Welcome.
We will spend a couple of minutes.
Preparing the body and mind.
Before the main session begins.
Find a quiet space.
Sit in a closed room without distractions.
Allow this time to belong entirely to you.
Sit comfortably either on a mat or a chair.
Now gently bring your awareness to your bottoms.
The contact point with the chair or floor.
Balance your weight evenly.
Notice if one side is carrying more weight than the other.
Adjust slightly until you feel centered and grounded.
Let your spine rise naturally.
Try to keep your back as straight as possible.
Not stiff.
Not rigid.
Just dignified and relaxed.
Allow your shoulders to soften.
Rest your hands comfortably.
Now bring to mind an image that naturally evokes love.
Perhaps a pet?
Or a child when they were small.
A moment of innocence.
Allow the image to gently warm your heart.
Next.
Recall a time when you felt completely taken care of.
A vacation.
A childhood memory.
A moment when you did not have to worry about anything.
Let yourself experience the feeling of being supported.
Safe.
Now gently say to yourself,
I do not want anything from this session.
Repeat that silently.
I do not want anything from this session.
There is nowhere to go.
Nothing to achieve,
Nothing to fix.
Just being here is enough.
Now we will begin with belly breathing.
The natural form of breathing.
That increases our capacity to not get distracted by thoughts.
Place one hand lightly on your belly if you like.
Breathe in.
Belly out.
Breathe out.
Belly in.
Notice this is different from chest breathing.
Here the chest remains relatively soft.
The belly gently expands on the inhale.
And softens back on the exhale.
Let the breath be unforced.
Naturally.
If it helps,
Count gently.
Inhale 2,
3,
4.
.
.
Exhale 2,
3.
Continue at your own rhythm.
Allow the breath to flow.
To anchor you here.
Now allow your breathing to return to its natural rhythm.
You don't have to control it anymore.
Simply observe it.
Notice the sensation of the breath entering and leaving.
Perhaps.
You feel it in the nostrils.
Or the chest.
Are the abdomen.
Choose one place where the breath feels most vivid.
Let that be your anchor.
And the mind wanders.
And it will.
Gently return to the breath.
Start with frustration.
Just like guiding a child back home.
You're training your attention.
Gently.
If you notice you're thinking.
Return to the breath.
If you notice restlessness.
Return to the breath.
Nothing is a mistake.
Each return strengthens awareness.
Stay with the breath.
Your mind might wander away.
Just gently bring it back to the breath.
Continue to stay with the breath.
If you wander away into thoughts.
Gently come back to the breath.
Keep the awareness of your breath.
Now take three deep belly breaths.
Allow the breath to return to normal.
Bring your attention to your entire abdomen area.
Your focus is no longer the breath.
It can breathe naturally.
In the background.
Gently scan the abdomen.
Notice sensations on the skin and inside the body.
Tickling throbbing.
Buzzing.
Warm.
Coolness.
Do not analyze.
Do not judge.
Simply observe.
Now move your attention upward to your chest.
Observe the sensations here.
Then gently move the awareness to your face.
Jaw.
Eyes,
Forehead.
Relax your jaw.
Relax your eyes.
Now move attention to the rear of your head.
Then bring your attention down to the neck.
Scan your shoulders.
Your left shoulder.
Bring your attention down to the left arm.
Elbow.
Forearm.
The palm.
Each one of the fingers then scan it back up.
Numb.
Let's bring the awareness to the right shoulder.
Right arm.
Elbow.
Forearm.
Right hand.
The palm.
Each one of the fingers.
Now we can bring the attention back.
To the upper back.
Scan your upper back.
Look for some sensations.
If you can feel anything.
If you can't,
That's fine too.
And let's scan the lower back.
The area around the spine.
The pelvic area.
The hips.
Now let's scan the left leg.
Bring your attention down to the knee.
And get down to the foot.
Scan each one of the toes.
Now bring the attention back up.
And let's scan the right leg.
The right knee.
Let's bring the attention down to the right foot.
Each one of the toes Move slowly,
Patiently.
There are no sensations.
Notice the absence of sensation.
If something feels intense.
A pain or tightness.
Just to observe.
You are the watcher.
Now we will move into exploring thoughts.
Allow the thoughts to arise naturally.
Observe them the way you would watch clouds moving across the sky.
Try to notice the structure of a thought.
Is there a visual image?
Faint picture.
Almost like a flash.
Is there an audio track?
Like an inner voice.
Perhaps it feels like a video clip.
See how thoughts are built.
Try to look at them intently.
If you find yourself pulled deeply into a thought story,
Just gently return to your breath.
And then start observing the thoughts again.
During this exercise,
It is completely normal to be ambushed by thoughts.
Be aware of the thoughts that arise.
When one appears.
Softly name it,
Like a bird watcher.
For example,
Time traveler.
If the mind jumps to past or future.
Mental commentator if there is a narration or judging problem factory.
Building solutions to non-existent emergencies.
Daydream disguised as inspiration.
Emotional story fuelled by recurring feelings.
Name it softly.
Then return to observing.
No fighting.
No suppressing.
Just seeing clearly.
Whenever you get distracted.
And you are aware of it.
Return to the breath.
And start over.
Now let's scan the body for emotions or feelings.
Notice sensations across the head.
Faith.
Chest.
Abdomen.
The back.
Pay attention to any contraction.
Pricking.
Heaviness.
Tingling churning Remain attentive for a few breaths.
Without judging them as good or bad.
Contagious sensations.
Now be aware of your emotions.
A subtle emotion of happiness or joy.
Or maybe worry or anxiety.
How are these emotions appearing in your body?
As sensations.
Notice these sensations across the head.
Face.
Chess.
Abdomen.
Now gently expand your attention.
Become aware of the breath.
Body sensations.
Pots.
Emotions.
And even sounds.
That you can hear.
Let everything arise and disappear naturally.
Notice the expanded awareness.
You may feel relaxed.
Spacious.
Aware of everything.
Rather than concentrating on one thing.
If you drift into a thought,
Just return to the breath.
And then look for the body sensations.
Pots.
Emotions.
Any sounds that you can hear.
Rest here.
Open Aware.
Present.
Thank you for taking the time out for yourself and meditating with me today.
