Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit or lie down.
Close your eyes gently.
Take a moment to settle into your seat or position.
Today we'll explore a unique meditation technique that invites you to see the world around you as if for the first time,
To cultivate fresh and childlike perception.
This practice can help you break free from habitual ways of seeing and open the door to a deeper level of awareness.
To begin,
Let's first take a few deep and mindful breaths,
Allowing your body to relax with each exhale.
Breathe in deeply and exhale fully,
Letting go of any tension or stress.
Start by bringing your awareness to your breath.
Take a few deep and mindful breaths,
Allowing your body to relax with each exhale.
Now let's bring this technique into our practice.
Imagine you're coming home after a long day.
You approach your front door.
Ordinarily you might unlock it and enter without a second thought,
But today we'll do things differently.
As you stand at your front door,
Take a moment to pause and breathy.
Look at your door,
Your threshold,
As if you've never seen it before.
Forget the familiarity.
Let go of your habitual way of seeing.
See the door as a whole,
Not focusing on its material or its details.
Simply perceive it as an object,
A form,
Without analyzing its substance or shape.
Resist the urge to let your eyes wander or analyze its material.
Instead,
Stay fully present with the form of the door itself.
Experience it as if it were an abstract concept,
Free from the limitations of substance.
Your eyes may want to move,
But gently bring them back to this whole form of the door.
Do not allow your gaze to wander or your thoughts to analyze.
Be fully present with the form.
Simply perceive it as an object,
A form,
Without analyzing its substance or shape.
Resist the urge to let your eyes wander or analyze its material.
Instead,
Stay fully present with the form of the door itself.
Experience it as if it were an abstract concept,
Free from the limitations of substance.
Your eyes may want to move,
But gently bring them back to this whole form of the door.
Do not allow your gaze to wander or your thoughts to analyze.
Be fully present with the form.
Now,
Extend this practice to any object of your choice.
It could be any object in your surroundings or one you sense.
The key is to look at it with the same quality of attention,
As a whole,
Without focusing on its material or its parts.
Maintain this focus for a few moments.
Keep looking at the object with unwavering attention,
Not allowing your eyes to move or your thoughts to wander.
As you continue to gaze upon this object as a whole and let go of any material or analytical thoughts,
You may start to experience a shift in your awareness.
The boundaries between you and the object may begin to blur.
If your mind starts to wander or thoughts arise,
Gently bring your focus back to the object,
As if you're peering into the essence of the object itself.
Maintain this focus for a few moments.
Keep looking at the object with unwavering attention,
Not allowing your eyes to move or your thoughts to wander.
As you continue to gaze upon this object as a whole and let go of any material or analytical thoughts,
You may start to experience a shift in your awareness.
The boundaries between you and the object may begin to blur.
If your mind starts to wander or thoughts arise,
Gently bring your focus back to the object,
As if you're peering into the essence of the object itself.
In a few moments,
Become aware of the subtle shifts happening within you.
Notice how your perception changes as you immerse yourself in the object,
Without dividing it into parts or analyzing its substance.
This is the essence of meditation,
The practice of turning your awareness inward,
Beyond the external distractions and discovering the true nature of your consciousness.
Now,
Gently release your focus on the object and bring your awareness back to your breath.
Take a few deep,
Calming breaths,
Feeling the rise and fall of your chest,
Or the sensation of the breath entering and leaving your nostrils.
With each breath,
Come back to the present moment.
Feel the ground beneath you,
Or the support of your seat.
And as we conclude this meditation,
May you carry this sense of fresh perception with you throughout your day,
Seeing the world with new eyes.
As a final step,
Let's offer loving kindness to ourselves and others.
Silently,
In your heart,
Extend these thoughts.
May I be happy.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
Now expand this loving kindness outward.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings live with ease.
May your day be filled with the wonder and freshness of seeing the world anew,
And may you carry this loving kindness with you wherever you go.
When you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes,
Allowing the outside world to come back into your awareness.
Take a moment to let go of all distractions,
And to reorient yourself to your surroundings.
Thank you for joining me in this meditation.
