Welcome to your effortless meditation practice.
In this meditation,
We will explore the interplay between effort and ease,
Between doing and being,
Between focusing and allowing.
Although I will be guiding the practice fully at certain points,
I'll be inviting you to welcome in a sense of curiosity and exploration,
So that you can find an empowering ownership of your own consciousness.
Take a little time now to settle yourself comfortably into your chosen position.
You might like to sit on the floor on a meditation cushion.
You might like to sit upright in bed or even in a chair.
Whatever feels right for your body today.
And once you've settled yourself and you've found a comfortable seat,
Begin to consciously arrive mentally,
Recognizing that this is your time to practice turning inwards,
To dive deeply within yourself,
Within your own consciousness.
Let's begin by taking a few cleansing,
Settling breaths.
Breathing consciously and exhaling effortlessly.
Full deep breath in through your nose and simply allow the exhale to occur naturally of its own accord.
Do this twice more.
Inhaling consciously and exhaling spontaneously.
And now begin to do the opposite.
Allow your breath in to be spontaneous,
Effortless.
And focus on creating a long,
Smooth,
Conscious exhale.
And do this twice more.
Understanding the balance between doing and being,
Between effort and ease.
And now become fully grounded in and present to your body in its totality.
Begin to move your attention through your body,
Feeling into physical sensations in whatever way feels right.
You might like to notice the most obvious sensations first,
Perhaps feeling the weight of your body on the surface beneath,
And then beginning to observe the more subtle sensations.
Or you might like to scan through your body from head to toe,
Or perhaps from toes to head,
Noticing any areas of comfort or tension.
If you discover any areas of tension in your body,
You might like to imagine breath flowing in and out of the different muscles and joints,
Bringing ease and spaciousness into the body.
Or you might like to create the feeling that the warmth of your exhale simply melts any tension right out of your body,
Just as the warmth of breath turns ice to water.
Continue to direct attention to sensations in the body,
Diving more fully into the physical experience.
Gently shift attention now,
Shifting towards sounds.
Begin by focusing on one sound at a time,
Drawing in each sound and holding it close.
Pour a deep presence to each sound,
Noticing how it vibrates,
How it resonates within your body.
Now begin to welcome in all the sounds at once,
Receiving the soundscape fully.
Let your attention rest within the silence between the sounds,
The silence from which all sounds arise.
Let go of sounds and gently shift your attention to your breath and begin to observe its effortless flow.
Nothing to do.
Just observe as the body breathes all on its own.
Little breath coming and going,
Ebbing and flowing like waves of the ocean.
You might like to observe the energetic pathway of the breath,
Noticing how the wave of breath flows through the body,
Sensing if the breath can be felt as it travels in through the nostrils,
Down into the chest,
All the way down into the abdomen,
And back out again.
As your body breathes,
Begin to consciously shift towards the attitude of the witness,
Deeply aware of each breath as it passes in and out of the body,
And sensing the current of subtle energy carried on each breath.
If it feels right to do so,
You can mentally say,
Body is breathing in,
Body is breathing out.
Or you might like to count the breath backwards from 10,
Focusing the attention more fully and firmly.
When you reach zero,
Simply begin again at 10.
Now begin to see if you can create a feeling of spaciousness and expansiveness with each in-breath,
As though an inner lotus flower is opening.
And with each out-breath,
Feel or imagine the petals of the lotus gently drawing back together.
And just as you have observed the breath,
Begin to observe the mind-thinking.
As each thought arises,
Mentally say to yourself,
Thinking.
Simply watch.
Simply watch the spontaneous flow of thoughts passing through the mind like clouds in the sky,
Effortlessly allowing the mind to think freely.
And just as you have observed the breath,
Begin to observe the mind-thinking.
As you observe the movement of the mind,
Feel deeply into the stillness of the body.
The stillness of the body.
See if you can begin to notice the spaces between thoughts,
A certain stillness in the mind,
Dropping awareness into these moments of stillness.
Begin to notice movement in the body,
The movement of energy in the form of sensation,
The movement of your heart beating,
The movement of your breath flowing,
Feeling into these subtle internal movements.
Focus attention on your breath once again.
Begin to shift from a natural effortless breath to a conscious focused breath.
Deepen your inhalation and lengthen your exhalation.
As you continue to deepen your breath,
Feel that your breath is the bridge between your inner world and the outer world.
Let your breath guide you fully back into your body,
Into the room,
Feeling your body within the room.
Be aware of how you've positioned yourself.
Be aware of your surroundings.
And be aware of what has shifted during your practice today.
Remembering that each time you practice meditation,
Your experience will be different.
Do your best not to judge or analyze whatever came up for you today.
Remember that meditation is a practice and a process and an experience of allowing things to be just as they are.
As you feel ready,
Start to introduce movement,
Activating your body and preparing to move back into your day,
Bringing with you this attitude of non-judgment,
Of clear sight and effortless ears.
