There is a Zen proverb that goes,
You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes,
Unless you're too busy.
Then you should sit for an hour.
Time is such a tricky thing.
There never seems to be enough of it.
It is also a challenging concept as it relates to meditation.
The challenge of finding the time to meditate,
The challenge in sitting with your meditation for the entire time,
And the challenge of the many distractions we face that take us away from meditation.
Your time is a precious commodity,
Your present moment even more so.
Consider how you are currently using this resource.
I will now take you through a guided meditation.
At the end of the meditation,
You'll hear a soft bell.
It is important to come out of the meditation slowly and to take your time,
There's no rush.
I will be here guiding you through the entire process.
The theme of this meditation is the awareness of the present moment,
The awareness of time.
Let us find balance in mind,
Body,
And spirit.
Let us find balance in the present moment.
Mindfulness is about engaging your attention in the present moment on what you are experiencing without judgment.
Let us center our attention and bring awareness to the present moment.
Let us begin this meditation with an awareness of time,
This precious moment of time.
As you become more mindful of your body,
Mindful of your environment,
And as you maintain a gentle present moment focus.
Start by finding a comfortable position and let us settle into our breath.
Placing your feet flat on the ground with your hands laying comfortably in your lap.
Or if you're sitting on a cushion,
Find a comfortable position with your hands resting comfortably in your lap.
Closing your eyes if you prefer and become present and relaxed in this moment.
Take five conscious deep breaths as your body begins to settle into the meditation and as you start to relax.
Observe your breath as the natural rhythm and flow of your body.
Observe the sensations of the body and notice this moment of time.
As you become more relaxed,
Notice the chatter of your mind starting to quiet.
When your mind wanders,
Come back to your breath in this present moment.
Being mindful of anything getting in your way and let it go on the next exhale breath.
Gently release any tension you notice.
Letting go of anything that might be getting in the way of you being here in this present moment.
Remembering it's okay to have thoughts and when a thought occurs,
Simply notice the thought without judgment and simply let the thought go on the next exhale breath.
Explore the sensations in your body mindfully and without judgment.
Notice if you're feeling any aches or pains in a specific area,
Any numbness or tingling sensations.
Breathing into the aches or pain sensations and let it go as you exhale.
Mindfully engaging your attention in the present moment on what you are experiencing without judgment.
For this meditation,
Let us welcome everything and simply let go of any expectations.
At any point during this meditation,
If your mind starts to wander,
Simply come back to your breath as an anchor of focus.
Remembering to be kind to yourself.
How do you build your awareness to ensure what you have when you need it?
Ask yourself silently,
What can I do to honor this moment?
Do not look for an answer to the question,
Simply be in the moment with the reflection.
We'll take the next few moments in silence,
Giving you the opportunity to continue to focus your breath as you mindfully maintain a gentle present moment awareness.
Honor this moment within you.
Notice your breath as the natural rhythm and flow of your body.
I will keep track of the time as we take these moments in silence.
Keeping your eyes closed as we integrate back from the meditation,
Take as much time as you need to come out of the meditation slowly and mindfully.
Start by wiggling your toes and fingers or any part of your body that feels right for you.
And when you're ready,
You can open your eyes.
Thanks for joining me in this meditation and I hope you enjoyed the experience.
May we honor this moment within us.
Namaste.
