Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Seated or lying down.
Close your eyes as you allow your body to grow heavy,
Fully supported by the surface beneath you.
And start by taking a deep breath through your nose.
Breathe all the way into your belly,
Letting it expand gently,
And then exhale slowly through your lips.
Feel the breath leaving your body with a soft sigh.
And again,
Take a deep breath through your nose.
Find your belly,
And out through your lips.
With each exhalation,
Release any physical tension,
Any mental stress that you're carrying with you in this moment.
And just continue to breathe this way,
Inhaling through the nose,
Abdomen rising,
Exhaling out through the mouth,
Belly falling and letting go.
Find a natural rhythm that feels effortless.
Don't force the breath in any way.
You may notice the air is slightly cooler as you breathe in,
And slightly warmer as the breath falls back out.
Notice that change in temperature as you continue to breathe.
Bring your full attention forward,
Following the breath as you inhale,
And notice the subtle movements of your belly rising and falling.
The way the air flows through your nostrils on the in-breath,
And then through your mouth on the exhale.
There's no need to change,
Control it.
Just observe it,
Breath by breath.
As you continue breathing slowly and deeply,
You may become aware of sounds in your environment,
Sounds in your mind.
Perhaps there's traffic outside,
Or even the air moving through your room.
Don't worry about labeling or judging these sounds,
Simply allow them to be,
Allow them to emerge and then dissipate.
See if you can hear them,
The beginner's mind,
As if this is the very first time you're hearing them.
Now allow your awareness to turn further inward,
Noticing physical sensations within your body.
Perhaps areas of tightness,
Relaxation,
Warm or cool spots,
Tingly,
Pulsing,
Vibrating,
Any feelings at all.
Explore these felt sensations with an attitude of curiosity,
As if again,
You've never encountered them before,
And you're seeing them with new eyes.
As you do this,
Thoughts will invariably arise,
That's perfectly normal.
When you find yourself getting carried away by a thought,
Don't resist it,
Don't judge it,
Simply acknowledge wherever your mind has gone,
Then gently,
But firmly,
Return your attention to the present moment.
Anchor it in your bodily sensations.
Anchor your thoughts on the ongoing flow of your breathing.
You may feel a pull to identify some thoughts or feelings.
You'll want to name them,
As anxiety,
Restlessness,
Or this or that,
But see if you can pause and view all experiences,
All feelings and thoughts as simply temporary patterns of energy that are moving through you at this moment.
Rather than defining them,
Rather than putting an identity on them,
They're simply energy flowing through you in this moment.
There is no need to cling to a state of relaxation or peace,
And there's no need to reject or wrestle with any discomfort that arises right now.
We are simply practicing a radical acceptance,
Allowing everything to be exactly as it is.
No trying to change or control it.
No needing it to be any different than it is.
Each experience is like a wave arising and passing away in this ocean of awareness that is you.
Again,
If you find yourself getting caught up in mental commentary or resistance to what is,
Just simply acknowledge it with a gentle allowing attention,
Either pushing or pulling it away.
Then once again,
Return to being fully present as the witnessing awareness itself,
The open space in which all thoughts and sensations arise and fall.
Just continue resting in this way,
Letting go of any agenda.
No need to achieve any particular state.
Just be.
No judgment,
No attachment,
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to realize.
Gently awakening to this present moment.
When you feel complete,
Begin transitioning back,
Back into outer world,
And gently allowing your senses to reawaken to the world around you,
Carrying with you the residue echo of this meditation's openness and calmness.
As you blink your eyes open and move through the rest of your day,
Find yourself centered on this presence,
On this acceptance,
This understanding of your true nature.
