Welcome to this 30 minute meditation on returning to the now.
Whenever you're ready,
We can just breathe in and close our eyes.
Let's start with the breath.
Begin by noticing how just from one deeper breath,
The body relaxes more.
So you can just continue taking in deeper breaths and consciously relaxing the body.
Just moving your awareness to any tensions and with every exhale,
Releasing those tensions.
And as you ease into your chair or sofa or bed,
We are also easing into the present moment.
So watch your thoughts and if they drift to the past or the future,
You can allow them but also bring them back.
Ask yourself,
Is this relevant right now?
You can come back to the breath,
To a sensation,
To the presence of being here.
And coming back to noticing.
So now if there is a thought about the past or the future,
We just notice it,
We think ourselves,
Ah,
There is a thought about the past or the future.
But we remain present,
We remain here.
And what's also interesting is that the more we breathe deeply,
The more pleasant it becomes to breathe deeply.
And you can also allow your thoughts to witness what is happening now.
With each in-breath,
You can say to yourself,
Breathing in.
With each out-breath,
You can say to yourself,
Breathing out.
And this may seem like a simple practice but it is actually very profound.
Because before this meditation,
The mind was leading us to things in the past or in the future.
And now it has become the tool,
The servant of the present.
So our thoughts are now aligned with what is here.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Thank you.
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In this way we go beyond the mind.
Instead of identifying with the mind and following its guidance,
We are now in the present moment and we witness the mind witnessing what is happening.
So we are now identified or resting as something larger than the mind,
Something that always is.
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And this part of us that is always aware,
Is always observing our experience,
Is always present.
Even if we are not aware of it,
It is aware of the mind and the body.
And it is observing all that is happening,
The thoughts in the mind,
The sensations in the body,
Just as we are doing now.
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As such meditation is a great tool to remember and return to this ever-present witness that we are.
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Sometimes meditation can bring about some uncomfortable tensions in the body but even then they are experienced within this peace,
This stillness.
And through this experience we can understand that peace is not necessarily in the body and the mind but it is just the presence,
Just being here.
Remembering the constant background of all experience.
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And just keep breathing in deeply and noticing any changes in the body.
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And as with the breathing,
Becoming more and more pleasant,
The more you breathe deeply,
It is the same with being present.
The deeper you fall into the present moment,
The more pleasant it becomes.
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You can stay in meditation for as long as you like but for those that want to end it here,
You can take just a couple more deeper breaths.
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