Systematic Yoga Meditation

30-minute progressive meditation. During which we progressively move from the gross (physical body/breath) to subtle (energy body/mind) to directly experience the Center of Consciousness. The goal and definition of Yoga.

Transcript

Come to a nice tall seated position.

Make sure that you are sitting with your head,

Neck,

Shoulders,

And trunk straight and aligned.

Make sure that you are genuinely comfortable.

There's nothing touching you that will distract you and draw you outwardly.

Close your outer eyes and take a few moments for inner or internal dialogue.

Have a conversation with your mind.

So many of us have an antagonistic relationship with our mind.

Ask your mind to be your friend and to support you as you go inside.

You may even ask your mind,

What is your heart's desire?

Then know whatever rises up,

Whatever role you play,

Whatever job title you hold,

You can set it on a shelf and pick it up after meditation where it will be lighter.

Then become aware of the sounds that are around you.

Just take a moment.

Let your attention stretch beyond the walls of your room.

Then have an attitude that there is no noise.

Noise is subjective.

Bring the attention away from sound and inward.

There is no sound that will disturb you.

Then we begin to scan the body as if you are very curious about the body.

You are an interior researcher.

You may feel the physical sensations of the body as we explore.

You may not feel the physical sensations.

You may see with your inner eye or you may not see with your inner eye.

You cannot do this incorrectly.

Begin with the top of your head.

Scan and survey the top of your head as if you were very curious about it.

You're an interior researcher.

Then let the awareness move over the forehead,

Eyebrows,

Eyes,

Nose,

Cheeks,

Mouth,

Chin,

And jaw.

Become aware of the neck and the throat inside.

Survey the shoulders,

Upper arms,

Elbows,

Forearms,

Wrists,

Hands,

Fingers,

Tips of the fingers.

Let attention rise from the tips of the fingers back into the hands,

Wrists,

Forearms,

Elbows,

Upper arms,

Shoulders.

Explore the shoulder blades and the whole back.

Let the awareness move all around the back,

Into the spine,

And through to the chest.

Explore the chest internally and externally.

The abdomen.

Let the attention move all around the abdomen.

Deep into the hips.

Explore.

Be aware of the thighs and of the knees.

The lower legs.

The ankles.

The feet.

The toes.

And of the tips of the toes.

Then on your own,

Allow the attention to rise,

To return from the tips of the toes slowly,

Mindfully back up to the hips.

Take your time.

Then continue to explore on your own the abdomen and the chest.

Explore the spine and the back again.

Take your time,

Let the attention move all around.

On your own,

From the shoulder blades to the shoulders,

Take your time,

Move all the way down the arms to the fingertips.

Take your time.

Then on your own,

From the fingertips back to the shoulders.

Then explore the neck and the throat inside.

Then on your own,

Explore from the chin all the way to the top of the head.

Take your time.

Explore the entire face again.

Stay perfectly still.

If you're not already at the top of the head,

Bring the attention there.

And then feel your whole body.

Let the attention move throughout the whole body.

Feel the whole body simultaneously integrated and steeping,

Infused with stillness.

Stillness in every fiber,

In every cell.

Then become aware of the breathing.

Bring your attention to the breathing,

Your constant companion,

Your friend,

The breath.

Focus on the upper abdomen,

Right below the breastbone,

But above the navel,

In that soft space there,

About the size of the palm of your hand.

Exhale and gently guide your upper abdominal muscles back and towards your spine.

As you inhale,

Just release those upper abdominal muscles and let them go.

Exhale gently,

Draw the upper abdomen back and towards the spine.

And on the inhalation,

You just release the abdominal muscles and you let them go.

Try to keep the lower abdominal muscles rather still and relaxed.

Try not to over inflate the chest.

Exhale,

Gently guide the upper abdomen back toward the spine.

Inhale,

Release and let go effortlessly.

And for the next few moments,

Keep all of your attention on making the breath very slow,

Very smooth.

Make the breath seamless,

One breath like liquid,

Just dissolving right back into the next.

And if the mind moves outwardly into the realm of distraction of any kind,

Simply notice the distraction,

Be aware of it,

And guide the attention compassionately back towards the breath.

Exhale,

Gently guide the upper abdomen back toward the spine,

Inhale,

Releasing and letting go.

And exhale as if the breath were descending from the crown of the head down to the base of the spine.

Inhale from the base of the spine up all the way to the crown of the head.

Inhale and feel the breath descending from the crown of the head down,

Down to the base of the spine.

Inhale from the base of the spine all the way up to the top of the head.

Have a sense that the spine is fairly deep into the body,

It's not superficial running along the back skin,

But deeper.

Exhale from the crown of the head down the deep posterior of the body to the base of the spine,

Which is in the pelvic floor.

Inhale from the base of the spine,

The pelvic floor,

All the way up to the crown of the head.

Again thoughts will come,

Let them come,

But let them all go.

The mind is our friend,

We do not repress it,

But we have an attitude that no thought will disturb us.

Breathing down,

Inhaling up.

In your mind's eye you may even see the breath as an etheric thin and milky white stream.

If you see the subtle stream that is fine,

But if you do not see it,

It is also fine.

Exhaling down,

Perhaps you can stretch the breath beyond the base of the spine.

Inhaling up,

Perhaps you can stretch the breath beyond the physical crown of the head.

You focus and remain perfectly still.

