Well,
Hello everybody once again,
And welcome to our final session of Learning to Meditate.
This is titled,
Sitting with What Is.
Nothing to Fix.
It is a final practice,
So I hope you've enjoyed it,
And if you found it useful,
Please share it with others.
So,
Let's just bring everything together now from what we've learnt over the last few weeks or months,
Or however long it's taken you to go through this.
We're just bringing everything together,
And up till now,
You've learnt how to sit,
How to feel the body,
How to notice the breath,
How to work with distraction,
And how to stop trying and simply practice.
And now we take the final step,
Allowing everything to be just as it is.
Meditation isn't about fixing yourself,
It's about becoming calm,
Or quiet.
It isn't about becoming calm,
Or quiet,
Or different.
It's learning to sit with your experience without needing to change it.
Nothing to fix,
Nothing to improve,
Nothing missing.
So,
Find a comfortable seated position,
Or where you have been used to sitting in the past.
And it's a good idea that we meditate in pretty much the same space,
Quiet,
Comfortable,
Somewhere that you feel at home.
And it could be at home,
And it may not be,
But somewhere that's familiar.
Somewhere that feels,
As I say,
Safe,
And come to that place.
And this then moves us into that moment,
And helps us with our meditation.
You don't have to,
Of course,
You can meditate anywhere,
Anytime,
So it's just a little bit easier that way.
Let the body settle down naturally.
Allow your posture to be upright,
But also relaxed.
Let the shoulders soften,
Let the hands rest easily.
Gently lower your gaze,
Or close the eyes altogether.
Begin by noticing the feeling of the body sitting here,
Breathing,
And being supported.
Just noticing your body in this moment,
At this time.
There's no need to focus on anything in particular,
Just noticing.
Simply be aware of what is present.
The breath,
The body,
The sounds around you.
As you sit,
Thoughts may arise.
Sensations may come and go.
Emotions may appear.
Rather than trying to manage any of it,
Allow it to be just as it is.
Just pure acceptance of how it is.
Sitting with that reality,
Not fighting anything.
If something feels unpleasant,
Let it be unpleasant.
If something feels pleasant,
Let it be pleasant.
If something is uncomfortable,
Let it be uncomfortable.
If the mind is busy,
Let it busy.
Let it busy itself.
Allow that.
You don't need to change your experience in order to be present with it.
Sitting with your experience.
You're sitting with that.
If you notice the impulse to fix something,
To adjust,
To improve,
Simply notice it.
Let it be as it is.
Allowing awareness to develop.
And allowing it all to be part of the experience that you're having right now.
This experience of life.
Nothing needs to be removed.
And nothing needs to be added.
Awareness is already here.
Quietly noticing.
Let everything arise and pass within that awareness.
Remain here for a few moments,
Sitting with what is.
Feel the breath.
Ebbing and flowing through the body.
Pure experience of this present moment.
And slowly start to take a little bit more control of the breath.
And as the practice comes to an end,
Notice what it feels like to sit in this way.
Not trying to get somewhere.
Not trying to become something else.
Just being here as you are.
This is the heart of meditation.
And you can return to this at any time.
Not only in a formal practice,
But in everyday moments.
Pausing,
Noticing and allowing.
This is the end of the series Learning to Meditate,
A simple daily practice.
You now have everything you need to begin and to continue.
Thank you for practicing.
As I say,
If there are others that need this work,
Please pass it on.
Subscribe to get more from myself.
With much love,
Yogi Phoenix.
