Welcome to this meditation for beginners.
I'm Steven,
Your guide.
Many people say that they cannot meditate,
They cannot stop thinking,
And I'm often struck by what do we think meditation is supposed to be.
If anything this is the purpose,
To become aware of our thoughts,
To create space to notice what we notice.
So this is an invitation for you if you think you cannot meditate to join me in a few minutes of seated practice.
You can first start by noticing how you're seated without forcing any need to shift or change.
Notice how you are in your body and then notice how your breath moves into your body.
Once you've noticed your posture and your breath maybe then you can decide if you want to create any shift.
Do you want to invite a different seat,
A different way of breathing?
Whatever you choose,
Notice what you're noticing.
You can label it as a thought,
As an observation,
And then you can let it go.
You might think of it like water flowing in a stream,
Watching cars drive by as traffic.
You notice them and then they continue on their way.
As you sit,
As you breathe,
Keep noticing.
Maybe you bring some more intention into your breath,
Creating a depth to the inhale or the exhale through the nose or the mouth.
Make it a choice for just a moment and if you ever lose track of the noticing,
One of my perhaps favorite mantras to offer is the idea of simply beginning again.
It's not wrong that we lose track of the noticing,
That we let our mind wander.
Once we become aware that the mind has wandered,
That the breath has wandered,
That our posture has shifted,
It's an invitation to start again and there is absolutely nothing wrong with starting again.
It's part of the practice.
Practice noticing.
Practice sitting.
Practice breathing.
Practice being.
And as you move into the rest of your day,
I would invite you to close this practice,
These few minutes that we've spent together,
Considering what else do you want to practice?
Once you become aware,
What decision could you make that would support you to take the next step in being?
Thanks for practicing with me.
I hope you'll come back and meditate together sometime soon.
Take care.
