Cultivating A Mindful Mind - 5 Minute Daily Insight

One of the key elements of mindfulness is the attitude — or quality of mind or spirit — that we bring to our experience. Three attitudes are particularly helpful to cultivate in mindfulness meditation: acceptance, kindness, and curiosity. Acceptance helps us to open to and be with our experience. Kindness supports us in making space for all that is arising and to meet it with friendliness. Curiosity helps us step out of being identified with or swept up in an experience.

Transcript

Hi and welcome to the Daily Insight.

My name is Hugh Byrne and I'm a meditation teacher here on Insight Timer.

This five-minute meditation is designed particularly for those beginning a meditation practice,

But may also be helpful for more experienced practitioners.

Begin by finding a posture that is relaxed and comfortable,

Where you can sit with some ease for this period.

You might be sitting on a chair or a cushion or a bench,

Or lying down if this is helpful to you.

Let your back be straight,

Your shoulders relaxed,

Your hands in your lap or on your knees or thighs.

Consciously put aside thoughts of the future and the past,

Plans,

Things to do,

And allow yourself to be fully present here and now.

Feel your body,

The sensations of weight,

Pressure,

Warmth,

Coolness,

Whatever sensations are present.

To help yourself settle,

You could take a few deeper breaths,

Filling the chest and lungs on the in-breath,

And relaxing and letting go on the out-breath.

You might also invite a smile to your face,

Which helps send a message of relaxation and ease to the brain and the nervous system.

When you're ready,

You could let your breath return to its natural rhythm,

And keep a gentle focus on the sensations of breathing in and out,

In-breath and out-breath.

It can be helpful to establish a home base for your attention,

A focus for your awareness,

Where you rest your attention and come back when the mind wanders.

One of the most common focuses is our breathing,

And you might just rest a gentle attention on your experience of breathing,

Breathing in and breathing out,

And come back to the sensations of breathing,

When your mind moves into planning or daydreaming,

Or thinking of the past,

Or problem-solving.

Just coming back to this moment without judgment,

Without resisting,

Without holding on,

Just this moment as it is,

This breath,

In-breath and out-breath.

Ding!

Reviews

Gentle voice, gentle guide. Truly onecof the better mentors and teachers.

Thank you, simple but needed today.🌻

Great!

Wonderful as always!

Nice quick short meditation thank you Hugh ❤️🙏🏼

Pleasant introduction to meditation practice a very nice way to begin
👍🖖🙏🏻

Great