Welcome to this guided mindful meditation.
I'll begin with a quote.
Meditation is being in a free and easy state where there is no attachment to anything within or without,
Only conscious of being conscious.
So let the attention come into the body.
Let it settle to the level of sensations generated there.
Feel the buttocks as they press against the chair,
Or the floor,
Or the cushion,
Or the bed.
Feel the hands folded in the lap,
Or wherever the hands are resting.
Allow awareness to experience the multiple sensations arising and disappearing in rapid succession in the body.
A moment of pressure here,
An instant of sensation there.
Just receive the body as it is.
Just feel the body breathing all by itself.
And gradually allow the attention to come to these sensations generated by breath in the body.
Feel these sensations in the belly,
In the chest,
In the throat.
Observe the sensations generated in the body with each inhalation,
With each exhalation.
Allow the attention to come fully to the sensations generated by the breath at the nostrils.
And notice where the sensation that accompanies each breath predominates.
Is it felt most clearly at the upper lip,
Inside the rim of the nostrils,
At the tip of the nose?
On whatever sensation is most distinct,
Focus the awareness.
And let awareness enter sensation.
Notice clearly the quality of change within.
If awareness wanders away from the sensations at the nostrils,
Lost for a moment in thinking,
In planning,
In wondering,
Just notice directly and without judgment where awareness went,
And gently letting go,
Return to the sensations of the breath at the nostrils.
If judgment arises,
Notice that too,
Without judgment,
Observe directly the involuntary process of uninvited judging.
Watch the process unfolding all by itself.
Let it come,
Let it go,
And return gently to the breath.
Establish the attention at the nostrils like a watchman stationed at the gates of a city.
Let awareness consider each sensation that accompanies the breath.
No force,
No leaning toward the breath,
Just an allowing awareness which receives multiple changing sensations with each in-breath,
With each out-breath.
Mindfulness of breathing.
As the changing flow of sensation is recognized,
Let the awareness become a bit more focused.
Notice too,
The space between the inhalation and exhalation.
Watch for any thought arising.
See how thought thinks itself and return to the breath.
Notice even the subtle intention to inhale or exhale that arises just before the top of the in-breath or the bottom of the out-breath.
If you notice any intention,
Any desire to control the breath,
Just note this tendency and allow the breath to breathe itself in clear awareness,
That moment floating in a merciful receptivity.
Allow the breath its natural tides,
Holding nowhere.
Simply observing,
Simply receiving experience as it unfolds.
Staying moment to moment with the multiple unfolding sensations in each exhalation.
Noticing the space between breaths and the intention to inhale once again.
Moment to moment mind is recognized as words or images silhouetted against the wordless backdrop of sensation.
Thoughts arise and dissolve like shooting stars.
The slightest movement of mind noticed clearly against the silent flow of sensation.
Never has thought been acknowledged so quickly after its arising.
Seeing directly the mechanics of thought,
Thinking does not continue unaware.
Mindfulness of thinking.
Letting go of thought,
Return gently to the breath.
Notice any judgement,
Any longing,
Any idea of what should be happening as just more thought,
More bubbles floating through the vastness of awareness.
Not thinking the breath,
But entering it directly.
Let the awareness go within the breath,
Feeling moment to moment its subtle change in texture.
As awareness gradually deepens,
Notice the yet subtler sensations that comprise each moment of the breath process.
Allow the body to breathe all by itself.
No need to control or shape the breath.
A keen gentle awareness enters each particle of sensation received.
Notice the beginning,
Middle and end of each inhalation.
Observe the space between.
No beginning,
Middle and end of each exhalation and the space that follows.
Enter the texture of the breath.
Feel its smoothness.
Feel the quality of heat or coolness within each momentary sensation.
Enter deeply the experience of simply breathing.
Without thinking the breath,
Enter directly its unfolding moment to moment.
A direct awareness that simply notes what is,
Without clinging or condemning,
Without leaning toward or away from the moment.
A steadiness that faithfully receives change.
Just exploring sensation at the nostrils.
Where awareness is present,
The old is seen in a brand new way.
Just watching.
Just being.
Watch the impermanence of all experience.
And with a gentle letting go,
Return fully to the breath.
Mindfulness of breathing at the nostrils.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Becoming present in the present by focusing on sensations.
No distractions.
Whatever arises is noticed clearly in its changeableness,
In its momentary quality,
Dissolving from thought to thought,
Feeling to feeling,
Sensation to sensation.
Each moment of thought or feeling or other bodily sensation is simply noted.
Recognising the nature of the process,
Return mercifully,
Gently to the breath.
When thinking or feeling,
Draw the attention away from the level of sensation.
Notice any tension or longing for things to be otherwise.
Mindfulness of feelings.
Return if need be a dozen times a minute to the breath.
When thinking arises,
Meet it light-heartedly,
Noting silently to yourself.
Thinking.
Feeling.
Planning.
Judging.
Just notice whatever arises as it arises and let go gently into the sensations of the breath.
Let go lightly,
Returning to the breath,
Noting the beginning,
Middle and end of each in-breath.
Noticing the space between breaths.
Noting the beginning,
Middle and end of the out-breath and the space between.
Noting texture.
Exploring any sense of pressure or heat or coolness.
Noting moments of pleasure or displeasure,
Of liking and disliking from sensation to sensation.
Consciousness receiving the subtle breath,
Breathing itself in the vast spaciousness of awareness.
Note even someone watching all this and just allow watching to watch itself.
Consciousness unfolding in clear awareness.
Mindfulness of process.
Just awareness and sensation meeting moment to moment.
Go beyond even the concept breath to enter the flow of consciousness directly.
Enter directly,
Mercifully,
Gently,
Persistently.
Staying with it.
Becoming present in the present.
