Sit comfortably with your back supported.
Close your eyes and bring your awareness to your breath.
Draw your mind away from all other thoughts and focus on the feeling of the breath as it enters and leaves your body.
Let your breath become slower and deeper.
Become aware of how your body is breathing automatically.
Observe it in a detached way.
Say to yourself,
I am watching my body breathe.
I am not the legs,
The arms,
The abdomen,
Nor am I the body.
I am an observer,
Distinct from my body.
Feel the inward breath rejuvenating the body and feel the outward breath relaxing and releasing tension from the body.
Feel your shoulders relax,
Releasing tension down through your arms,
Wrists,
And hands.
Feel the entire body relax with each outward breath.
Now,
Become aware of your mind.
Become aware of how you,
The self,
Are distinct from the thinking process.
Experience how you can watch the mind as an observer,
Simply watching the passing flow of thoughts,
Feelings,
And images.
You don't react.
You are separate and detached from the mind.
Say to yourself,
I make no effort to think about thoughts,
But they come automatically.
I am watching the thoughts flow through my mind,
But I am aloof from them.
I am the silent witness of my mind's activities.
I am the self,
Different from the mind and the body.
Now,
Keeping your eyes closed,
Raise your right hand to your forehead.
Place your index and middle finger between your eyebrows.
Inhale and then close your right nostril with your thumb and exhale through your left.
Then inhale through the left nostril.
Close your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right nostril.
Feel this alternating breath from one nostril to the other.
Inhale and exhale through the right nostril.
Exhale through the left nostril.
Exhale through the right nostril.
We will finish by exhaling through the right nostril and then lowering your hand,
Breathing deeply through both nostrils.
Relax your breath,
Your chest,
And your lungs.
Be aware of how your breath is now flowing smoothly and effortlessly,
And your mind is more focused and alert.
Now that you are more relaxed and your breathing has slowed down,
We will begin meditation on the sacred Gauranga mantra.
We will break the mantra into four distinct syllables,
Gauranga.
While inhaling,
We will say the sacred mantra,
Gauranga,
Within our mind,
And when we exhale,
We will say it out loud.
Stretch it out so the sound takes up the whole exhalation and feel it resonate throughout your whole body.
If you notice that your mind has become distracted by other thoughts,
Just be aware that it has wandered and then gently bring it back to your breath and the sound of the mantra.
Let's begin as we inhale,
Mentally say Gauranga.
Now out loud as we exhale.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Keep your eyes closed and bring your breathing back to normal.
Allow your mind to rest on the beautiful sound of the mantra or join in if you are ready.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
Gauranga.
