Okay,
Welcome everyone.
My name's Paul and I'll be guiding you through the Senses Awakening meditation sequence today.
Now's a good time to check your devices are switched off,
No vibration,
No notifications.
Then closing down your eyes,
Getting comfortable in your seat,
Keeping your back supported.
Remembering at any time you can adjust your position throughout the meditation.
Just taking a moment to acknowledge what it's taken to get here and how you're feeling.
Recognizing that for the next 30 minutes there's nothing for you to do but simply rest.
The theme of the week here at Centred Meditation is presence.
It's being here physically,
Mentally and emotionally.
Present is being aware of what's happening around and within you without being attached to any of those things.
We can be present while we're moving as well as when we're still.
We can be present while we're working towards something when we feel like doing nothing.
To do this,
We just need to witness each moment without judgment.
The past is a memory,
The future is a thought.
The time to be present is now.
Feeling free to start with some gentle movement or just visualize the movement.
On your next inhale,
Lifting your arms up to reach towards the sky.
As you exhale,
Slowly lowering your hands,
Letting them rest wherever is comfortable.
Allowing the crown of your head to ever so slightly lift a little.
Letting the space around your eyes soften.
Letting your jaw lower and relax.
Allowing your throat and upper chest to release.
Letting your shoulders melt down your back.
Breathing in,
Taking in the trees,
The ocean,
The land,
The rest of nature.
Breathing out your presence into the world.
I invite you to notice your breath as it is.
Not seeking to control it or change it.
Just observing.
Is it fast?
Is it slow?
Is it shallow or deep?
Now taking control of your breath.
Starting to lengthen your exhale.
Simply setting an intention to exhale longer than your inhale.
Getting comfortable with each breath in and each longer breath out.
Taking a regular inhale,
Letting out a slightly longer exhale.
Continuing at your own pace.
In the practice of effortless meditation,
Whenever you happen to realize that your awareness has drifted away from your anchor,
Such as your breath right now,
Is caught up in thoughts or emotions or sounds.
Remembering that this movement of the mind is an important part of the meditation process.
Then,
Without any judgment,
Gently and effortlessly,
Resting your awareness back on your anchor.
It doesn't matter how many times your mind drifts away.
There's no place to get to.
There's no state to achieve.
And remembering there's no good or bad meditation.
We only assess the effects of the meditation after we've finished it.
And observe how we feel afterwards in our daily life.
Continuing with your lengthened exhales.
After your next exhale,
Letting go of controlling your breath.
Allowing it to return to its natural rhythm.
I invite you now to scan your body.
Noticing any sensations in your body as I guide you along.
Feeling free to release any tension whenever you breathe out.
Starting with your feet.
Feeling where they connect to the ground.
Feeling them having a break from supporting you when you were standing earlier.
Floating your awareness slowly up through your legs.
Noticing where they rest on your seat.
Noticing any sensations in the front or back of your legs.
Resting your awareness on your hips.
Feeling the support they provide your body.
Observing any tightness or tension or maybe ease in your hips.
Drawing your awareness to your belly.
Feeling it gently rising and falling with each breath.
Raising your awareness to your chest.
Noticing any tingling or tension held there.
Gathering up any tension there and on your next exhale letting it go.
Gently wrapping your awareness around to your sides.
Maybe feeling the expansion and softening of your ribs as you breathe in and out.
Cradling your awareness around your back.
Holding your spine,
Ribs,
Shoulder blades and shoulders.
Feeling any muscles in your upper body holding on tightly.
As you next exhale breathing out all that tension.
Becoming aware of your arms.
Letting them fall away from your shoulders.
Noticing any sensations within your arms right through to your fingertips.
Bringing your awareness to your neck as it rises up to your jaw.
Noticing any tension or clenching in your jaw.
Letting it soften as you exhale.
Tuning in to your eyes and the space around them.
Allowing your eyelids to become heavier and softer.
Rising up to your forehead and sensing any forehead brows or tightness there.
As you breathe out letting that tension leave your body.
Resting your awareness on the top of your head.
Then softening your whole body from the crown of your head to the tips of your toes.
And releasing any remaining tension.
Taking a deep breath in.
Letting out a deep breath.
Returning to the natural rhythm of your breathing.
I invite you to tune in to each of your senses one by one.
Starting with your sense of touch.
Noticing where your hands are placed and what they feel.
Sensing your clothes against your skin.
Maybe feeling the air gently moving across your skin.
Shifting to your sense of hearing.
Becoming aware of the sounds around you.
Noticing whether they are near or far away.
Resting your awareness on the different sounds.
The sound of the music,
Sounds within the music.
Maybe the sound of your own breathing.
You might hear sounds from outside your room.
Birds,
Wind,
People or traffic passing by.
Gently drifting from sound to sound at your own pace.
Moving to your sense of smell.
Breathing in and noticing the smells reaching your nose.
Resting your awareness on each smell,
Fragrance and scent.
Noticing any sensations in your nostrils as each smell reaches you.
Observing any reactions to the scents as you inhale them.
I invite you now to explore your sense of taste.
Noticing any flavors lingering on your tongue.
Maybe there's the taste of some drink or food from earlier on.
Resting your awareness on any taste,
Whether it be intense or faint.
Noticing any other tastes.
Noticing any thoughts or emotions that arise from those tastes.
Or maybe noticing there are no thoughts or emotions.
Moving to your sense of sight.
Keeping your eyes closed.
Resting your awareness on what you see.
Your whole field of vision.
Maybe there are patterns,
Shapes or movements.
Or maybe there's just darkness.
Noticing any changes as your eyes remain closed to what you see or perceive.
Now noticing your observations from all of your senses.
Acknowledging them for what they are in this moment.
I invite you now to rest your awareness on one of your senses as your anchor for the remainder of the meditation.
It might be your sense of touch or taste,
Sight or smell.
Or you can rest your awareness on the sound around you.
Not trying to hold on to what you're sensing or trying to focus on it.
Just effortlessly and lazily resting your awareness on what you can sense.
Letting your thoughts and emotions come and go.
Whenever you happen to notice where you are,
Gently and effortlessly resting your awareness on your sense as your anchor.
Whenever you remember.
Continuing at your own pace.
Drifting away,
Drifting back.
Effortlessly resting your awareness on your sense as your anchor.
You are not your thoughts.
Your thoughts are just passing through you.
You are not your emotions.
Your emotions too are simply passing through you.
You simply are.
I invite you now to let go of your sense,
Releasing it as your anchor.
And simply rest for the last few minutes while you allow the effects of the meditation to sink in.
You may stay seated exactly as you are.
Or you can recline into a more comfortable position.
There's nothing to do here but rest.
I'll tell you when it's time.
Gradually starting to deepen your breath.
Keeping your eyes closed and starting to gently notice your body once more.
Inviting gentle movement into your fingers and toes.
Expanding this movement into the rest of your body.
Gently stretching or twisting in whatever way feels good.
Thanking yourself for meditating today.
Noticing how you're feeling.
Being truly present with those feelings and where you are.
Maybe setting an intention to be present and carry these feelings throughout the rest of your day.
Whenever you're ready,
You may gently open your eyes or keep them closed and rest a little longer.
Please take as long as you like.
