Secular Mindfulness Meditation

This is a thorough secular mindfulness meditation for meditators with prior experience. It includes the mindfulness supports of the body scan, sound, and mindfulness of breath. It concludes by connecting with the observing self. It contains elements of self-compassion. It is helpful for strengthening focus and concentration, alleviating anxiety and stress, and is a good meditation to do at the end of the day to prepare for sleep. It has a beginning and end bell.

Transcript

Now,

When you're ready,

Allow your eyes to gently close and direct your attention into the physical body as a whole.

Feel the contact with the surface beneath it,

Taking a few consciously deeper breaths.

Imagine your body softening slightly,

As if it was sinking into the support beneath it.

Allow your neck to soften and sink a little.

Imagine the shoulders and upper back softening and sinking,

And the middle and lower back also softening into the support beneath you.

Gathering a general sense of how your body is feeling in this moment.

Pausing to notice where sensations are subtle or vivid.

Moving your awareness from the feet up through the legs towards the knees into the thighs and pelvis,

Your abdomen,

Stomach,

Ribs and into your chest.

Include your hands and arms,

Shoulders and upper back,

Neck,

Face and head.

The very top of the head and then back into the body as a whole,

Supported by the surface beneath it.

If there are any areas of discomfort or pain in the body,

Acknowledging them with kindly acceptance.

Now take your full attention down into the right foot.

Notice any naturally occurring sensations where the heel of the right foot is in contact with the surface beneath it.

Perhaps a slight sensation of pressure or warmth.

Place your attention at the ankle and deep into the ankle joint,

Then up into the instep and the sole of the foot,

The whole of the sole of the foot.

Up to the smooth skin on the surface of the top of the foot,

The whole of the surface of the top of the foot.

From the top of the ankle to the base of the toes.

Sliding your attention over to the base of the right big toe,

Feeling for any sensations here.

Up into the joint of the big toe,

Deep into the joint of the big toe.

Then up to the very tip of the big toe,

Feeling for any sensations here.

Any tingling or slight contact from a blanket or covering.

You're not looking for anything in particular,

Just any ordinary physical sensations that may be present.

If you're feeling little or no sensation,

Still taking a moment to place your full attention here at the tip of the right big toe.

Then move your attention down the inside of the right big toe,

Along the adjoining skin to include the second toe,

The third,

The fourth and into the little toe.

Feeling for sensations in the right little toe and the very tip of the little toe.

Transfer your attention over to the left foot,

The contact of the heel of the left foot with the surface beneath it.

Up into the ankle and deep into the ankle joint,

Into the instep and the sole of the foot.

The smooth skin on the surface of the top of the foot.

The whole of the top of the left foot,

From the top of the ankle to the base of the toes.

Then moving your attention over to the base of the big left toe,

Up into the joint of the big toe,

Deep into the joint of the big toe.

Up to the very tip,

Feeling for any sensations at the very tip of the left big toe.

Sliding attention down the inside of your left big toe,

Along the adjoining skin into the second toe,

The base of the second toe,

Deep into the joint of the second toe and to the very tip of the second toe.

Expanding your awareness to include the third and the fourth toes and into the little toe and the tip of the little toe.

From the tip of the left little toe,

Travel with your attention along the outside of the foot,

Past the ankle bone and into the left calf.

Feeling for any sensations in the left calf,

From the top of the heel to the hollow of the back of the knee,

The whole of the left calf.

Feeling for any sensations created by the calf in contact with the surface beneath it.

Bringing attention to your left shin and the surface of your left shin and deep into the bone of the left shin.

Transfer your attention over to the right shin,

The surface of the right shin and deep into the bone of the right shin.

Down into the calf,

The whole of the right calf,

From the ankle up to the hollow at the back of the knee.

Noticing any pressure you can feel from the contact of the right calf with the surface beneath it.

Expanding your attention now to include the right knee,

Deep into the joint of the right knee,

Resting your attention in the centre of the right knee.

Not thinking about the knee but feeling for any naturally arising sensations here.

Include the outside of the knee,

The inside of the knee,

The kneecap and surface of the kneecap.

Take your attention over into the left knee,

Deep into the joint of the left knee,

Resting your attention deep within the knee.

The outside of the knee,

The inside of the knee,

The kneecap and the surface of the kneecap.

