Good day,
My name is Sabine van der Post from MoNetwerk.
Here is a short meditation,
A breathing space,
Which you can take during the day when feeling a bit stressed out,
Or to connect yourself to the silence within and deepening your practice,
The stillness within.
So when we're caught in multitasking or automatic routines,
Often our attention is not really available to us,
And it's not really being guided or directed by our own intention.
With this breathing space one creates space to choose a new focus.
So let's start with becoming aware.
See if you can find a dignified posture,
Whether sitting or standing.
If possible close your eyes.
Then bring your awareness to your inner experience and acknowledge it.
Asking what is my experience right now?
What thoughts are going through the mind at this moment?
Negative,
Neutral,
Or thoughts about future,
Past,
Judgments?
See whatever is there.
And allow yourself these thoughts.
See them as mental events.
What feelings are here?
Turn towards any sense of feelings,
They might be joyful ones,
Or perhaps neutral,
But especially discomfort or unpleasant feelings.
Acknowledge them,
Without trying to make them different from how you find them right now.
Let them be.
Now.
And then the bodily sensations,
Right in this moment,
If you scan your body.
Can you feel any tightness or bracing,
Tension?
Once again,
Not trying to change them in any way.
And then we go to the second phase of this meditation,
And we're gathering and focusing attention.
Now redirecting the attention to a narrow spotlight on the physical sensations of the breath.
Moving close to the physical sensations of the breath in the belly.
Expanding as the breath comes in.
Falling back as the breath goes out.
Continuing with the feeling,
The sensations of the breath in the belly.
All the way in.
All the way out.
Using each breath as an opportunity to anchor yourself into the present.
And if the mind wanders,
Gently escort the attention back towards the breath in the belly area.
Now expand the field of awareness around the breathing,
So that it includes the sense of the body as a whole.
Your posture and facial expression.
As if the whole body was breathing.
If you become aware of any sensations of discomfort or tension,
Feel free to bring your focus of attention right into the intensity by imagining that the breath could move into and around the sensations.
In this,
You are helping to explore the sensations and befriending them,
Rather than trying to change them in any way.
And if they stop pooling for your attention,
Return to sitting,
Aware of the whole body,
Moment to moment.
Now,
I've got some questions you can drop into your open mind or heart.
Just relax with the following questions and see if anything just pops up.
So no need to start active thinking.
Sit and relax with what do I need right now?
Or what is wise action in this moment?
Or what do I wish for myself and possibly another around me in this moment?
Now open up to the sounds around you.
Allow yourself to realize the silence behind the sounds and in between the sounds.
Being aware of the ground underneath your feet and the steady earth supporting you.
Then being aware of the space,
The air around you and above you.
Simply connecting with energy,
The world around you.
Giving you a lovely continuation of the day.
