Hello and welcome.
Assume yourself to this meditation with whatever is bothering or distressing you.
An upsetting feeling perhaps of anxiety,
Anger,
Insecurity,
Restlessness or something else.
Turn your attention within.
Feel what's there.
And while you let it be,
Whatever it is,
Be aware of your body and make yourself as comfortable as you can.
Adopt a posture that feels relaxed and at the same time spacious and dignified.
Don't follow any rules about how to sit or whether to sit or lie.
The posture is for the body,
Not the other way round.
And once you're comfortable,
Bring your attention to the breath and take a few conscious deep breaths.
Slowly breathe deep in and long out.
And relax,
Particularly on every exhalation.
Relax.
Three or four times,
Maybe five.
Deep in and long out.
Now let go of deliberate breathing and allow the breath to flow naturally of its own accord.
Follow the movement of the breath in and out of the body.
Do nothing,
Just let the breath be in the foreground of your awareness.
And notice as well whatever arises in the background.
Any feelings or thoughts that come up from moment to moment,
Any sensations you feel,
Or the whole picture of your experience in this moment,
It's all there.
And the breath provides you with a kind of anchor,
A resting place for your attention.
And the invitation now is to bring your attention to that troublesome feeling you've been experiencing,
Just to feel it,
No further task.
You might ask,
What is this feeling?
Recognise it.
It's some kind of feeling that something is wrong.
So see it,
Name it.
It won't harm you.
See that too.
And then you don't need to run away from it.
And you don't need to judge and condemn your feelings.
You don't need to condemn yourself for having them.
You can simply say,
This is how it feels for me at this moment.
And maybe you can say to the part of you that's feeling this way,
I see you.
I hear you.
I feel you.
And now if you feel ready,
Perhaps you can approach the feeling that's present with a friendly interest.
This is not about starting to think about it so much as exploring how this feeling feels.
Paying attention to the body.
How does this feeling express itself in the body?
What exactly do you feel?
Where?
There may be a restless feeling which you might feel in the abdomen or somewhere else.
Perhaps the feeling is a heaviness around the heart.
Or you might feel a lump in your throat,
Tension in the shoulders,
The head,
The face,
The forehead.
Just feel what you feel.
And be aware of the part of you that feels this way.
Maybe you notice some of the thoughts that are behind the feeling you have.
So what is this part of me believing?
Do you notice thoughts that you're believing?
If so,
You might ask yourself,
Can I be sure it's true what I've been believing?
And then you could ask,
What is this part of me asking for?
What does it need?
Sit with this question a moment.
What does this part of me need?
What is it asking for?
And sense the possibility of offering this part of you what it needs,
What it truly needs.
Now you're beginning to look after,
To embrace the part of you that is suffering in this particular way.
And again,
There's no need to start thinking,
Ruminating.
Just see what comes up if you sit with the intention of responding lovingly to whatever arises.
Sitting with the intention of responding lovingly to whatever arises.
And sometimes an insight may come about what is needed.
Or a word or a sentence comes to mind that could offer you a kind of mantra or affirmation.
Don't go looking for anything though.
It's usually quite simple.
If you're feeling great restlessness,
For instance,
You may start repeating the word,
Relax,
With each out breath.
And if you find yourself working hard at this,
Just relax and let the working dissolve in relaxation.
Let all that inner striving dissolve in a state of rest.
You can always return to the breath,
That resting place for your attention.
And just sit,
Still,
Feeling and sensing,
Noticing.
If you find it helpful,
You could put a hand over your heart.
A gesture of kindly contact with yourself and your inner world.
And when you hear the gong,
You can slowly end your meditation in whatever way feels right at this point.
You might end your meditation with gratitude or with an affirmation,
Something to take with you.
Or maybe simply with a bow for your experience,
Whatever it is.
You can always continue sitting a while to let things sink in and settle.
Sometimes after this meditation,
Some clarity dawns about what is helpful.
Perhaps some helpful action to take.
Or there may simply be a little bit more restful state of mind,
Which is helpful in itself.
May you be well.
May you have peace of mind.
Look after yourself and have a good day.
