Hi,
Welcome to the fourth guided meditation in the resonance series,
NOW.
This and awareness-based meditation brings us into a deep experience of what is right in front of us.
In this approach to meditation,
We try to cultivate a quiet and focused availability to each moment.
We set aside time to devote to this process of clearing away distraction,
Of allowing thoughts to become ever more transient and infrequent,
And to root ourselves in the enduring NOW,
The instance of existence that we experience in the present.
Our tendency as humans is to spend our energy either in regret over the past or in anxiety about the future.
Our minds are always busy paying attention to these two representations of moments that have either passed out of the present or have yet to manifest into reality at all.
Unfortunately,
This attention and focus leaves us decidedly unaware of and far less able to participate in the reality of NOW.
Becoming attuned to living in the reality of NOW puts us in touch with what some would say is the only true reality,
And it places us in a position to best experience a deep connection to the essence of the universe that we are a part of by nature of our existence.
If awareness occurs anywhere,
It occurs right now.
Our goal for this meditation is to discover tools for keeping our awareness in the moment and to learn to value our experience of what is here and now.
Like always,
Take a moment to prepare yourself and your space for this meditation.
Notifications should be disabled on your phone and other devices,
So you won't be unexpectedly interrupted or distracted.
This reminder is always included in our meditations,
But it is particularly important when it comes to creating an environment conducive to experiencing the sacred moment right in front of us.
The tyranny of the urgent is most often the enemy of the NOW,
And there is a big difference between what is urgent and what is truly important.
In this meditation,
Using a candle and or incense also takes on an enhanced importance because of their ability to be objects that attach us to what is currently happening in our immediate surroundings.
The same is true for using some light stretching to bring awareness to your body,
So go ahead and treat yourself to some movement.
You can pause now to prepare yourself and your space if you haven't already,
And when you are ready,
Press play.
Find your place on your mat or cushion or chair.
Right from the beginning,
Give your energy to maintaining a sense of everything you are encountering.
Without entering into an analyzing thought process,
Simply feel and experience each little sensation.
Is your cushion soft?
Maybe you are sitting in a simple hard chair.
Just feel that.
Are your feet touching the ground in some way?
How do they feel?
Is the surface carpet or wood or something harder?
Is the floor cold or lukewarm?
Be aware of the temperature in the room.
Maybe there is a breeze from an air conditioning vent,
An open window or a ceiling fan.
Let your skin be in that moment as well and sense the conditions of the room.
The feel of air moving over you or stillness.
If you are used to meditating with your eyes closed,
For a moment let your eyes open and draw your gaze to a candle or the smoke from your incense.
If you aren't using either of those,
Find the corner of a table or bed or even a spot on the wall.
Let the focus of your eyes soften and take in as much visual awareness as you can without moving.
All of these experiences and stimuli are like quiet teachers pointing us to the present moment.
The light flickering from a candle flame,
The smoke rising from incense,
The simple sensation of air moving across your skin.
All are opportunities to access the deep wisdom and connection of now.
Inside your body the signposts continue.
Your breath is the most natural tool you have for cultivating awareness.
As you breathe your body changes,
Expanding on inhales and deflating on exhales.
The breath is connected to the flow of elemental energy that pervades us and unites us as interdependent beings.
Paying attention to your breath in any way is a window to awareness that you have at your disposal anytime you need it.
As you take an inhale,
Close your eyes and really pay attention to the changes that happen in your body.
Notice the sensation of air moving down your windpipe and into your lungs.
Take your time and feel the process reverse.
Feel how automatic it is and at the same time how you can control the speed and the depth of your breath.
Some find it helpful to use a whisper breath,
Constricting the throat just like you would if you were whispering,
In order to slightly amplify the sound of your breathing,
Making it more noticeable and easier to focus on.
The sound of breathing in and out becomes almost like the sound of waves rising and falling at the beach.
Each thing that occurs in your environment and each process of your body,
If we refuse the temptation to analyze it,
Can alert us to our natural participation in the now.
If you feel yourself start to enter into analytical thought,
Recognize it and allow those thoughts to pass by unhindered,
Like a leaf on a stream or a cloud in the sky.
Then return to your breath and to those anchors you've noticed in your space and expect nothing from yourself but simple presence and awareness of each moment.
In this moment,
You lack for nothing.
In this moment,
Be aware of your connection to the fullness of love and peace that is yours through participating in the flow of energy that sustains the universe.
You are part of a cohesive whole,
Infinitely larger than you but contained in each cell that makes up your physical body.
There has never been a reality that is not now.
Our neurons imagine the moments of tomorrow and remember the moments of the past but none of those moments actually exist outside those memories.
The consequences of past actions may well have an impact.
