In this practice today.
I'm going to give you some insights,
Some ideas of what to do when your mind wanders.
Just get yourself settled in a comfortable position.
You can move your body any way you need to,
To just get in as much of a relaxing position as possible.
Bringing an awareness to your breathing.
And as I talk you through this,
You might want to gently close your eyes or just soften your gaze.
And like I said,
I'm going to explain what to do when your mind wanders.
And how to think of any kind of intense sensations in a way that doesn't fuel any kind of judgement,
Avoidance or other unhelpful thoughts.
So as you practice these mindfulness techniques,
You'll start to become aware and find that they always help your mind settle.
Helping your mind settle and become calm like a still pool.
Nice deep breathing.
Just be aware that it's okay if your mind wanders.
Virtually everyone's mind wanders while trying to bring in mindfulness.
Mindfulness to their breath,
Their body,
Their thoughts or their discomfort.
It's completely normal.
It's actually just what minds do.
Truth be told,
The moment you become aware that your mind has wandered,
It's actually a moment of mindfulness.
If your mind keeps getting distracted by discomfort,
Just try thinking of those pieces of discomfort merely as sensations.
Pure and simple.
Just sensations and rest in awareness of them.
You might find that thoughts about the sensations or the discomfort can actually make things worse.
And then just recognizing them as thoughts.
Just let them be.
Letting them be without pushing them away or following them.
You're putting out the welcome mat for the sensations,
The feelings themselves,
Simply because they were already here.
So why not just acknowledge them for now?
Realizing that the part of you that is aware of the sensations is actually not itself in pain or discomfort.
Nor is it moved by these thoughts and feelings at all.
It knows them directly underneath all of the conceptual labels,
Descriptions,
Stories,
Beliefs,
Ideas.
So please just see if you can be aware of whatever thoughts and emotions come up for you as you continue to sit or lie here.
And touch with the breath in your body moment by moment.
The more you create time and space,
Get in touch with the breath in your body.
It's a signal,
A sign that you are moving away from the autopilot.
And you're shifting toward a more intentional,
Choiceful state of mind.
It's one that allows you to see,
To see the world more clearly,
With more clarity.
And as such,
It helps you to respond appropriately and effectively.
The more you commit to and create a practice like this,
You'll find that the moments of awareness become more frequent and join together into a flow of awareness.
Well done.
Just to recap this practice,
If your mind keeps getting distracted by discomfort,
Try thinking of them merely as sensations.
Focusing on your breath as well and rest in the awareness of these sensations.
And as you do this,
You may recognize that thoughts about the sensations can actually make things more intense.
Realize that the part of you that is aware of sensation is not itself in pain or feeling discomfort.
The practice is quite simple,
Allowing yourself the awareness of whatever thoughts,
Feelings and emotions arrive.
As you continue to sit or lie here,
In touch with the breath in your body,
Moment by moment.
I hope these suggestions and ideas have given you insight into yourself and a new practice,
A new way to lovingly deal with your mind wandering or any sense of discomfort you may be feeling.
So in your own time,
Gently bringing this practice to an end for today,
I encourage you to come back to a practice like this,
Create it for yourself.
Just bringing your awareness back fully into your body,
Taking a nice deep breath,
Wiggling your fingers and toes,
Gently opening your eyes and taking in your surroundings.
Thank you for creating this moment of mindfulness for yourself.
