Hello,
I'm Dr.
Candice Kreesman and this guided meditation is on dealing with distraction during your meditation practice.
Our beliefs about distraction can be some of the biggest barriers to establishing a meditation practice.
We come to meditation with high hopes for clearing our minds,
But when we sit our minds are immediately filled with to-do lists,
Worries,
And other thoughts.
Many meditators get so discouraged by the inner noise they encounter that they give up on meditation altogether.
Anything can be the object of our meditation though.
The object is the thing we focus on to deepen our ability to be attentive and present.
In this guided meditation you'll learn how to make distraction the object of your attention,
Increasing your ability to work with thoughts and reactions while staying present.
We will begin and end with a bell.
Start by taking two deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Now notice the sounds around you.
See if you can hear without labeling anything.
Let your body relax around the rise and the fall of the breath.
Breathing in and breathing out.
Follow the breath until a distraction arises.
Notice the type of distraction.
It may be sensory,
Something you hear,
Smell,
Or taste.
Or it could be an internal experience,
A thought,
An image,
An emotion.
Notice the distraction as you would a passing car or a TV ad.
Acknowledging the distraction without getting very invested in it.
Come back to your breath and wait for another distraction to arise.
Observe each distraction as a calm bystander.
Observe each distraction as a calm bystander.
Some distractions are exciting and engaging like a high-energy rock concert.
Some may be painful and tender like a sad movie.
Whatever the flavor of the distraction,
Try to remember that you are in the audience watching it all unfold.
Come back to the breath.
Now take two minutes in silence to practice observing distraction on your own.
Come back to your breath.
Now take two minutes in silence to practice observing distraction on your own.
Come back to your breath.
Now take two minutes in silence to practice observing distraction on your own.
Come back to your breath.
Now take two minutes in silence to practice observing distraction on your own.
Come back to your breath.
As we prepare to end this meditation,
Set an intention to notice when you become distracted throughout the day.
See if you can be aware of your distraction and return to the present moment.
Knowing that each time you get distracted and come back,
You are deepening your capacity for mindfulness.
