Less Doing, More Being

A perfect meditation for beginners to experience the foundations of practice - presence, non-judgment, and embodiment. This short practice will help you sink into the ease of meditation practice, and let go of unrealistic expectations that make our practice feel like work. This practice can be completed in seated or lying down.

Transcript

So finding a comfortable seat,

Or perhaps lying on your back,

Finding the position you'd like to practice in,

And then settling the eyes closed or shifting the gaze downwards towards the ground in front of you.

Helping to turn our attention away from the outer world and towards our inner experience.

Allowing yourself to arrive here,

Stepping out of the mind and into your bodily experience.

So perhaps you can feel the legs on the chair or cushion.

Tuning in to the slight pressure of clothing resting on the skin.

Turning inward still,

Noticing the breath in the body.

Maybe you can even feel the heartbeat in the chest.

Allowing the body to settle,

To land.

So letting go of any effort that we don't need in this practice.

Releasing effort or tension from the tiny muscles of the face.

Allowing the shoulders to slide down the back and the abdomen to relax.

Begin to find the anchor of the breath.

Like an anchor resting your attention here.

Your anchor may be following the path of the breath or resting the attention on a physical place in your body where the breath feels most noticeable.

At the nostrils or the upper lip.

Or maybe you're tuned into that wave-like rhythm of the breath at the chest or in the abdomen.

Letting this practice be easy.

Knowing there's nothing to do here.

There's nowhere to be.

All that's required of you is to rest with the breath.

To notice when the mind has wandered away,

Which it will.

And then welcoming the attention back when you do notice,

Recommitting to your practice.

Allowing yourself to be just as you are.

You don't have to have any particular experience in this practice.

You don't need to achieve an empty mind or to feel relaxed or peaceful.

All you need to do is rest with the breath just as you are.

Nothing to change,

Nothing to fix.

Staying close to the body for these final five breaths of practice.

And just as we began,

Tuning into the body.

Perhaps waking the body up with some deeper breaths.

And as you're ready,

Opening your eyes or lifting your gaze.

Taking this sense of mindful presence with you for the rest of your day.