Doubt shows up pretty soon when we begin or return to any new practice,
Including meditation.
In spite of your doubts,
You're here with the willingness to consider that you too can have a mindfulness practice,
That you can stick with it,
That you can keep going.
So congratulations,
You showed up,
You're here.
Find a comfortable posture.
Doubt arises in discomfort.
It's really hard to stick with anything when we're deeply uncomfortable.
So find a posture that's going to serve you,
And maybe today that's lying down.
Maybe it's curled up in a ball on your side.
Maybe you're most comfortable sitting in a chair.
There's no one right posture except the one that's going to work for you.
And minimize your doubt that you can sit with this or lie down with this for the next few minutes.
People often turn away from the practice because they can't keep their mind trained on the present moment,
Or they feel their mind is too busy.
And yet we often forget or don't realize when we're beginning meditation that presence,
Being present,
Having a settled mind is actually the fruit of the practice,
The reward of our efforts,
Rather than the starting place.
We're practicing to be present.
It's not our starting point,
But an ongoing quest.
So when you doubt yourself in this practice,
Remember that.
Being present is something that we're practicing.
It's the fruit of our practice,
Not the starting point.
Don't doubt yourself if the mind is busy.
If everything I'm saying is unfamiliar and new.
That's how it is when we're beginning things.
Don't give up before you even get started.
And when we start anything new,
We want to keep it simple.
So just notice your breath moving in,
Moving out of your body.
You can follow it through your nostrils,
Or notice that your belly is rising and falling.
The ribcage is expanding and contracting.
The shoulders might be swaying,
Or the chest is moving up and down,
Or all of the above are noticeable to you.
Witnessing and allowing this rhythm to be the primary focus,
And trusting it's okay if the mind wanders away.
Trusting that in time this gets easier.
Just come back to the breath,
Wherever you notice it most in your body.
You can also listen for sounds in the environment,
Or just feel the temperature on the skin.
Being present is not the starting point,
And it's not the ending point either.
We're simply practicing over and over again,
Coming back to this present moment,
And noticing the shifting qualities of our mind,
Our heart,
Our body,
Allowing it just to be as it is.
Come on back to the breath.
Come on back,
And trust that no matter how many times the mind wanders away,
No matter how many times you forget the value of the practice,
And it slips from the rhythm of your life,
You can always come back.
And doubt is okay.
Keeps us honest,
Keeps us seeking,
It keeps us curious,
It enables us to think critically.
Doubt is actually a friend on our path,
And as we bring this practice to a close,
Remember that in your doubt you are not alone.
The greatest seekers have asked the most questions.
Keep investigating,
Keep your curiosity alive,
And keep going.
When you're ready,
You can open your eyes and stretch and take a look around.
Take a deeper,
Longer breath in,
And a nice clearing exhale to finish this intentional time of practicing being present on purpose.
And you may have entered with some doubt,
But you did it.
Be well.
