Hello,
My name is Evan and today I'm going to be leading you in a meditation called Anapana.
So this meditation is not specifically for relaxation or for understanding the mind or the body,
But it's mostly used to focus the mind.
So it's sort of a precursor to some deeper meditations.
So we're going to be practicing this meditation today.
So Anapana may have originated somewhere in India way before the time of the Buddha.
So let's start by finding a comfortable position.
For beginners it may be hard to sit cross-legged,
So if you want to sit in a chair that may be helpful.
Or if you think you're flexible enough,
Try sitting cross-legged.
In crisscross-upsauce or in half lotus pose or maybe lotus position,
A meditation cushion might help,
Or some sort of hard pillow.
So we're going to close our eyes.
We're going to start by scanning our body.
So we're going to start at the very top of our head,
Very tippy top.
If you can put a finger right on top of your head,
We're going to start right there.
Let's just feel if there's any sensation there.
If there's any sensation all around the top of our head.
So we're going to start from the top of our head and we're going to move through our body,
Passing through each body part.
Whichever way you want,
You can start with your back of your neck,
The front of your neck,
Your right arm,
Your left arm,
However you want.
So we're going to start from the top of our head and scan our attention throughout our body all the way down to our toes.
When we get to our toes,
We're going to scan each individual toe as well.
So take your time.
Passing our attention through our body,
Body part by body part,
Our eyes,
Our lips,
Our chest,
Our back.
We're going to notice if there's any tension or if there's any relaxation.
If there is,
We're just going to be aware of that.
So say there's some tension in your right shoulder.
As we pass our attention through our body,
We're just going to be aware of that tension.
Maybe spend,
You know,
Three to five seconds focusing on that.
Then we're going to continue to pass our attention to our toes.
The same goes for relaxation.
If we find a spot that feels really relaxed,
We're going to put some attention on that,
Just a few seconds,
Keep scanning our body.
So we're doing this to just be aware of the feelings in our body.
So remember,
If there's a place that feels tense or painful,
We're just going to accept that.
We're not going to try to move our body to a different position unless you absolutely have to.
Same goes for relaxation.
If there's a spot that feels really relaxed or really good,
We're just going to accept that.
We're not going to try to put all our attention on that spot and put all our focus on that spot.
We're just going to accept it and we're going to move on.
Ready,
One more time.
So after we've finished scanning the body,
We're going to move our attention to our nostrils.
We're going to focus on the feeling of air as it passes through our nostrils.
And as it passes around the entrance of our nostrils.
So we're not focusing on different parts of our body,
We're just going to focus on our nostrils.
Specifically the area inside our nostrils.
And the feelings around the opening of the nostrils.
So any feelings we have here.
We're just going to keep our attention on these parts of the nostrils.
You might feel the breath as it passes out of the nostrils.
It's a little bit hotter.
As it passes into the nostrils,
It's a little bit cooler.
You might feel some tension inside of the nostrils.
Some relaxation.
Whatever you feel,
We're just going to be aware of that.
Just aware.
We're also going to allow the breath to pass naturally.
So we're not going to try to slow it down or speed it up.
However speed our breath is going,
We're just going to let that go.
If a thought comes into mind,
Or if a feeling on some part of the body,
Or a sound outside of the body tries to distract us.
Whenever we're aware that we're distracted,
We're just going to bring our attention back to the nostrils.
Don't feel like you're failing if your attention flows somewhere else.
Just whenever you notice that your attention is not on your nostrils,
You're going to bring it back to our nostrils.
The feeling of air as it passes through our nostrils.
So do your best to ignore all other sensations and thoughts.
Keep focused on the sensation inside and around the nostrils.
I'm going to give you all some time to practice now.
Okay.
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If you find your attention is wandered,
Simply bring it back to the sensations inside and around the nostrils.
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Whenever you feel you're ready,
You may bring your attention back to the world around you.
Sensations in your body,
Any sounds you hear,
Anything you smell,
Anything you taste,
You may open your eyes.
So that was a little taste of anapana.
Thank you for meditating with me.
