Hi everybody,
This is Sami here.
I wanted to introduce myself and thank you for coming to this guided meditation workshop today.
I'll start by telling you a little bit about myself.
I've been practicing meditation for over 50 years now and throughout this time I've been able to use meditation as a safe space to gather my thoughts,
My emotions,
My dreams because at the time the external world felt really chaotic.
As Goenka says,
To live in harmony one must find the disharmony.
Meditation came to me in 2020 right before the pandemic when I started practicing with vibrational medicine and sound healing.
It felt like meditation had awoken something in me,
Something I didn't know was there,
An understanding.
It also gave me the ability to pause and reflect in a way that really did feel like hitting the pause button.
I like to think of the Matrix movie when he's dodging bullets,
Obviously figuratively,
As a way to turn inward,
Assess the situation and respond based on my personal beliefs,
Values,
Etc.
The more you practice,
The easier it is to bring this subtle moment,
Pause,
Into your daily life and everyday experiences.
Please get comfortable.
Meditation is the practice of awareness,
A focus of a particular sensation.
This simple action can help to improve mental discipline,
Reduce stress,
And regulate emotional responses.
Give the mind an object to focus on,
Such as your breath,
And use that breath as your anchor.
Difficulties may arise throughout this meditation or any practice,
And if this happens,
Just bring your awareness to feeling your breath,
Hearing your breath.
Feel free to move or open your eyes if you feel cold too,
But remember your breath is your anchor and will always be there for you.
In Buddhist practice,
Breath is key because it's a universal truth,
One that's the same no matter who you are,
Where you are,
Or even what you are in the world.
To feel your breath,
That is to feel another,
To share the human experience connected to everyone as one.
During this sit,
You will deepen your awareness of your breath,
The feelings around your nose,
And eventually allowing the sensations to travel inward.
As you note the gentle rise and fall of your chest,
You'll continue noticing wherever your breath may travel in your body.
Then we'll practice the loving-kindness meditation,
Which can help to deepen your practice of compassion towards yourself,
Towards others,
And really loving without the need to change or control.
We'll silently repeat to ourselves the simple phrases of the loving intention.
Goenka says to rid ourselves of negative thoughts and emotions because we become what our mind is aware of.
That's why in meditation practice,
Sitting with what arises without responding to it,
Because we're not our thoughts or our emotions.
And in doing so,
You allow space,
Reducing tension,
And accepting what is.
This might even lead you to release the moment of suffering when you find your path through it.
Buddhist teachings,
The way through suffering is to find the cause,
And when suffering is present,
That's when you find the path through,
Because nothing is permanent.
When you're ready,
Let's begin.
As you sit comfortably with a tall back,
Maybe sit a little taller,
And gently close your eyes or gaze towards the floor.
Have your palms facing the sky to keep your shoulders back and down,
And start to notice with a natural breath,
The sensations of you breathing.
You might notice the cool inhale exchanging with the warm exhale.
Feel the sensations around your nose as the air changes.
Maybe it feels rushed or a little bit slow.
And when the mind begins to wander,
Just smile and gently guide your attention back to your breath.
Notice the tingle as the cool air travels into your nose.
Cooling air,
Then gently warming.
Focus your awareness here.
Do relax into this space a little bit more.
Let your awareness follow your breath inward as it travels into your body,
Filling your chest and releasing.
What sensations do you feel here as you inhale and exhale?
Start to expand your awareness to your heartbeat.
Maybe place a hand or two on your heart,
Your chest.
Can you feel your sensations from your breath and your heart as one?
Your breath is always there for you.
It's your anchor,
As is your heart.
Sit in this space for a moment and notice your heartbeat and your breath dancing.
As you feel the rhythm of your heart and your breath together,
Silently say to yourself these simple,
Loving phrases.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
And may I live abundantly.
Say it as if it's the first time you've ever said these words before.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
And may I live abundantly.
Imagine these words as a warm hug or maybe sparkly soda bubbles as it dances around you.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
And may I live abundantly.
With your hands placed on your chest,
Feel your heartbeat as a stable presence you can count on to be there for you,
Like a reliable,
Dear friend.
How you treat yourself is important.
Your breath relies on you.
Your heart relies on you.
Because you matter.
Start to direct this loving intention towards someone you love,
A dear friend.
Feel them as if they're standing right in front of you,
In your mind's eye.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
And may you live abundantly.
The words dancing around,
Filling the space with love and joy.
Celebrate them.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
And may you live abundantly.
Start to expand this loving intention out a little wider to somebody maybe you don't know,
But you see every so often.
Silently say to this neutral person,
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
And may you live abundantly.
Radiate this loving kindness to this person who may not play a big role,
But a role each of you play nonetheless.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
And may you live abundantly.
What if you knew that one positive action could really change someone's whole day?
Would that help you to love more people?
Goenka says that feelings such as anger only lead to suffering.
These ill feelings generate within you as your intentions are taken as direction by your own internal compass.
That's why it's important to rid ourselves from these ill feelings.
Bringing us to our last loving intention to a difficult person or event in your life to release the attachment or ill feelings that were created.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
And may you live abundantly.
Releasing any vow of past emotions that were carried this far.
With hands on your heart.
You start to pass by the difficult person or event in your life.
Waving them goodbye.
Passing the neutral person.
Embracing your loved one as you are welcomed back into your space of loving kindness and pure awareness.
Return to your breath as you relax into this moment.
Feeling a little lighter,
At ease and thankful.
And when you're ready,
You can return to your space,
Your practice.
Feel free to slowly stretch and open your eyes whenever you're ready.
I will be here to answer any questions,
Discuss anything that has arose during your meditation practice.
Thank you so much for sitting with me.
And I hope to see you soon.
Thank you.
