Welcome.
In this meditation we're going to work with freeing ourselves from the grip of the thinking mind and we'll do this by locating awareness,
That which is aware of thoughts and turning towards it as a way to shift energy out of the thinking mind.
So let's begin.
Let's begin by closing your eyes and tuning into the body,
Feeling the weight of your feet on the floor,
In your body,
In your seat.
Bring a sense of kindness and compassion to yourself for all that it means to be a human in a human body and bringing a sense of gratitude to taking the time to do this meditation together.
Take a few nice deep breaths,
Purposefully elongating on the exhale,
So maybe breathing in on a count of six,
Breathing out on a count of eight.
This helps bring the nervous system into balance.
It's a great practice anytime you're feeling tension.
Notice and feel inside the body any areas that could just be one percent more comfortable.
Breathe in relaxation and calm into those areas and make any adjustments that you might need to make to help yourself relax.
Feel your spine gently upright like a string is attached to the top of your head.
Feel your whole body soften and relax.
Now empty the contents of your mind.
So just allow any thoughts about the past to slip away,
Any thoughts about the future to fall away.
See absolutely everything that you can from your mind until the one thing remains that you cannot empty yourself of,
The knowing that you are aware.
So just feel and sense this presence that is you,
That is here now in this moment when all the objects of your mind have dropped away.
Really sense and feel this subtle aliveness quality of your essential being.
See if you can feel and sense this very open boundless and unlimited quality to your essential being,
That it has no edges.
Also notice that your essential being doesn't come and go in time,
That it's always been with you in here.
Also notice that there's nothing you need to do to make your essential being here,
That it's here without conditions.
In other words,
You don't need to think to be.
Being is just happening.
So often we feel that thinking is our being,
But really feel this essential aliveness quality of being when all the thought content of our daily lives has slid away.
Also notice that you don't have to do to be.
Again,
Being is happening without you doing anything.
And feel the open sky like quality of the mind.
Just practice sitting in this sky like quality of the mind,
Centered and grounded in your essential being.
And if a thought arises,
Practice not touching it with your mind.
Be equanimous with thoughts as they come and go,
Not identifying or judging,
Allowing them to come into the screen of awareness like clouds would come in the sky.
And just like clouds would come in the sky and dissolve,
You can also watch your thoughts come into the screen of awareness and dissolve.
The key is to allow and see,
But not follow.
Don't pick up your thoughts.
If you don't give thoughts your attention,
They won't have the grip and stay.
Just don't mind whatever thoughts come into your awareness.
Do not touch them with your mind.
If a thought does come and it seems to stay or keeps coming back,
Just keep returning to the practice of allowing and not following.
This is the practice,
And over time you will get better.
Think of it like a practice.
Do not judge,
Evaluate,
Label,
Follow any thoughts.
Just practice letting them be.
And now,
Gently open your eyes,
Crack at a time.
And as you go and move about your day,
I invite you to stay grounded in your essential being and see if this is a place you can choose to live and operate from.
A place of joy,
Ease,
And open-heartedness where you can remain more awake,
More aware,
And more kind,
And handle anything that comes your way.
Namaste.
