This track is designed to help you find your own way of meditating.
I'm sharing a method which I've taught to hundreds of people who work in busy,
Stressful corporate jobs.
It will give you the tools so that you can deepen and explore your own practice in your own way.
Whether this is your very first time to sit or you've been meditating for years,
Embrace this practice with a beginner's mind.
Sit comfortably with a straight spine,
Allow your eyes to close,
Tune into your breath and just breathe.
With each breath,
Sink a little more deeply into your seat,
Into your body,
Into the seat of your soul.
During this session we will embark in finding your mindful.
This practice is yours.
It's about finding what works for you,
For your mind,
Your body,
Your practice.
The first tool I want to share with you is the ABCD method.
Each time you sit to begin your meditation practice,
All you need to remember is you're going to start with ABCD.
With the letter A,
Remembering to bring your attention to your anatomy.
With the letter B,
You start to notice your breath.
With the letter C,
We introduce comfort and D is for distractions,
Which will come and when they do,
You remember to come back to a mantra.
So the second tool is your mantra.
It's a sacred sound that symbolizes connection and it helps to bring about a sense of peace and harmony.
The mantra we're going to use today is Aum.
If you have your own mantra that you'd prefer to use,
You can do so.
If there's anything physical that you wish to bring into your meditation practice today like a mala or a stone or anything else,
Please do so.
Or you can bring it the next time.
We're going to open the practice with the sound of a bell.
Take a moment to get really comfortable and we will begin.
Your mind is going to wander at times during the practice.
This is normal.
Each time it does,
Simply come back to ABCD.
So right now,
Bringing your attention to your anatomy.
Come into a relaxed yet attentive sitting position.
You can sit on a cushion with your legs crossed if that's accessible to you.
Or you can come into rock pose where you're sitting on your heels.
Or you can simply sit in a chair.
Roll your shoulders up and back and down a few times.
Gently move your spine and shake out your hands.
You want to allow your body to find comfort here.
What's most important is that your body doesn't distract you from your practice too much.
So lengthen your spine,
Tuck your chin and come into a comfortable yet alert posture.
B is for your breath.
Without any effort,
Without trying to change anything,
Just begin to notice your breath.
Pay attention to the fact that you are breathing.
You don't need to breathe deeper or slower.
This is just about noticing that you're breathing.
That's it.
This practice is about returning to this moment.
To this breath.
Continuously,
We relax,
We release and we return to the breath.
So breathing in through your nose.
Breathing in.
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out.
I know I am breathing out.
Notice the feeling of air entering into your nostrils.
Can you notice the subtle difference between the temperature as you breathe?
It's a little bit cooler as you inhale.
It becomes a little bit warmer as you exhale.
If you wish,
You can bring one hand to your stomach,
Placing your thumb at the level of your belly button.
And smile as you notice the rise of the belly on the inhale.
Smile as you notice the fall on the exhale.
Allow yourself to enjoy the simplicity of this exercise.
C is for comfort.
Bring your awareness to your physical body.
Moving in whatever direction you need to,
To make sure that you're fully comfortable.
Noticing any areas of tension.
Inhaling deeply.
And exhaling.
And as you exhale,
Allow the tension to soften.
See if you can let go of the tension with your next exhale.
And the D is for distractions.
Meditation is a journey into the subconscious mind.
It's a beautiful journey,
But it's not without its obstacles.
I want you to imagine that your mind is an ocean,
Vast and infinite.
As you dive into the ocean of your mind,
Imagine that you're swimming deeper and deeper towards a mysterious subconscious realm.
On your way down,
You might encounter distractions.
You might feel a twinge within your body.
You might hear a sound outside the room.
You might wander off into thoughts of yesterday or tomorrow.
Just imagine that all of these things are merely things within the ocean.
You might stop to greet a fish or notice a shopping trolley floating by you.
Don't get disheartened when you notice you've been distracted.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Get comfortable again and allow yourself to go a little deeper.
So with your eyes closed,
Silently and without effort,
Start to repeat the mantra OM in your mind.
Let the sound resonate within you.
Feel its vibration through your body.
We will sit silently for 20 minutes.
I'll be here and at the end I'll let you know.
Gradually allow the repetition of the mantra to come to a close.
Take a moment to observe how you're feeling.
Notice the stillness within your body.
And when you are ready,
Bring a smile to your lips.
The bell will signal the end of the practice.