Slide your attention from the left knee up through the left thigh into the left hip,

The outside of the left hip,

Deep into the joint of the hip and over to the groin on the inside.

Noting any sensations in the groin.

And then moving your attention over to the right hip,

The outside of the right hip,

Into the joint of the right hip.

Noticing any sensations in the groin on the inside,

Pausing to feel for any sensations that are here.

Then up into the pelvic area,

The whole of the pelvic area.

Take a moment to check in with your mind right now.

Is it following along from body part to body part or is it involved with thinking,

Perhaps planning or remembering?

It is the natural tendency of the mind to wander.

But rather than feel critical of yourself when this happens,

Maybe trying instead to celebrate that every time you bring your mind back you are strengthening your capacity to be aware and awake in the present moment.

Directing your awareness now into the base of the spine.

Taking time to give the base of the spine your full attention.

Noticing for any sensations here in the base of the spine.

Taking a slightly deeper breath as if you were breathing directly into this area.

Expand your attention outwards and forwards to embrace your abdomen.

Noticing how the pattern of sensations here change as you breathe in and out.

Notice the rise and fall of your abdomen and the stretching and contracting of the abdominal wall.

Bring your attention into your upper abdomen and stomach.

Noticing any sensations here,

Perhaps a pulsing or slight throbbing or there may be little sensation or none at all.

Then focusing attention on the area just above your navel which is often referred to as the solar plexus and is where tensions and anxieties are often felt.

As you scan this area you might like to place a hand here especially if the sensations are intense.

Move your awareness up into your lower rib cage.

Again taking some slightly deeper breaths and noticing the sidewards movement of the rib cage as it expands outwards during the in breath and slowly contracts back in on the out breath.

Now open your awareness to embrace the chest area.

Feel the movement of the chest wall as you breathe in and out.

Move your attention deep into your lungs and the middle of the chest.

Becoming aware of the heart as well as being the organ that pumps blood around the body.

The heart is also the receptor for your moods and emotions.

Greet any feelings and emotional tones that are present here with friendliness and acceptance.

If it feels natural for you,

Place your other hand here and breathe into your heart for a few breaths.

Sometimes it can be pleasant to bring a half smile to the eyes and face or just a soft inner smile of contentment as you do this.

On your in breath you might inwardly say to yourself,

Breathing in I feel calm and on your out breath you might say to yourself,

Breathing out I feel ease,

In calm out ease.

Really listening to the words as you say them inwardly to yourself while matching them to your own breathing rhythm for a few minutes.

Now take your attention up into your left collar bone and into the area in front of the left shoulder,

Into the joint of the left shoulder and down into the left armpit,

Deep into the left armpit.

Then moving your attention over to the right collar bone,

Up to the front of the right collar bone,

Into the joint of the right shoulder and into the right armpit,

Deep into the right armpit.

Around the back of both shoulders and deep into both shoulder blades.

Moving attention over to the right arm,

Taking a deliberately longer breath and on the next breath imagine breathing into the arm as if you could fill the whole arm with your breath.

Gliding down the right arm from the shoulder into the right elbow,

Pausing there to notice sensations.

Then down the forearm into the right wrist,

The delicate skin on the inside of the right wrist,

Feeling for any sensations created by any contact here.

Moving into the right palm,

Then the back of the right hand,

Noticing any temperature differences between the palm and the back of the right hand.

Moving your attention to the tips of the fingers of the right hand,

One by one.

The nail and cuticle and up to the tip of the thumb.

The nail and tip of the first finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth and little finger.

Transferring awareness into the left arm,

Taking a deliberately longer breath and then on the next breath imagine breathing into the left arm as if you could fill the whole arm with your breath.

Guiding your attention down the arm from the left shoulder into the left elbow,

Pausing here to feel for sensations.

Down the left forearm and into the left wrist,

The inside of the left wrist,

The delicate skin on the inside of the left wrist,

Noticing any sensations created by any contact here.

Into the left palm,

The back of the left hand,

Noticing any differences in temperature between the palm and the back of the left hand.

Moving attention into the fingers of the left hand,

One by one.

From the base of the left thumb into the joint and up into the nail and cuticle,

The tip of the left thumb,

The nail and cuticle and the very tip of the first finger,

Middle finger,

Fourth and tip of the little finger.

Travelling with your attention from the tip of the little finger along the outside of the left hand,

Past the wrist bone,

Up the left forearm,

Past the elbow into the upper arm and into the upper back and the back of the neck.

