Begin by simply noticing the body.
This is not to create a mental image,
But instead to go to the experience of bodily sensation.
You might notice the sensations of breathing.
You might notice any tension or tightness that is held in the body.
You might notice your heart beating.
You might notice the space behind your eyes.
You might notice the sensations along your spine.
Or the sensations on the skin at the bottom of your feet.
Gently be aware of these bodily sensations and do not do anything with them.
Just observe.
Is it possible to be very neutral about your observation of the body?
If we let go of our tendency to try and decide if a sensation is good or bad,
Pleasant or unpleasant,
And instead just observe.
Simple,
Pure awareness.
Perhaps the body is willing to let go of a little tension,
A little tightness.
Just see now if it's willing to soften just slightly,
Just gradually,
And maybe it will,
Maybe it won't.
Go to the sensations of breathing.
And just allow yourself to breathe naturally.
No forcing of the breath in or forcing of the breath out.
Just breathe and be aware of the sensations of breathing.
And in time the breath will deepen and slow itself down.
Realise here that nothing needs to change about the body.
It's already here in its own natural way.
So don't try to change anything.
Don't alter or fix anything.
Just allow the body to be here,
Breathing,
Going through its natural processes,
According to its own natural rhythm,
Its own natural law.
And your only task is to just be gently and lovingly aware of the bodily sensations.
Nothing is good or bad.
It just is.
So all is well.
Include within your bodily sensations your sense perceptions and treat them as though they were an integral,
Incorporated part of the body.
So all sounds that you can hear include within the field of sensations that is the body,
As though the sounds you can hear were internal,
Not external.
And does this change the quality of hearing?
And so too,
Sensing the temperature in the room.
This sensation is happening within the body.
Although it is a sense that is perceiving something external to the body,
Just include this sense within the internal sensations of the body.
What is the temperature in the room right now?
And let go of the tendency to try and decide if the temperature is pleasant or unpleasant,
Right or wrong.
Even let go of any words such as cool or warm.
Instead,
Just remain as the experience of temperature.
Internalise this experience.
It is happening as you.
And what is the scent in the room?
Be as though this were the very first time you've ever experienced scent.
So no memories attached to anything you can smell.
Just receive that sense and treat it as though it is an internal bodily sensation.
Is there any residual taste in the mouth?
Or is there no taste present currently?
Just be aware of the mouth and the sensations within.
Include and integrate this taste into the sense of being.
And if your eyes are closed,
Become aware of the darkness behind the eyelids.
Receive this darkness.
Do not exclude vision from your sense of being in the here and now just because your eyes are closed.
Include the darkness as well.
A full and complete experience of being in the present moment.
The bodily sensations,
The breath,
The heart beating,
The sound,
The temperature,
The scent,
The taste and vision.
All incorporated together into one singular experience in the here and now.
And just be present with this experience.
There is no next moment.
There is no previous moment.
There is just now.
Allow yourself to simply experience now with nothing added.
As you immerse deeper and deeper into your awareness of experience in the present moment,
You may be aware of the mind chattering away and this can be frustrating and annoying.
But just for this time,
Include also all of the chatter in the mind.
Do not try and push it away or make it go quiet.
Instead,
Just allow it to be as it always is.
Incorporate and integrate the mind into the sensations of the body.
Allow it to be here within this singular experience.
Only don't give so much importance to the mind.
Be as though the mind is just another sense.
And just as it's possible to hear traffic noise outside or birdsong.
Just be aware of the chatter in the mind,
But just allow it to be in the background.
It can still be noisy,
But just consider it to be unimportant,
Irrelevant.
The only thing relevant in the here and now is your awareness of your current experience.
So there is nothing the mind can suggest or pull your attention away with because the mind has become simply irrelevant.
There is nothing more to be done in this meditation.
Just allow yourself the simplicity of this sense of being.
You can be aware of all elements of your experience,
Whatever that experience could be.
Whatever that experience contains and still be in total peace.
It is only the mind's interpretation of experience that causes us to consider things to be right or wrong,
Pleasant or unpleasant.
But now we have turned the volume down on the mind and we are now considering the mind's chatter to be fully irrelevant,
Fully unimportant.
You'll find that experience doesn't get in the way of peace.
Experience does not darken the light of conscious awareness.
It's just another thing to be aware of.
So all is well.
Allow your experience to be vivid and intense,
Bright,
Raw,
Immediate.
And recognise that although the experience of now might be intense and immediate,
It does not distract awareness from peace.
It does not happen outside of the present moment.
All experience is present.
In a moment we will be leaving the formal aspect of this meditation.
You may choose to sit a while longer in this sense of just being in silence.
Or it may be time to move and join back in with the usual daily activities.
But if it is time to re-engage with the usual activities of life,
See if it's possible to repeatedly step back into this space of pure awareness.
And recognise that all experience unfolds within the present.
In time this leads to a deep and remarkable sense of peace and well-being.
Thank you for doing this meditation with me today.
Take care,
Be well and stay present.
