So this will be a mindfulness meditation in a stationary posture.
And as we begin our meditation,
I invite you to think of a motivation,
Something to keep in mind as you sit.
One motivation might be through liberating our mind and participating in this practice.
May I bring freedom from suffering to all beings,
Seen and unseen.
So I invite you to find a stationary posture that's comfortable for you,
Seated or lying down.
And you might close your eyes or keep them open just a little.
And the purpose of this is really to find a position that feels stable,
Where you can maintain a sense of awareness and also relax and settle into your body.
So again,
Just becoming aware and noticing any sounds that might be in your space of awareness right now.
Just listening and not judging,
Just noticing anything that's coming up.
And we might begin by taking a few deep breaths just to settle into the sensations of our body.
Breathing in deeply through the nose,
From the bottom of the belly,
Filling up our belly and our chest,
Our lungs,
And then exhaling,
Pushing the air out from our nose or our mouth.
Maybe bringing the stomach back towards the spine to expel as much air out as possible.
And then breathing in again from the belly up through the chest and the abdomen.
And again breathing out,
Fully exhaling.
One more time breathing in through the nose or the mouth,
Whatever is comfortable for you,
Filling the belly and the chest and breathing out again,
Expelling as much of that air as possible.
And allow your body to return to just a normal,
Natural breath without forcing,
Without any extra thought.
Just allow your body to do what it does naturally,
Just breathe naturally.
Begin to bring awareness to the points of contact and other physical sensations in your body right now.
That might be bringing awareness to if you're sitting down,
The parts of your body that are in contact with a chair or a cushion,
Maybe the floor.
And if you're laying down the parts of your body that are in contact with the floor or a mat,
Maybe a pillow.
Just observing all of the physical sensations and maintaining that calm and stillness of the breath.
And as you continue to notice these sensations,
Just remain aware of your breath,
Observing the tone and the pace.
Maybe observing the subtle sensations that arise from breathing in through your nose and then out through your mouth.
Maybe there are sensations of warmth as you breathe out through your mouth.
Maybe sensations of coolness as you breathe in through your nose.
Just gently maintain an awareness of these or any other sensations.
As thoughts and emotions arise,
As they are likely to,
Let them fade and pass away.
Not bringing any extra attention to focusing on these or following them,
But just noticing them and then bringing your awareness back to the breath.
Okay?
And again,
If you find yourself drifting away,
From your focus on the breath or any of the other subtle sensations in your body,
Just gently bring your awareness back,
Noting that your mind may have drifted off in thoughts,
Or maybe emotions have arisen somewhere.
Again,
Just observe these for a moment,
And then bring yourself back to the breath,
Gently maintaining that awareness,
Not for saying or pushing.
And we'll take just a few more moments to stay in the stillness of our bodies,
On the silence of our speech,
And staying with the spaciousness of our mind.
And when you hear the sound of the bell,
Gently open your eyes if they were closed,
And become aware of your surroundings again in the usual way.
Maybe feeling your weight resting on your feet.
Just wiggling your extremities again and opening your eyes gently.
