Hello.
Today I'm going to offer you a meditation using our breath as the anchor.
And as you hear in the background,
There are sirens.
I'm recording this in the real world.
There might be a train,
Or cats meowing,
Or cars driving by.
And so if that's a problem for you,
Maybe this isn't the right practice today,
But if it is,
I thank you for joining me.
If you're new to meditation,
The instruction is to pay attention without trying to control the breath.
Our breathing function is obviously a natural one,
And it doesn't need us to control it or tell it what to do.
And as meditators,
We use the breath as a focus because number one it's reliable,
And it doesn't take most of us any effort at all to actually breathe.
And then last,
It's always with us.
So it's right here,
It's right now,
And it's what we'll begin with today.
But before we actually begin meditating,
I'd like to suggest that you set an intention for today's meditation.
It could be as simple as,
I intend to sit for the entire length of this practice.
I like to keep my own intention simple,
As not to put a demand on my practice that this meditation be pleasant or blissful or exciting or comfortable,
But just that I'm going to sit today.
But whatever yours is,
That's fine.
And we will begin and end with the sound of the bell.
So if you haven't already,
Please take a seat on your cushion or chair,
Finding an upright posture that is both stable and comfortable,
And maybe sitting proud with intention,
But without tension or stiffness.
So allow your eyes to gently close,
And then we'll just settle in for a moment.
And just notice,
As you begin to settle,
The sensation of simply sitting still,
Sitting quiet,
Regardless of your surroundings.
Sometimes I like to gently rock back and forth or side to side to just kind of settle into my cushion to find my seat,
To find that spot that I can hold for a short while.
Now I suggest you take three slow,
Deep breaths.
By doing this at the beginning of each meditation session,
You'll signal the mind that it's time to sit,
That a period of meditation is coming.
Now we begin by just paying attention to our breathing.
We can pay attention to the sensation or the sound as we inhale and as we exhale,
Remembering that we're not trying to control our breath,
And we're not actually trying to get involved in thinking about the breath,
We're just being aware of the feeling or the sensation,
Simply watching and noticing.
And the mind naturally wanders.
It gets caught up in thoughts and feelings.
In the past or in the future,
Our minds investigate the sounds and sensations that are present.
But the instruction is when we are mindful that we are no longer paying attention to our breathing,
That we simply notice that and return.
We just simply return to this internal anchor of the breath.
And we return without regret or frustration,
Just treating the mind as we would a friend with care and compassion.
Just aware the breath in,
The breath out,
Sustaining this body in this moment.
And notice the rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of the air passing over the nostrils or the upper lip each time you inhale and exhale.
Jessau,
Everybody!
At this point,
You can either choose to continue with the breath as your anchor,
Or hoist it up and just sit with whatever arises.
You can just allow whatever shows up to be.
This means simply noticing the thoughts,
The smells,
The sounds,
Or the sensations,
Without holding onto or getting involved in.
No stories to tell,
Nothing to solve or plan,
No judgments.
Countlessagenlishing.
Org And for the last little while,
You can return to the breath or continue with this open awareness,
Whatever is most helpful.
And now,
You can return to the breath or continue with this open awareness,
Whatever is most helpful.
Thank you for your practice and have a beautiful moment.
