Witnessing, An Act Of Unconditional Love

The theme of this meditation is 'Witnessing' as an act of unconditional love. The preamble speaks to the connection between self-consciousness and other consciousness and sets an intention for the meditation itself. It is a practice of detachment, of letting go. This aids in more authentic relationships with ourselves and others. Enjoy.

Transcript

The theme of today's meditation is witnessing.

In the words of Rumi,

Be a witness,

Not a judge.

I'd like to spend a few minutes talking about what it means to be a witness.

What it means to witness ourselves.

What it means to witness others.

And how that witnessing becomes a skill that can help us create more care and compassion in our relationships,

And thus more care and compassion in our communities.

When considering what it means to be a witness to ourselves,

Or self-centered witnessing,

This refers to our ability to peacefully observe the flow of our own internal environment,

Which we'll practice during our meditation today.

Self-centered witnessing is also referred to as witness consciousness,

Or pure awareness.

This speaks to that innermost silent awareness that gives us the feeling that our existence is,

And continues,

In the absence of our thoughts,

Sensations,

And emotions.

It's freedom.

In the context of our mental health,

The strength of our ability to be our own witness becomes more relevant.

In 2005,

The National Science Foundation published an article summarizing research on human thoughts per day.

It was found that the average person has about 12,

000 to 60,

000 thoughts per day.

Of those thousands of thoughts,

80% were negative,

And 95% were exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before.

When we consider our tendency to become emotionally attached to these thoughts,

Most of which,

By the way,

Will never come true,

We shed new light on the importance of trying to rid ourselves of this habit of mental and emotional spiraling.

And then when we consider that anxiety is strengthened through these patterns and repetitions,

Our tendency to feel constant anxiety becomes obvious,

And the importance of a meditative practice becomes essential.

Every time we sit with the intention to choose not to follow and elaborate on a thought or on an emotion,

Every time we choose to remain in the fullness and freedom of the present moment,

We're changing that.

We can call it letting go.

We can call it relaxing.

Whatever the term,

What we're doing is slowly starving the angst that otherwise builds within us.

This topic always brings to mind the serenity prayer.

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Taking this world as it is and not as I would have it.

Witnessing becomes the how-to in answer to that prayer.

Let's consider how witnessing impacts our role when we're in situations we were called to be other-centered.

To witness another,

We embody the characteristics that are the essence of the Buddhist traditions of the four immeasurables.

By offering another our presence and our attention,

We're demonstrating loving-kindness,

Compassion,

Empathetic joy,

And tranquility.

Our ability to remain non-reactive creates balance and stability for those whom we are witnessing.

In conversation,

There's typically the speaker and the listener.

In compassionate conversation,

The person speaking is free to express their own ideas freely without anticipation of judgment.

The speaker doesn't need to convince the listener of the validity of their feelings.

The speaker doesn't need to convict another as the cause of their feelings.

They can simply express what they feel.

And the listener,

As a witness to the speaker,

Offers their presence,

Their attention,

Which is to say,

Their unconditional love.

In this context of unconditional love,

Consider it as it is expressed in Corinthians 13.

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

It does not envy.

It does not boast.

It is not proud.

It does not dishonor others.

It is not self-seeking.

It is not easily angered,

And it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects,

Always trusts,

Always hopes,

And always perseveres.

Love never fails.

We can demonstrate our unconditional love by offering our presence more so than our opinion.

So I invite you to make it your intention for today's practice to play.

Play with the experience of being a witness to the thoughts,

Feelings,

And emotions that may arise during your meditation.

And after the meditation,

I invite you to contemplate on how this ability,

This skill,

Might contribute to creating care and compassion in your relationships and in your communities.

So let's begin.

Take a moment to settle into your seat.

If at any time during the meditation you need to shift your position,

Feel free to do so.

You can close your eyes or have them capped with your gaze lowered.

If you feel like you need to open your eyes during the meditation,

Feel free to do so.

And then when you're ready,

Close or cap them again and return to the meditation.

I invite you now to mindfully take a full breath in and slowly let it out.

You can have your hands resting on your lap or on your knees.

Whatever feels best for you is perfect.

I'll invite you now to mindfully take another breath in and slowly let it out.

And continue to settle yourself.

Perhaps wiggle about and really nestle your bottom into your seat until you feel comfortable,

Until you feel held.

