This is the final Communicating Mindfully meditation.
Much of this meditation will include commentary about mindfulness and meditation in general.
But before we get into all that,
Bringing awareness to your posture.
Finding one that is comfortable for you in all the ways we've been using for the other meditations.
Back straight.
Chin tilted down slightly to align the spine.
Eyes closed or soft without focusing on anything in particular.
Hands wherever you find them most comfortable.
Bringing awareness to your breath.
Using it as an anchor to this moment.
And if you'd like,
Gradually opening to other experiences that may arise.
Noticing thoughts and emotions.
Sounds.
Physical sensations.
Noticing when your mind is wandering and without judging yourself,
Bringing your awareness back to this moment.
Noticing this breath.
This thought.
This emotion.
This sound.
This physical sensation.
Whatever it is that comes into your awareness,
Observing it,
Experiencing it,
And watching it pass.
Since many people find they are happier as a result of the study of mindfulness,
This meditation includes reminders of some key elements of mindfulness that can help us lead more satisfying lives.
I invite you to listen to these reminders as part of your meditation.
Remaining in the posture you've chosen.
Being attentive to these reminders in much the same way you were being attentive to your breath,
Sounds,
Thoughts and emotions,
And physical sensations.
Through the practice of mindfulness,
We learn that life consists of pleasant and unpleasant experiences.
We can't decide to open fully only to the pleasant experiences.
When we recognize and experience each moment as new,
Fresh,
We don't know what we'll notice.
We may notice something beautiful and enjoyable,
Or we may notice something we find disagreeable and unpleasant.
It's easy to see how increased moments of beauty and joy can result in increased happiness in our lives.
But what do we do with the moments we find disagreeable and unpleasant?
How can our lives be happier if mindfulness actually increases the number of disagreeable and unpleasant moments we notice?
Part of the answer to that question is that through mindfulness we learn to experience those moments as they are,
Without fixating unproductively on what caused them or the potential results of those moments.
We learn to sit with the discomfort of those moments while we are experiencing them,
Realizing we don't need to run away from them or comment on them.
And this process brings us clarity that allows us to take productive action if necessary,
Or if no action is necessary,
We can choose to simply sit with the discomfort as it is in that moment.
And we realize that when we approach them this way,
These unpleasant experiences frequently have a short lifespan.
They go away quite quickly because we are not perpetuating them with thoughts about their causes or consequence.
This process involves several abilities.
The ability to open fully to the moment.
The ability to notice thoughts and emotions.
The ability to notice when we are ruminating about an event instead of just experiencing it for what it is.
The ability to sit with discomfort without trying to change anything about that moment.
These abilities allow us to open to every moment of our lives.
We notice beauty and joy that had been available to us previously but hadn't been within our field of awareness.
And when we notice unpleasant experiences,
We accept them too as part of life.
We don't have to run away.
We can choose to experience them and work through them as best we can.
Over time,
The strength and skill required to handle these challenges increases.
We grow more confident in our ability to open to life,
To its ebbs and flows.
The rest of this meditation,
Therefore,
Has very little instruction.
You know what to do.
Opening to the moments of this meditation,
To the moments of your life.
Noticing your breath.
Noticing your thoughts.
Noticing emotions,
Physical sensations,
And sounds around you.
And accepting whatever it is that comes into your awareness without judgment.
Realizing that whatever experience you're noticing,
Pleasant or unpleasant,
Is fleeting.
It will have a short lifespan if you don't pursue it with thoughts about that experience.
There's no need to cling to pleasant experiences.
No need to deny or push away unpleasant experiences.
Recognizing the strength you contain,
The ability you have to fully engage in your life.
Noticing the mature,
Wise perspective this approach to life engenders.
Noticing your increased ability to laugh,
To cry,
To connect with yourself,
With others,
With the world around you.
Now is the time to begin,
To continue,
Or to begin again.
It doesn't much matter which phrase you use,
This moment is now.
It's the only moment that really exists,
And it's the first moment of the rest of this meditation,
Of the rest of your life.
I will not bring this meditation to a formal close.
I'll leave it up to you how long to participate in this particular sit.
Recognizing perhaps that the lack of a formal close to this meditation is symbolic of the opportunity you have to bring mindfulness into each moment of your life,
Even after this meditation is over.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you live in peace.
