It's natural for us as humans to perceive everything we think,
Feel,
Or take in with our senses as being pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral.
When the experience is pleasant,
Our tendency is to hang on to it and keep it from leaving.
Of course,
That is impossible.
I invite you to be aware of those labels and tendencies in your practice today.
Mindfulness helps us see what we're adding to our experiences not only during meditation,
But also elsewhere in other moments of our lives.
Begin with hearing.
Be aware of any sounds that reach you.
Let them come and go.
You don't have to do anything about them.
Now bring the same relaxed and open awareness to your breath.
At the nostrils,
The chest,
Or the abdomen,
Wherever you feel your breath most clearly.
Feel the in-breath.
Feel the out-breath.
The breath is your primary object of awareness here until a physical sensation is strong enough to take your attention away.
And if that happens,
Rather than struggle against it,
Let go of the awareness of the breath and let your attention settle fully on the sensation that has distracted you.
Let it become the new object of your meditation.
If it's helpful to you,
Make a quick,
Quiet mental note of whatever you're feeling,
Whether it's painful or pleasing.
It might be warmth or coolness,
Fluttering,
Itching,
Ease.
You don't need to worry about finding exactly the right words.
Noting just helps bring your mind into more direct contact with your actual experience in this moment.
You're not trying to control what you feel in your body,
Nor are you trying to change it.
You're simply allowing sensations to come and go and labeling them if that's helpful to you.
If the sensation that has claimed your attention is pleasant,
Maybe you feel so cozy and comfortable or feel a floaty lightness,
You may have the urge to grab onto it and make it last.
And if that starts to happen,
Relax,
Open up,
And see if you can experience the pleasure without the clinging.
Observe the sensation and allow it to leave when it leaves.
If the sensation arising in your body is unpleasant or painful,
You may feel a reflexive urge to push it away.
You may feel anxious or tense.
Note any reaction and see if you can come back to your direct experience.
What's the actual sensation separate from your response to it?
If we look carefully at pain and discomfort,
We typically see that it's not just one thing.
Maybe it's actually moments of twisting,
Moments of pressure,
Moments of burning.
Invite a curious attitude as you explore these feelings.
Does the pain grow stronger or weaker as you observe it?
Does it break apart,
Disappear,
Return intermittently?
If a troubling thought distracts you,
See if you can let it go.
If it's an emotion,
Focus your attention and interest on its physical properties instead of interpreting it or judging it.
Where do you feel the emotion in your body?
How does it affect or change your body?
Whether the physical sensation is pleasurable or painful,
Continue to observe it directly.
Don't try to stay with a painful sensation uninterruptedly for too long.
Keep bringing your attention back to the breath.
Know that if something is very challenging,
The breath is a place to find relief,
Like returning to home base.
Allow your attention to move among hearing,
Following the breath,
And the sensations in your body for the next few moments.
Awareness remains open,
Relaxed,
Spacious,
And free,
No matter what it's looking at.
As you open your eyes,
Know that you have within you the strength to reconnect with the awareness and presence you've created here anytime.
May your day be filled with peace and possibility.