There's no need to intentionally seek any particular experience or outcome during today's meditation.

For right now,

Just observe and bear witness to the unique rhythm of your own breath.

You might notice the sensation of the cool air passing through your nostrils as you inhale.

And then you might notice the slightly warmer air passing through your nostrils as you exhale.

And as the rhythm of your breath draws you into deeper states of relaxation,

Perhaps the otherwise subtle movements of your body are becoming more noticeable.

Perhaps you notice the rise and fall of your chest as you breathe in and then out.

Perhaps you notice the rise and fall of your belly as you breathe in and then out.

Perhaps you're not really noticing anything.

There's no right or wrong here.

Your experience is exactly what it is meant to be.

And let's encourage an even deeper state of relaxation by intentionally making your next few breaths a little bit bigger,

A little bit deeper,

And a little bit longer.

And now you can let go of this intentional regulation of your breath and return to your natural flow.

Throughout your meditation,

When you notice that your mind has wandered off,

Which is likely to happen,

Gently guide your attention back to your breath,

Back to the movement of your body as your breath flows through you.

Let your breath be your anchor to the present moment.

Move your attention now to sounds that may be in your environment.

These sounds are part of your practice.

These sounds may be near to you,

Or they may be coming to you from further away.

As you witness them,

Know that they are neither bad nor good.

They simply are.

Notice if there are any smells in your environment.

These smells are also part of your practice.

And as you witness them,

Know that they are neither likable nor dislikable.

They simply are.

Notice if there's a taste in your mouth,

Perhaps from the last thing that you consumed.

Whatever that taste is,

It's part of your practice.

And as you witness it,

Know that it's neither pleasant nor unpleasant.

It simply is.

Notice any sensations of your body.

These can be external sensations,

Such as the temperature of your environment,

Or the tactile texture of surfaces in direct contact with your skin,

Your clothing,

The weight of your body in contact with the seat you've taken,

Your feet in contact with the ground,

Or the feeling of your hands in contact with your lap or on your knees.

Your body's whisperings may become louder.

As you meditate and everything slows down and becomes quieter,

You can scan for internal sensations to parts of your body you might normally ignore and listen for stories being told by your body.

These stories may amplify in the silence.

Your body's whisperings may become louder,

Or maybe you're noticing what's being whispered for the very first time.

Be the witness to it all.

Let's start our body scan by directing your attention to your feet.

Observe any sensations in the top of your foot,

The sole of your foot,

Or your toes.

Noticing any sensations that call for your attention.

Now move your attention up to your ankles,

Your calves,

And your shins.

Again,

Witness any sensations.

Use your inhale to gently guide your attention to these areas,

And on the exhale,

Allow for a release,

A softening.

And remember to be kind to yourself.

Observe what's happening without wondering why,

Or thinking this is good,

Or this is bad.

Remembering that whatever is,

Simply is.

And now move your attention to your knees.

Feel the soft flesh behind your knees and pay attention to the tissues that hold the joint together.

Witness any sensations like tingling,

Tightness,

Or pulsing.

And accept it all.

Our knees are used to bearing the weight of our bodies.

Allow the flow of your breath to slowly soothe your knees in the absence of that burden.

Move your attention to your thighs.

Witness any sensations along the front,

Back,

Or sides of your thighs.

Will your leg muscles to relax and let them sink into whatever surface is beneath you.

Let go,

And trust that surface to bear the full weight of your legs.

And here,

Inhale deeply,

And with your exhale,

Continue to release any tension or muscular engagement in your legs.

And remember,

You're not seeking any particular experience,

Whether this is your first body scan,

Or your 100th.

You're doing it correctly.

And direct your attention now to your hips and pelvic area.

Let your attention travel across and through each hip,

One,

And then the other.

And now notice the feel of your bottom in your seat,

And invite the support being offered,

Letting yourself surrender to that support.

Gently direct your attention to your lower back and your tailbone,

Letting the expansion and contraction of your breath create softness.

If you notice an area where your attention wants to linger,

Let it.

And continue to intentionally direct your breath to that place as you learn to accept what sensations are there without judgment,

Without labels,

Or right or wrong,

Or good or bad.

And inhale fully,

And as you exhale,

Let go a little more.

Move your attention to the vertebrae that begins in your tailbone,

And trace each vertebrae as it stacks one on top of the other,

From your tailbone to your lower back,

Following it as it travels to the middle of your back and your upper back.

