As we begin,
I invite you to settle into a comfortable seated position.
Take a few deep breaths and allow your body to completely relax.
Let your eyes softly close,
And allow your breathing to be natural,
Effortless,
And comfortable.
When it comes to meditation,
It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that your mind should go blank during your practice.
While that may happen from time to time,
It's much more likely that you will have thoughts during your meditation,
And this isn't a bad thing.
It's important to understand that meditation isn't about stopping your thoughts,
Instead it's about changing your relationship to them.
As we put our attention on our breath,
A mantra,
Or a mental image,
Thoughts will compete for our attention.
This is natural.
But by continuing to bring our attention back to the point of focus,
Our thoughts become less distinct,
And small gaps between our thoughts become longer,
Allowing glimpses of stillness to peek through.
Occasionally,
And often without warning,
We completely slip into the gap and experience pure awareness.
Pure awareness takes us beyond the turbulence of the mind,
To a state where we can simply be,
A state filled with infinite peace,
Creativity,
And potential that lives within each of us.
Take a moment now to allow a thought to enter your mind.
Think of this thought as a leaf sitting on a flowing stream.
There is no need to pick up the leaf and study it.
Simply observe the leaf,
Allowing it to flow down the stream,
Gently,
At its own pace,
Over the horizon,
Without attachment.
Feel the gap after it has floated away,
The peace.
The more you practice meditation,
The more easily you can access this witnessing state.
Thoughts that might typically bring feelings of anxiety,
Frustration,
Anger,
Or resentment,
Start to lose their grip on you as you watch them arise,
Drift by,
And subside.
As the great Chinese philosopher,
Zhuangzi,
Once said,
Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free.
This is the essence of meditation.
As we practice learning to be the witness of our thoughts,
In this meditation we'll be using a mantra,
Or a mental instrument,
To create a pleasant,
Calming vibration in our awareness.
The mantra has no meaning,
It is simply a vibration to help anchor our awareness.
The process of returning our attention to the mantra,
Over and over,
Helps to interrupt our regular thought traffic and allow stillness to emerge.
Now let's begin our practice.
With your eyes gently closed,
Take a full,
Deep breath in,
Filling your lungs slowly and evenly.
At the top of the inhalation,
Hold the breath for a moment,
And then release.
We'll do this a few more times.
Inhale,
Hold,
Exhale,
And relax your body and mind.
Once more,
Breathe in,
Full and deep,
Hold the inhalation in,
And let it go.
Now allow your breathing to settle in into a natural and relaxed pace.
There is no need to control or manipulate it in any way,
Just notice the sensations of your breath for a few moments.
On your next inhalation,
Silently in your mind,
Repeat the sound,
SO.
As you exhale,
Silently to yourself,
Think the word,
HUM.
SO on the inhale,
HUM on the exhale,
SO,
HUM.
Continue to softly repeat the mantra to yourself.
There is no particular speed,
Rhythm,
Or pitch.
Just repeat it innocently and effortlessly.
Whenever your attention drifts away from the mantra,
Simply acknowledge any thoughts with an attitude of innocent curiosity,
Free from judgment or evaluation,
And gently return to the mantra.
We'll continue like this for a few minutes.
Enjoy.
Now,
Please release the repetition of the mantra.
Continue to sit comfortably with your eyes closed for a few moments.
Allow the stillness and silence to settle in.
Have the intention to carry this feeling of peace with you back into your daily activity.
Let's conclude this meditation by taking another full,
Deep breath in.
And whenever it's comfortable for you,
Gently allow your eyes to open.
Namaste.
