Day 17: Awareness Of Stillness

This meditation invites you to notice the stillness that is already present beneath the movement of thoughts, sensations, and sound. Beginning with a gentle settling, you’ll allow awareness to rest more deeply, noticing what remains when you’re not following each experience.

Rather than creating stillness, this practice supports recognizing it as something that is already here. As attention softens, you may begin to sense a quiet steadiness that is not disturbed by changing conditions.

This meditation is part of a 30-day series designed to support a consistent daily practice, whether you are new to meditation or returning again.

There is nothing to find. Just a noticing of what has been here all along.

Transcript

Welcome to day 17 of our 30-day meditation challenge. Today we'll be practicing awareness of stillness. So I invite you to bring your body into stillness. In whatever way feels supportive to you, This could be seated upright, Either in a chair or on the floor on a cushion. It could be lying down. It could even be standing up with your back supported against a wall. Whatever posture is going to allow you to maintain that balance between feeling at ease and also alert. And I invite you to allow your eyes to close. Or if it feels more supportive, Just keeping the eyes a quarter of the way open and gazing softly down towards the floor. Let's take a deep and slow breath in through the nostrils together. And now releasing through the nostrils, Just letting it all out. Noticing the breath. Noticing the body. And begin to sense this quiet stillness that's already present. Thoughts may come and thoughts may go. Sounds may arise. But there's also a background of stillness. Just like even when there are clouds moving in the sky. There's also a blue sky settled. Unhindered. In the background. Just like that open sky is unaffected by whatever clouds or weather systems move through. It just steadily remains. There is an aspect of our own awareness. A background of stillness. That remains. Allowing awareness now to rest. In that same spacious. Accommodating stillness. Thoughts will move through. Sounds will move through. Sensations and moods all arriving. But taking that backwards step to rest back. Into the stillness that remains. Just like the ocean waves. There can be a lot of movement on the surface, But deeper down. There is stillness. A dynamic stillness. Still fresh. Present, Alive. But not affected by the surface waves of experience. Simply holding. Simply knowing. Thank you for practicing with me on day 17 of our meditation challenge. And I do hope that you'll practice with me again tomorrow. Namaste.