Let's get comfortable as we begin this introduction to awareness meditation.
Feel the relaxing weight of your body being supported under you,
Whether you're sitting or lying down.
Breathe naturally,
Calmly.
And as you're relaxing,
Just listen to my voice.
Today we are exploring awareness meditation.
This is where,
With breathing or mantra meditation,
I might suggest you have nothing more to think about,
Nothing else to do.
But in awareness practice,
We are not trying to focus on only one thing,
Like our breathing or our mantra.
With awareness meditation,
We observe.
We observe anything and everything,
Without judging it to be good or bad.
In meditation,
We may have our eyes closed or softly opened,
Seeing only what is in front of us,
Not moving our head around,
Just being aware of what is in immediate view.
We could also have an awareness meditation focused on our own body sensations,
Where in our body there may be aches,
Where we may feel especially relaxed.
Or perhaps we concentrate on the emotions we are feeling in the moment.
Again,
Without judgment,
Just observing,
Being aware.
Today's meditation practice will be sound awareness.
So,
If you are listening to me with earbuds or a headset,
You will want to remove one side to hear the sounds around you and within.
You might notice the sound of your own heartbeat,
Along with sounds in the room you are in,
The busy street,
Or nature around you,
Depending on where you are in this moment.
How many things do we hear when we are fully aware and listening?
I invite you now to practice sound awareness meditation for three minutes,
Eyes relaxed and softly closed,
Ears wide open.
I will watch the time as you listen intently,
Noticing all sounds.
A bell will chime at the end of three minutes,
Starting now.
Congratulations!
You are among millions of people in this world who are becoming keenly aware of sounds around them,
Observing,
Tuning in to a higher level of awareness.
In the coming days,
Notice the sounds you may not have heard before.
As you practice awareness,
You may begin to see things you haven't noticed before,
Like a tiny bird nearly hidden on a tree branch,
Or a beautifully kept garden in the neighborhood.
Awareness leads to discovery.
I invite you to try awareness meditation again today or tomorrow,
Sitting still anywhere in your neighborhood,
School,
Workplace,
Or at home.
And by sharing this awareness practice with others,
We can work together to make the world a better place in our mindful thoughts and in our positive interactions with the world.
Thank you for being here today.
Be well,
My friend.
