Welcome to day 19 of our 30-day meditation challenge.
Today we'll be practicing less effort.
So finding a really comfortable position for practice.
One that allows you to be both alert and relaxed at the same time.
So you could be seated upright.
You could be lying down.
You could even be standing.
Whatever position is going to allow you to be at ease today.
And I invite you to close your eyes.
Or if you prefer,
You can just cast the gaze down,
Keeping the eyes a quarter of the way open.
Just softly gazing at the floor in front of you.
And let's take a slow,
Deep breath in through the nostrils.
Arriving.
And letting it out through the nostrils,
Releasing,
Letting go.
Now letting that breath return to its natural pace and rhythm.
And remembering that there's nothing that we need to do.
We're not trying to be good meditators.
We're simply just being with the breath.
Being with the present moment experience as it arises and dynamically changes.
So just relaxed and at ease in the body.
Noticing if there are any places.
Where we're efforting.
If there's any type of sense of identity around being a meditator who's trying to do it right.
Just letting that go.
Or if you're trying to keep your posture or your body really still in some way that feels like a little too much effort.
Let it go.
It might be helpful to imagine what it feels like after coming home,
After a lot of activity in a day.
When you finally get to sit down.
And let go.
That feeling of arriving at home.
So arriving at home here in the body and in the breath.
And gently softening any effort.
Meditation does not require struggle.
It's a practice of not too tight and not too loose.
Really of finding equanimity in the body and in the mind.
So just breathing.
Just resting.
Awareness simply noticing whatever arises.
Noticing how your body feels now.
Thank you for practicing with me on day 19 of our meditation challenge.
And I hope that you'll practice with me again tomorrow.
Namaste.