Exhaling down,

Inhaling up.

Inhaling up.

Become aware of the feeling of the breath at the region of the nostrils.

When the breath flows evenly in the nostrils,

The mind is said to be prepared for the deeper states of meditation.

Become aware of the feeling of the breath in the left nostril.

Breathe with the attention on the left nostril as if it were breathing independently,

All by itself.

On the next exhalation,

Feel the breath in the right nostril.

Breathe in the right nostril.

As if it were breathing independently.

Then exhale again into the left nostril for three breaths in the left nostril.

Exhale into the right nostril.

Still in the right nostril.

Exhale again into the left nostril.

Three breaths.

One last time,

Exhaling into the right nostril for three breaths.

And then feel the sensation of the breath at the bridge between the nostrils.

Focus on the feeling of the breath at the bridge between the nostrils.

Not allowing the attention to wander left or right,

Up or down.

Breathe and focus on the feeling of the breath with a cognitive sense of touch.

Feel the breath as one flow at the bridge between the nostrils.

Again the mind is our friend.

Let all the thoughts rise.

Let them come up.

If a good thought comes,

Be aware of it.

Let it come up,

But then let it go.

If a bad thought comes,

Do not push it away.

Let it come up and also let it go.

Keep your attention focused on the feeling of the breath at the bridge between the nostrils.

Have an attitude that no thought,

No memory,

Emotion or sound will disturb you.

And when you become distracted,

Notice that you're distracted.

Push it and guide the attention back to the feeling of the breath at the bridge between the nostrils.

You may continue to hold your attention at this space,

At the bridge between the nostrils,

On the feeling of the breath at that space.

If you're more drawn to your emotions,

At this time you may choose to allow your attention to descend and move deep into the center of the chest,

Deep into the space between the breast,

Breathing and focusing on the feeling of the breath in this space.

If you're more drawn to your thoughts and you have an active mind,

You may choose to allow your attention to rise up and move deep into the space between the eyebrows.

Focus on the feeling of the breath in this space.

Again,

Allow the thoughts to come and allow them to go.

Notice their impermanence.

There is no better or worse space in which to focus.

There is focus and there is distraction.

Pick one point and remain in your space.

You may continue to focus on the feeling of the breath in your one chosen space.

If you're newer to the practice,

Focus on the feeling of the breath in your space.

If you're a more seasoned practitioner,

At this time you may begin to listen into your space for your mantra.

Listen into your space,

Not merely repeating it,

But hearing the sound of your mantra,

Om or soham coming from in your space.

Or continue to focus on the feeling of the breath in your one space.

There is no better or worse object to focus on in the space.

There's focus or distraction.

Perhaps you're working with the inner light in your space,

Looking into your space,

Looking into the light in your space for the source of all light.

Remain in one space,

The bridge between the nostrils,

The heart,

Or the space between the eyebrows.

Remain with one object,

The breath,

Mantra,

The inner sound or inner light.

Do not allow the attention to wander.

Do not overthink.

Focus.

Only focus.

Let all the thoughts come and let them all go.

As we go into the silence,

Have an attitude that you will not be disturbed.

The fruit of meditation is your right and privilege.

Remain in your space with your object of meditation.

Remain in your space.

Let all the thoughts come and let them all go.

Let all the thoughts come and let them all go.

Let all the thoughts come and let them all go.

Let all the thoughts come and let them all go.

Let all the thoughts come and let them all go.

Observe the silence at the center of consciousness.

Reflect on the relative quietness of your own mind.

There may be thoughts,

But between the thoughts is that substratum of silence.

Notice the smoothness and evenness of the breath now.

It is indicative of the quietness of the mind.

Feel the stillness of the body.

It reflects the smooth,

Even breath,

Remaining aware of that silence that is subtler,

Deeper and pervasive.

Gently open the eyes.

Reviews

Still the best-guided meditation I have come acrossed.

So fantastic, thank you

Very powerful. Thank you. Namesta

Very enjoyable. Lots of breathing techniques used to achieve absolute stillness. I will do this one again. I enjoyed reaching that beautiful quiet place in my mind....for once lol.

Excellent...Namaste.

Thank you Avril. Calm and clear now♡

Always rejuvenating and refreshing. Namaste 🌈

Loved it. Thank you Avril!

I try for the first time .Alex one of my good friend ask me to try it and i love to continue thanks

Just right for me, a beautiful journey, thank you 🙏🏻

I really appreciated this meditation. It was the first time for me to do one of this length sitting up without my back getting tired or my head nodding off. At first I thought the body scan was a little fast but then I liked trying it this way. I think varying the pace is a great exercise. My favorite part was the breathing guidances. Very helpful for my back and for my focus. I could sense the stillness.

Very descriptive - enjoyable voice

Fantastic! That was great! Thank you

Very helpful, I have a lot of trouble staying focused and I found this truly helpful. Thank you.

Love the guidance. Firm, clear and loving. Thank you.

Really enjoyed this meditation and especially liked the choice of where to focus. Very helpful! Thank you Avril!

This is by far one of the best guided meditations I have done. I love the guidance from Avril and the focus I have during it. I feel like my mind really did wander considerably less during it which is just wonderful. Thankyou Avril.

That was fantastic!

Very nice. Feel peaceful after this. Thank you!

Very nice, good guidance... A bit fast in places...I will come back to this often