To begin this practice,
Go ahead and close down the eyes if that's comfortable for you.
Otherwise,
You can keep them open with a downward unfocused gaze.
We'll find a posture that's alert but relaxed,
Making sure that the spine is in alignment from the tailbone to the top of the neck.
If you're sitting upright,
It might be helpful to think of a string coming out of the top of the head and pulling it towards the ceiling.
You might also check in with the tailbone and make sure that it's slightly tucked under so that it's aligned with the pelvis,
Just taking a little bit of the pressure off the lower back.
Relaxing the shoulders away from the ears.
Softening the face around the eyes,
Around the mouth,
The jaw,
Just letting the whole body relax into your sports as best you can.
And you might even take a few deep breaths,
Letting the body settle down into the earth with the out breath,
Letting go of any unneeded tension in the body.
We'll start with bringing your attention to hearing.
So becoming aware of the different sounds in the environment around you.
Noticing sounds that are close by,
Farther away,
Sounds that are very noticeable,
Or others that are almost unnoticeable.
There's no need to search out the sounds,
Just opening your awareness and receiving the sounds that are in the field of hearing.
We're not labeling sounds as good or bad,
Not resisting any sounds.
Just seeing if you can hear without judgment.
You might notice that the mind wants to name the sound.
See if you can just bring the attention back to the qualities of sound.
So the patterns of pitch,
Loudness,
Duration.
You're noticing how one sound arises,
Stays for a little while,
And then passes by.
And now allowing your awareness to settle into the body.
Noticing the physical sensations throughout the body.
And just as we did with hearing,
Try not to label sensations as good or bad or resist them.
Seeing if you can feel and allow the sensations without judgment.
You might notice the sensations in the body where it makes contact with the ground.
So maybe the feet,
Or if you're sitting or lying on the floor,
Your buttocks or back.
What is the felt sense in these areas?
We're not visualizing or thinking about the areas.
We're just noticing the sensations.
Was there a pressure,
A tingling?
Can you sense hardness or softness?
Maybe you can sense the steadiness and stability of the ground.
What does that feel like?
You might bring attention to your sit bones,
Or the shoulder blades if you're lying down.
Feeling the weight of the body resting in these areas.
What does it feel like to allow your body to relax into these areas,
To be held by your supports?
And when thinking shows up,
Because it will,
Maybe it's a worry or planning,
Thinking about what you need to get done.
Just noticing this,
Redirecting attention back to the sensations in the body.
And remember that thoughts themselves aren't bad.
Thoughts are just what the mind does.
So when we notice that we've been lost with a kind mental tone,
Redirect the attention back to the body.
You'll likely have to do this many times in the course of a meditation practice,
And that's okay.
This is part of the practice,
And actually a very important part of the practice.
And bringing your attention to the hands,
What are the sensations here?
Can you sense where they make contact with your lap?
Maybe each other,
Sensing the inside of the hands.
Maybe you can feel the bones or muscles inside the hands.
Maybe you can feel an energetic or a buzzing in the hands.
The blood moving through them.
See if you can just rest your attention in the hands for a few moments.
Now expanding that awareness to the experience of the body as a whole.
Sensing the shape of the body,
Maybe the space that it's taking up.
And also see if you can sense the space inside the body.
You might not be able to feel sensation in every area,
But we're just opening our awareness to knowing the whole body is here.
And when the mind wanders,
Gently reconnecting with the body as a whole.
Now turning awareness to the breath in the body.
You might notice the sensations in the nostrils or throat.
Maybe it's a warmth or coolness,
Moisture,
Dryness.
Maybe you can sense the movement of the air through the nostrils and throat.
You might notice the movement of the chest or belly with each in-breath and out-breath.
Expansion and contraction of the lungs and ribs.
Stretching of the abdominal muscles.
You might also follow the entire flow of the breath.
Following the breath from the nostrils down the throat,
Through the lungs and down into the belly and then out again.
Just following each in-breath and out-breath.
Now I'd like to invite you to find an anchor of your choosing.
So it might be a sound or hearing,
An area in the body,
The body as a whole or the breath.
When you choose an anchor,
It should be something that feels pleasant or at least neutral.
So don't choose something that brings discomfort or might have difficult thoughts or feelings that arise when you bring attention to it.
And once you find the anchor,
Seeing if you can just rest your attention on it.
And then once you notice that the mind has wandered,
Just gently coming back to that anchor.
I'm going to leave a little space here to let you practice in this way for a few moments.
I'm just checking in where your attention might be.
It's been swept away in thinking without a harsh mental tone.
Just redirect that attention back to your anchor.
And as this practice comes to an end,
Noticing what your body feels like sitting here,
Becoming aware of the space around you.
Maybe noticing the lighting in the room or the temperature of the room.
Any sounds that are here.
You might start to gently move the body.
And slowly opening the eyes,
Looking around the room with awareness.
