Hello,
It's Penn and I'm here to share my recipe for a daily meditation practice.
It's an everyday kind of recipe,
One that you can go back to time and time again,
Though you'll probably find that your experience is different every time you practice it.
Maybe in time you won't need to listen to the recording,
You'll instinctively know all of the recipe's ingredients and the method to follow.
And don't forget that every day you practice meditation,
You're improving your ability to be fully present and to be attentive to the signs and the wonders that will point your way to your very best life.
Those are the words of my meditation teacher,
Sarah MacLean.
So take your time to find a comfortable seated position.
You want to keep your spine upright,
But in a way that can be maintained for the duration of the practice.
You're welcome to sit in a chair or sit leaning up against the wall.
Bring your hands to rest on your knees or in your lap and allow yourself to settle in.
Be kind to yourself as you practice today.
Our minds are designed to think,
So don't get caught up in the impossible task of trying to switch off those thoughts.
When you realize you're lost in thought,
Gently bring yourself back to the practice.
Adopt a beginner's mind,
Have no expectations about what you might experience and just let yourself go with the flow.
Of course,
It's okay to readjust your seat if you're in physical discomfort and you're welcome to open your eyes if you're in emotional discomfort,
But please do stay with the practice all the way to the end.
We'll move through a body scan,
Some self-inquiry,
Breath awareness and a silent mantra.
As the practice draws to a close,
I will sound a chime.
When you hear the chime,
Rest with your eyes closed or your gaze down and allow yourself to integrate the benefits of the practice.
Bring your attention inwards by closing your eyes or if you prefer,
Half-capping them by bringing your gaze down to your lap or down towards the floor.
Take two long and deep breaths in and out through the nose.
And then allow your breath to return to its normal pattern,
Depth and rhythm.
Bring your attention to what is here right now.
You might notice sounds in the environment or maybe you hear sounds in your body.
There is no need to label or judge the sounds.
We'll start with a gentle body scan,
Bringing our awareness to various parts of the body as we move from a state of doing just to a state of being,
Accepting everything as it is.
As your awareness moves,
You may notice bodily sensations.
You might feel warm or cool,
Tense,
Achy or even tingly.
Allow yourself to accept these sensations.
Slowly bring your attention down to your feet.
Begin observing sensations in your feet.
You might want to wiggle your toes a little,
Feeling them against your socks or shoes or on the floor,
Noticing without judgement.
Perhaps you don't feel anything at all.
That's fine too.
Allow yourself to feel the sensation of not feeling anything.
Let thoughts of your feet dissolve in your mind and move your attention up to your ankles,
Calves,
Knees and thighs.
Observe the sensations you may be experiencing through your legs.
If your mind begins to wander during the exercise,
Notice this without judgement and bring your mind back to noticing sensations in your legs.
If you notice any discomfort,
Pain or stiffness,
Again don't judge,
Simply notice it.
Observe and allow the sensations to be in the moment,
Just as they are.
On your next exhale,
Allow the legs to dissolve in your mind and move to the sensations in your lower back and your pelvis,
Softening and releasing as you breathe in and out.
Slowly move your attention up to your mid-back and your upper back.
With each exhale,
You may let go of any tension you are carrying.
And then moving mindfully and gently,
Shift your focus to your stomach and all the internal organs here.
Perhaps you are noticing the feeling of your clothes,
The process of digestion or your belly rising and falling with each breath.
If you notice opinions arising about these areas of your body,
Gently let them go and return to noticing sensations.
As you continue to breathe,
Bring your awareness to the chest and the heart region,
Noticing your heartbeat.
Observe how the chest rises with the inhale and falls with the exhale.
On the next exhale,
Shift your focus to your hands and fingertips.
See if you can channel your breathing into and out of this area,
As if you are breathing in and out from your hands.
On the next out-breath,
Shift the focus and bring your awareness up into your arms.
Observe the sensations or lack of sensations that might be occurring there.
You might notice some difference between the left arm and the right arm.
As you exhale,
You may experience the arms soften and release tension.
Continue to breathe,
Shifting your focus to the neck,
The shoulders and then your throat.
This is an area where we often hold tension.
Be with the sensations you are feeling here.
It might be tightness,
Rigidity or holding.
You may notice the shoulders moving along with the breath.
As you breathe,
Invite a feeling of tension rolling off the shoulders.
On the next out-breath,
Shift your focus and direct your attention to your face,
Your head and your scalp.
Observing all of the sensations,
Thoughts and feelings occurring here.
Bring your attention down to your heart space,
Following the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe.
Now we will practice self-inquiry.
With the beginner's mind and no expectations,
Silently ask yourself,
Who am I?
Ask yourself a few times the same question and each time return to the silence.
Don't anticipate or force an answer.
Be comfortable with the absence of an answer if nothing arises and welcome whatever does arise.
Release the question and rest in the awareness.
Become aware of your breath moving in and out through the nose.
You may notice the sensation of the breath touching the inside of your nostrils as you breathe in or moving past your top lip as you breathe out.
Maybe you're more drawn to noticing the temperature of the air you're breathing.
Warm on the out-breath,
Cool on the in-breath.
Keep your steady,
Gentle attention on your nostrils as you breathe.
Move your awareness to the breath as it moves through the body.
Down the throat and into the lungs.
Paying attention to where and how you're experiencing the breath in your body.
Is it your belly softly rising and falling?
Your ribs expanding and contracting?
Your chest lifting and then softening?
Allow your attention to rest naturally wherever the breath draws it.
There's no need to control your breath.
Let it be effortless as it moves in and out.
If you find yourself distracted by sounds in the room or thoughts in your head,
Notice them,
Release them and bring your attention back to your breath.
Simply breathe as you breathe,
Not striving to change anything about the breath.
Observe and accept your experience in this moment without judgment,
Paying attention to each inhale and exhale.
When your mind drifts away into thought,
Bring it back to the breath again and again and again.
You're not doing anything wrong.
This is the practice.
If it helps,
You can silently repeat breathing in and breathing out with each inhale and exhale.
For the remainder of the practice,
We will use the mantra,
So hum,
Meaning I am he or I am she or I am that.
Silently repeating so on the in breath and hum on the out breath.
When your mind drifts away into thoughts,
Bring it back to the mantra again and again.
I'll keep a track of the time and we'll sound a chime as our practice comes to a close.
When you hear the chime,
Allow your eyes to stay close or your gaze downwards.
Melting your breath,
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