Welcome to this 10 minute turning towards a difficult meditation.
This is a sitting meditation so let's begin by finding a comfortable seat for you.
This might be that you're sitting on the floor onto a meditation cushion or onto a chair.
Whatever feels right to you today and then simply bringing the back in upright position where the shoulders are maybe slightly tucked back and the head equally balanced on top of the spine.
The hands can be placed in the laps or onto the knees,
Palms facing up or down.
And then when you're ready you can gently close your eyes.
You can also let your gaze fall on focused on the floor a short distance in front of you.
The intention of this practice is to soften and allow the moment to moment experience.
We bring the attention first into the breath and the body then into the unpleasant aspects,
The pleasant aspects and the neutral aspects of our experience.
The attitude we bring to this meditation is acceptance and kindness towards whatever is arising.
And now let's start with this meditation.
Simply arriving here and noticing our breath and our body.
Noticing how the air flows into our body and out of it.
Simply being with the breath from moment to moment.
When it feels right,
Also noticing the points of our body that make contact with whatever we are sitting on.
So maybe becoming aware of where our feet touch the ground,
Where our buttocks touch the chair or the cushion.
Or maybe how the air touches our face.
And when we are ready,
Now as best we can gently turning towards the unpleasant aspects of this moment.
So maybe there are unpleasant thoughts,
Emotions or sensations here.
And if so,
Simply acknowledging them and being with them for this moment.
No need to change or fix them.
Maybe saying to ourselves,
It's okay,
Let me feel it,
It's okay.
Allowing the unpleasant to be here with us.
Letting the unpleasant to be here with us.
Letting the unpleasant to be here with us.
Allowing the unpleasant to be here with us.
Simply observing it from a distance.
And in case we have drifted off into the past or the future,
Then that's what's normal.
That's what happens to us.
And then simply bringing our attention back in a kind way and focusing once again onto the unpleasant.
Focusing once again onto the unpleasant aspects of this moment right now.
And practicing to allow the things to be here.
Is it possible to let go of any resistance and simply softening into the unpleasant?
Being with it and observing it from a distant point of view.
Moving onwards now and exploring any pleasant experiences.
So what can we notice right now that's pleasant?
Maybe it's the quietness in the room.
The warmth in the face.
A feeling of calm.
We are practicing to gently allow the pleasant in.
Simply absorbing it.
And in case the mind has wondered,
Becoming aware of this and coming back to my words.
And once again focusing on the pleasant aspects right now.
What's here in this moment that is pleasant?
Maybe this breath.
Maybe the contact with the ground.
Maybe a thought.
Or maybe the sensation of the breath in our lungs.
Being here and simply absorbing the pleasant sensations,
Thoughts or emotions.
Moving on now.
Noticing the neutral aspects of this moment.
So these are aspects that we will be focusing on.
Noticing the neutral aspects of this moment.
So these are aspects that we haven't noticed before.
What can we notice that's here in this moment that's not pleasant nor unpleasant?
Simply exists.
Maybe the sensations in our knees.
Or the contact of our skin with the fabrics.
Maybe smells or sounds.
What's here?
And then we are moving on now.
Opening up to the whole of our experience.
Going into choiceless awareness or open awareness.
And simply becoming aware of the unpleasant,
Pleasant and neutral aspects of our moment to moment experience.
Practicing being with the totality of our moment in a calm attention.
Simply allowing and observing in a broad and open awareness.
As best we can.
Practicing to allow our experience just to be.
Is that possible?
And then we are drawing this practice to a close.
And now becoming aware again of our body and our breath.
How we are sitting here,
Breathing.
Noticing the sounds inside the room and outside the room.
And then starting to bring some movement into our body.
Maybe circling our wrists or shoulders or feet.
Moving the head from side to side.
And gently opening the eyes and fully coming back to the room.
This turning towards difficult meditation is now complete.
