This meditation is very similar to Meditations 1 and 2,
But it introduces yet another way to manage the thoughts and emotions you encounter while meditating.
Now that you have some experience with meditation,
Going ahead and finding the posture that feels best for you.
Knowing what to do with your feet.
Having them flat on the floor,
Raised.
Having the balls of your feet flat on the floor.
Choosing the most comfortable level of your chin as it relates to the alignment of your spine.
And choosing whether to keep your eyes open or if you would rather employ the soft eyes approach of looking down at a 45 degree angle without focusing on anything in particular.
Whatever feels right to you.
Then beginning to observe your breath as it comes into your body,
Circulates through your body and leaves your body.
Using your breath as an anchor to this moment.
Not predicting what each breath will feel like,
But fully experiencing your breath.
Each moment of each breath.
Reminding yourself that meditation is more about experiencing than doing.
Noticing.
Knowing your breath.
Noticing when your mind wanders and without judgment,
Gently bringing your attention back to your breath.
Noticing when your mind wanders and without judgment,
Gently bringing your attention back to your breath.
Now expanding your awareness to include any sounds that come to you.
Hearing them,
Noticing them,
Allowing them to exist just as they are,
Without having to identify what's making the sound,
Without having to label them as pleasant or unpleasant.
Noticing when your mind wanders and without judgment,
Gently bringing your attention back to your breath.
Allowing yourself to be fully present.
Devoting yourself to observing each moment as it unfolds.
Being open to experiencing this moment.
Continuously alert,
Awake,
Without predictions,
Without judgment.
From time to time your mind will wander.
You'll find yourself distracted.
So far you have been instructed to manage those moments by noticing your mind is wandering and gently returning awareness to your breath.
Another method you might use when you notice your mind has pulled you away is a technique called noting.
When you notice you are thinking,
Instead of focusing on breath or sound,
Saying to yourself,
Thinking,
And seeing if that act of labeling allows the thoughts to disappear without you having to push them away.
Or you could be more precise about the word you choose based on the types of thoughts or emotions you are experiencing.
For instance,
You might say worrying,
Planning,
Judging,
Not spending too long thinking about the word you choose.
You can always fall back on the word thinking,
No matter what kinds of thoughts you're having.
Although thoughts and emotions might dissipate when you note them in this way,
They may also return soon afterward,
And that's okay.
You can use the noting technique each time you find yourself caught up in thought,
Reminding yourself that anything you experience during meditation is okay,
And being present to whatever it is you're experiencing from moment to moment.
And as you can see this is a773 Marcus Kottis to sensibility,
Through mental recovery and angularity,
And SilvaOU?
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If you find the technique of noting doesn't work for you,
You might go back to treating your thoughts and emotions as you do breath or sound.
Being aware of the moment they begin,
And without pursuing them,
Without asking questions about them,
Without buying into them,
Letting them exist and live out their natural lifespan,
Which will likely be quite brief because you're not engaging with them.
Being aware of the moment they begin,
You might go back to treating them as you do breath or sound.
Being aware of the moment they begin,
You might go back to treating them as you do Observing your experience of each moment as it unfolds.
Observing and experiencing the breath or sound,
Or the beginnings of a thought,
The stirrings of emotions.
Never knowing which of those stimuli will be part of the moment.
Opening yourself to experiencing whatever it is that comes along.
Noticing,
Accepting,
Acknowledging,
And perhaps noting.
Checking in with yourself.
Where is your mind?
Is it right here,
Present,
Observing the moments unfold?
Or has it left the room in some way,
Carrying you off with it?
If your mind has wandered,
Bringing yourself back to this moment,
In whatever way feels right to you.
Maybe focusing on your breath,
Maybe using sound as an anchor.
Or perhaps using the technique of noting,
Saying to yourself,
Thinking,
Or worrying,
Or judging.
And letting yourself let go of the thoughts or emotions that have pulled you away from this moment.
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