Feeling for sensations in the upper back,

The back of the neck and the base of the head.

Moving attention round to the front into the throat,

Taking a moment to register in your awareness any subtle or vivid sensations within the throat area.

Then up to the chin,

The tip of the chin,

The lower jaw and the upper jaw,

The area around the outside of the mouth,

Sensations in the bottom lip,

The top lip,

The area beneath the nose,

The tip of the nose,

The right cheek and the left cheek and both cheekbones,

The bridge of the nose,

Deep inside the nose,

The back of the throat and into the mouth,

The whole of the inside of the mouth,

The teeth and the tongue and the tip of the tongue.

Become aware of the face as a whole,

The surface of the face and the inside of the face.

Noticing any sensations on the inside of the face.

Feel for sensations behind the eye sockets,

Around the right eye socket and around the left eye socket.

Expand your attention over to the right temple,

The slight indentation of the right temple and then the right ear,

Deep inside the right inner ear where the balance and equilibrium of the body is maintained.

Taking your attention over to the left temple,

The slight indentation of the left temple and then into the left inner ear,

Feeling for any sensations deep inside the left ear.

Becoming aware that as the mind is naturally settling,

The senses are perhaps becoming more vivid and alive.

Feeling the aliveness of the energy field in the ears as they receive sounds from the immediate environment around you.

Listen to these sounds with a relaxed and neutral attention to that feeling that you have to like or dislike them.

Noticing the sense of stillness this attentive listening brings.

Noticing the silence underneath the sounds.

With your listening attention now reach out for whatever sound is furthest away from you,

Beyond the room or building you are in.

If there isn't one,

Simply bring your attention closer in to the nearest sound you can hear.

Listen for any sounds you can pick up directly outside of the room,

Maybe just outside the window,

Perhaps birdsong or traffic noise or other people in your building.

Now bring your listening attention into the room and choose one sound to focus on for a few minutes.

Drawing your attention in even closer to you,

See if you can detect the subtle sound of your own breathing.

Notice where you can most easily feel your breath coming into your body,

Maybe at the nose or in the chest,

Your abdomen or a flowing movement between all of these places.

Cooler as it comes in and slightly warmer as it goes out.

Whatever natural rhythm your breath is settled into,

Start paying conscious attention to the actual length of the breath as it comes into your body and out again,

Like a wave coming onto the shore.

Notice there is a natural pause once the breath has gone out of the body and before it comes back in again.

Include this pause as you carefully pay attention to the whole length of the in-breath and the whole length of the out-breath.

Now checking in with yourself again.

Are you here?

Are you feeling drowsy or clear headed?

Register how you are actually feeling rather than how you want to feel or think you should be feeling.

Try not to judge yourself if your attention has wandered a lot during this time or if you have found yourself drifting in and out of sleep.

Be thankful for this opportunity you have made to rest.

If you are feeling very drowsy you might like to open your eyes and continue following along with this guided meditation with your eyes open.

Returning to the breath,

Imagine breathing in through the front of your face,

Refreshing the whole of the inside of your head and gently breathing out again.

Doing this for a few breath cycles.

Now bring your attention into the middle of your head.

Breathe into and out from the middle of your head.

Becoming aware as you follow the breath into and out from the middle of your head that you are here.

Recognising that just as you can send your attention out into any part of your body,

For example the right foot,

The sensations in your right foot,

Your left foot,

Your right knee and left knee,

Your stomach and your heart.

You can also gather your attention back in,

Into the middle of your head and your own self which you can sense and locate here.

Fully resting within the sense of self now in the middle of the head.

Take a few minutes to guide your own attention,

Breathing in to the sensation of the self located in the middle of your head and breathing out from the sensation of self now in the middle of your head.

Enjoying the simplicity of resting your full attention within the self,

Settled and tranquil.

A place that is whole and timeless.

Whatever is going on within your body or the circumstances of your life,

This is a place of sanctuary where you can return whenever you want to.

Begin to be aware of the physical body again now,

Perhaps starting to move the fingers and toes or stretching in whatever way you need to.

With a soft focus gently open your eyes if you have not already done so and become aware of the room.

Remain on your back or roll onto your side for a few minutes.

Rest with whatever tranquillity you have generated within yourself during this time before getting up.