swirling sensations,

Maybe your pulse,

Feel of awareness.

And notice if there is any element that maybe sensing that you need to release but also it can be the sense that in this moment you might just want to offer or maybe to just give.

Take this moment for just noticing in this moment if you are in the state of giving more to this world or maybe just healing,

Giving yourself space.

And just notice your breath once again coming in,

Coming out,

Nurturing,

Releasing.

Just full of awareness,

Attention and the intuitive sense of connection with every part of your body.

And continue on how this long deep breaths are now just feeling the pelvic area,

Maybe you can feel the connection of your legs,

Your seat bones,

How your body is fully relaxed,

Grounded.

And in this stoic and proud posture allowing to just be the strong mountain as an spectator,

Just watching,

Guarding and providing shelter for every being that I might need it.

And just as every rock,

Every stream,

Every leaf is part of this mountain,

Maybe this forest,

You start spreading your awareness and spreading the warm sensation of safety,

Nurturing,

Thriving sense,

Connecting to every single growing thing or being in this world.

Noticing how your full breaths that is just nurturing your whole body spreading to your legs,

To your knees and to your feet.

And noticing how the breath spans towards the sole of your feet,

To each tip of the toes.

Feeling the temperature,

The connection to the earth,

Just as this mountain with strong roots connecting even deeper to the core of this world.

This life breath can be your anchor,

Home base,

As you continue to practice not by controlling the breath,

Not by controlling any element that is surrounding you.

But more being a place or the space to just rest,

To bring in your attention,

To receive and to be just connected with your full presence with just your breath.

Being a shelter or a sanctuary is not an easy place.

It takes time for build the safety,

It takes time for making this place safe or it's possible to make this your place as your sanctuary and also inviting others.

Maybe there are some senses that allows you to be like the door that connects to this place.

It can be your hands giving more,

It can be your feet guiding the way or it can just be the space where you can just pay attention to sensations,

To the elements,

To just letting be yourself,

A place where others can also be themselves.

Perhaps it can be sounds,

Taking this moment for just noticing the sounds that are appearing,

Disappearing,

Changing,

Completely grounded.

Maybe the sound can be your breath,

Fully deep,

Filled with awareness,

Compassion and warmth in that place that you love to be,

Where you are steady on your attention.

It uses the elements that change around you,

The only element that will always bring you back is your breath.

Each time that you notice that your attention has wandered,

Just gently place back your attention to your breath or any of the other anchors,

It can be your feet rooting to the earth or your hands.

And it doesn't matter how many times this happened,

Just place your attention back to your breath,

Whether they are overpowering sounds or any other sensations,

That it can take you away from this experience of the present moment.

Just once again place your attention back to your breath,

It doesn't matter how many times this happened,

Just gently,

Again,

Again,

Again.

When you are breathing gently and deeply,

Opening up your attention,

Your mind,

Maybe you are thinking,

Maybe you are relaxed,

Maybe you are connected with the sensations or it can be your anchor.

Just notice the difference,

What is happening in your body and outside your body,

The difference of the mind,

The difference of the perceptions,

The quality of your thoughts in this moment and the quality of the thoughts when you are just in the reality as it is,

When you are in your senses or maybe when you are slacking one.

Whether you are having discomfort or maybe in a challenge,

Remember that you can always place back your attention to your breath or to your anchor.

There are always going to be experiences that it can be more overwhelming or stronger,

That it might call your attention,

Senses that it can be arising,

Pulling your attention away.

And remember that this might trigger sensations,

Thoughts,

Any perceptions.

You are always in control of the reactions.

The way that you react to all the experiences in this world.

Gently with just kindness,

Using your breath,

Quantumity and mindfulness,

You can gently always come back to your anchor.

Use that knowledge in accepting and releasing.

It's fine to breathe when water arises,

Especially if it's difficult to stay in your place or difficult to stay in your anchor.

But sometimes experiences and sensations can change.

Also they can get intense or also they can pass.

But gently,

Little by little,

You must start to become more at ease with yourself,

With your surroundings.

To those perceptions that are not calling your attention.

Anything that arises has sensations,

What are you feeling,

What does it feel in your body.

And it can be anything as fear,

Sadness,

Anger,

Just mental notes,

Maybe some interest or anything that just takes your attention,

Just a knowledge.

There's space for every thought,

Every sense,

Every sensation,

Every feeling.

But we just declutter,

Clean and make a space for other intentional offerings as compassion,

Kindness,

Spaciousness.

Allowing ourselves to make our body and our space safer,

Place for connection,

A time for just being,

Just acknowledging that you're worth just as you are,

With no labels,

Things that it just passes by and they just go by.

Noticing your mind and your body as it is and at ease.

Returning back to your anchor,

To your home base again and again.

Really relax and strong and grounded,

Just as any tree in the forest,

As any forest covering the mountain.

Just rest and at ease with each breath,

Sound,

Sensations and perceptions surrounding you,

Moment by moment by moment.

Take a couple of rounds of breath,

Releasing,

Expanding,

Placing back your attention to your full body,

Whether you're having any discomfort,

Allow yourself to gently move your hands,

Maybe your feet or gently start blinking your eyes or maybe relax in your gaze even more and allow yourself to add any other movements for bringing back your attention to this place.

For just allowing yourself to release any tension or stagnant area from your seated position.

Thank you so much for allowing me to guide you in this practice.

It's been an honor and a joy to be here for you.

Take all the time that you need,

All the breaths that you need.

May the peace be always with you.

Reviews

Excellent thanks will listen frequently to this very wise and deeply profound woman!!

I love this and may the peace always be with you too, sweet Helena
Love Anastasia

Simple and gentle mindfulness practice , I enjoyed how you introduced anchors other than the breath. :) “just return again and again.”

Thank you, dearest Helena for the nutch to take a deeper look in your meditations 🙏🏻💞. This one I love best so far 😍. You really held me in the present moment through your guidance. Thank you so much 🙏🏻💚🙏🏻🧘🏻

Namaste 🙏🏽 Helena

The practice is wonderful and I also love its length, not to short and not to long.. Although I did this practice while laying in bed as a start to my morning, I loved the relaxation it presented to my mind and body.

Thanks for sharing 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

That was really wonderful 🥰 you have a very natural authentic way, thank you for sharing your gift 🙏🏻

Thank you for yet another beautiful practice for living in the here and now. May we all live every day in this vein.