This 24-minute meditation will be a meditation on the mind.
So find a comfortable position with your back straight,
Either lying down or sitting,
Sitting in a chair,
Sitting on a cushion.
And we'll start by bringing the awareness into the body.
We'll bring it down to where our body makes contact with the earth,
With solidity,
With either the cushion,
The floor,
Paying attention,
Resting with the sensations that arise in the body as it makes contact with the earth.
Resting here.
Holding the mind here.
See if we notice our body and mind start to slow down as we ground it,
As we ground our awareness in our body,
Specifically with the earth,
With the ground.
Now let's start the main practice of this meditation by recognizing that we have these 24 minutes here together,
With no other responsibilities.
If we had other responsibilities to attend to,
Then we would be with them.
But we've set this time aside,
So let's make the intention to apply ourselves to the practice.
So let go of the sensations of the earth element and bring your awareness to your own mind.
In this meditation,
The object of meditation being the mind,
Is taken to be the thoughts,
Feelings,
Emotions,
Imagery,
Memories.
If you are attending to a sound,
This is not the meditation.
If you're attending to a sight,
Or a feeling in the body,
To a smell,
These are not the objects of meditation.
And so we pay attention to our mind using the metaphor of a shepherd herding sheep.
The shepherd sits on a hill and watches over the flock,
Not involving himself.
Likewise,
Whatever arises in the space of the mind,
Be it a thought or a feeling,
An emotion,
Imagery,
Memories,
Or anything else,
Just allow it to be and watch.
If we find ourselves getting distracted,
That's okay.
First of all,
Let us relax when we recognize that we've become distracted.
Then release whatever it is that's distracted us and return to watching the mind.
You will know you are doing the practice correctly when you are both simultaneously aware of whatever is arising in the mind,
And aware that you are aware of what is arising in the mind.
A certain sense of being here,
While allowing whatever arises in the mind,
Again thoughts or feelings,
Emotions,
Imagery,
Memories,
Allowing them to just come and go.
Experiencing the sense of relaxation and just allowing the mind to be,
Not controlling it,
Not forcing it this way,
Not forcing it that way,
Not trying to push away experiences,
Not trying to pull experiences closer,
Just allowing whatever is arising in the mind to arise in the mind,
Continually inviting relaxation into the process.
Although it can be difficult at first,
This is not a strenuous task,
It is a deeply relaxing one,
So watch the mind.
If you find yourself getting distracted,
No problem,
It's okay,
It's a part of the practice,
We're supposed to get distracted.
But when we recognize it,
Let our first response be to relax even more deeply,
Releasing whatever it is that's distracted us,
And returning to the meditation,
Meditation on the mind.
Watching the shifting,
Changing nature of the mind as it conjures up thoughts and feelings.
Maybe we're starting to become bored with the practice,
Maybe we're getting frustrated with the practice.
Bring our attention to these experiences,
Look at the boredom,
Look at the frustration,
Taste it,
Experience it,
All while allowing.
Resting our awareness,
Resting our mind,
Just allowing,
Being at ease with whatever is arising,
Taking your hands off the wheel,
Resting with the mind,
Letting it do its own thing,
And just gently,
Calmly observing.
No need to fix whatever's arising in the mind,
No need to change or alter or push away certain thoughts or feelings,
Just observing.
Maybe the body is uncomfortable and the mind doesn't like this,
Watch the aversion that arises in the mind,
When it becomes uncomfortable,
Not changing the aversion,
Not trying to remedy it,
Just pay attention to it,
Allowing yourself to feel aversion,
Or whatever you may be feeling right now,
Maybe tired,
Maybe bored,
Maybe happy,
Maybe relaxed,
Doesn't matter,
Just whatever is arising,
Just allow it to be.
And if at any stage we drift off,
We get distracted,
We get sidetracked,
We just remember,
We notice,
And then we remember that it's okay,
We relax,
We let go of whatever snagged our mind,
And we return to the process of just watching,
Observing,
Being with,
Being with our mind.
Maybe we can feel that certain kindness,
Or easefulness,
Or joy,
As we're with our mind in this way.
And now for the last part of the meditation,
Let's just let go of the whole process,
Let go of everything,
Just melt,
Internally melt,
Let go of trying to do anything,
Trying not to do something,
Just let go,
Just let all the troubles drip off you,
Just releasing,
Just relaxing ever so deeply.
And finally,
To finish the practice,
Let us dedicate all of our effort,
The time we've spent here,
To our own well-being.
May this practice nourish us,
May it continue to nourish us after we finish.