And be curious about each sensation along the way.

Perhaps as your attention is traveling up your back,

You become more aware of the gentle expansion and contraction of your side and back body,

Moving in time with each breath as you breathe in,

And as you breathe out.

And move your attention to the front of your torso,

To your stomach and chest cavities.

As you inhale,

Notice the rise of your chest and belly,

And as you exhale,

Notice the return to emptiness.

Witness the sensation now of your heart beating.

Relax into the rhythm and flow of it.

It's as unique to you as your own breathing patterns are.

Move your attention to your shoulders,

And let it travel down each arm,

Past the elbow,

Past your wrists,

Into your hands,

And even your fingertips.

You might play with the idea of channeling your breath into and out of your fingertips or the palms of your hands,

And in doing so,

Witness any sensations such as pulsating or tingling.

And if you find yourself starting to want to label what you're observing,

Gently bring your attention back to your breath.

And now move your attention from your hands,

Back up your arms,

Past your shoulders,

All the way to your neck.

Let your attention linger at the base of your neck,

And let it linger in your throat,

And greet what you notice.

Perhaps a tightness,

Rigidity,

Or a holding.

Let go of any thoughts or stories you're telling yourself about these sensations.

Move your attention to your jaw.

If you're finding any tension there,

Try to release it by letting your teeth slightly part.

Notice your tongue.

You might play with touching your tongue to the back of your teeth.

And on your next out breath,

Direct your attention to your face,

Past your mouth,

Your nose,

Your cheeks.

Feel for the space behind your eyes.

Let your attention wash up your forehead,

And then over your whole head,

Traveling down your scalp,

Down your ears.

Now that your attention expand out to include your entire body as a whole,

Bathing in your own awareness from the top of your head down to the soles of your feet.

Now release your attention to your body,

And bring it to your breath.

And as we move into a period of silence,

I'd like to invite you to experience the silence with a sense of playfulness,

And let the ease that play evokes help you to simply witness the movement of your body and mind with curiosity.

Accept every aspect of your experience.

It's beautiful,

And it's perfect exactly as it is.

And if during our period of silence you become distracted by movement of your thoughts,

Return your attention to your breath.

And if you become distracted by movement of your emotions,

Return your attention to your breath.

And if you become distracted by movement in your body,

Return your attention to your breath.

For it's in our silence that we find our wisdom,

And our wisdom itself is silent.

And we'll sit for five minutes,

And I'll keep track of the time.

Continue to sit quietly,

Allowing your eyes to remain closed as I share with you a poem about the power of witnessing both ourselves and others.

And as we sit,

I'd like to ask you to listen to this poem.

We are all born in unrecognizable ways with our own history of being,

And unto ourselves memories emerge.

Details are recalled and enlivened,

Triggered by our discernible senses of sight,

Sound,

Or scent.

These conscious aspects of ourself are the smoke and mirrors of our subconscious souls.

In the darker places of discovery,

We may relive the past,

Feelings of regret,

Shame,

Or guilt.

Recalling the consequence of words and thoughts unspoken,

Deeds not done.

Recalling the scars left from moments of anger and frustration,

Scars that fool us into believing they've marked our soul.

And it's with courage and bravery that we enter the darkness,

And in doing so,

And not fleeing from what we face,

The light follows us and begins to shine through us.

As the shackles of the past fall to the ground,

We can relive the past anew,

And recall the moments of great love and joy,

Shared laughter and affection.

Tender embraces bestowed upon us with patience,

Care,

And acceptance.

As the witness offering ourselves to another,

We share our awareness and our honoring.

And as the witness to ourselves,

We share the same awareness and honoring.

We can start to take some deeper breaths now,

And slowly reacquaint yourself with the sensation of being in your environment.

Notice the space your physical body is taking up,

Allowing for any movement your body is asking you for.

Notice the feel of the surface beneath you.

Notice the sounds around you.

Notice the taste in your mouth.

And when you're ready,

You can slowly open your eyes.

Reviews

Awesome. I was walking while listening. The meditation was wonderful and kept me focused

Thank you for your guidance into witnessing without judgement. 🙏

Possibly the most helpful guided meditations I have experienced.
🙏🏼 Thank you!

That was a beautiful meditation! I loved the sound of your voice, so smooth and calm. Thank you for an amazing start to my day!