Hello and welcome to our sacred time together,
Exploring your unique mandala of now.
The word mandala is loosely translated from Sanskrit to mean circle,
But a mandala is far more than a simple shape.
It represents wholeness or totality.
Today,
I'm going to guide you to uncover the totality of this moment that is completely unique to you.
This special mandala of now meditation is your go-to everyday meditation.
It can be used anywhere,
Anytime,
With eyes open or closed,
While you're in the world or on your meditation cushion.
It's beneficial whether you use it for periods of 30 seconds throughout the day or three hours straight.
Have you ever considered that there's no one in the whole world,
None of the billions of people on the planet,
Who experience life the way you do?
The way you experience this moment,
Every moment,
Is completely unique to you.
You might be thinking,
Well if a person was standing right next to me,
They would experience the situation or life as I do.
But not quite.
They are not standing in your shoes.
Also they have a different visual perspective,
However slight.
They may see things,
Or a side of things,
Or shadows,
Or colors,
That you do not.
Their ears are not your ears.
Although they may hear the same sound,
They hear it differently than you.
They may hear something louder or softer,
Depending on their proximity to the sound.
You are a unique point of awareness,
With a unique perspective of life.
Perhaps there was a time when you had a conversation with someone,
But your experience of it was very different from theirs.
This is because we have different beliefs,
Different traumas,
That elicit different emotions,
All of which color the way we experience any given moment.
Our combination of thoughts and emotions within our specific time and space is completely unique.
Only you can experience this moment this way.
There is such amazing beauty in that.
This moment is your very own living mandala,
And a main purpose of your life is simply to witness it.
I will guide you to explore your unique mandala of now.
We will focus on three points.
What does this moment sound like?
What does this moment feel like on the inside of your body?
And what does this moment feel like on the outside of your body?
So,
Let's start exploring your mandala of now.
If you haven't already,
Find a comfortable place where you can sit or lie down,
And gently close your eyes.
We're going to start by taking a few centering breaths.
Take a deep inhale,
Hold it for a few seconds,
And then exhale slowly.
Let's do that again.
Deep inhale,
Hold,
Exhale slowly,
Good.
Inhale light,
Exhale all the tension from your body.
Inhale light,
Exhale tension.
Bring your awareness to your heart space.
Inhale calm into your radiant heart center,
And exhale peace.
Inhale calm into your beautiful glowing heart space,
Exhale peace.
Very nice.
It is natural for the mind to wander,
So if it does,
Simply place your attention back on the breath or your heart center.
Bring your attention to the sounds around you.
What does this moment sound like to you?
Let go of the labels or trying to figure out what a noise is,
And focus just on the pure sound itself,
Without judgment or comment.
The mind will place these sounds in different boxes,
Believing them to be separate and different,
But they are not.
They are notes of music playing,
The symphony of the universe.
It is your unique soundtrack of this moment.
It's always changing,
But it never stops playing for you.
Now bring your attention to how this moment feels.
What does this moment feel like within you?
Start by noticing any bodily sensations.
Perhaps you can feel sore muscles,
Or your digestion,
Or an itch.
There's nothing to judge here,
Only interesting things to notice.
Then explore any emotional energy that may be present.
Ask yourself,
What am I feeling right now?
Whatever arises,
Simply let it be there.
Don't push anything away.
Let go of the story of trying to figure out anything,
And breathe into what this moment feels like.
If it ever gets too intense,
Bring your awareness back to the sounds around you,
Or focus on your breath.
Now bring your attention to what this moment feels like on the outside of your body.
Start by noticing where the ground meets your body,
Or the chair meets your back,
Or your feet on the floor.
Notice what your clothing feels like on your skin.
See if you can determine whether your skin is warm or cool.
Perhaps you feel a breeze,
Or warmth on your body.
Then explore the space just beyond the body.
What does the area an inch or two above your heart center feel like?
Stretch or melt into the space around it,
Into your aura field.
What does the formless space feel like on the outside of your body?
Just gently notice it,
Just do your best.
Each point of awareness that you're focusing on has a specific function.
Through listening,
You come into the present moment.
Through feeling,
You begin to open.
And through sensing the space around you,
You begin honing the ability to perceive more refined energy or essence.
As you practice this meditation,
Your light grows and you increasingly experience its subtle joyful aliveness.
Bring your attention back to the sounds around you.
What does this new moment sound like?
Listen to the symphony of the universe,
All the sounds coming together,
Playing a kind of music you never noticed before.
Bring your attention to how this moment feels.
What does this new moment feel like within you?
Are there new bodily sensations?
Explore the emotional energy present.
Ask yourself,
What am I feeling right now?
And then relax,
And courageously open to the emotional energy within you.
Emotions are just energy in motion.
They don't define you.
They are not right nor wrong,
Good nor bad.
Notice the energy moving through you.
If it ever gets too intense,
Bring your awareness back to the sounds around you.
Or focus on your breath.
Bring your awareness to what this moment feels like on the outside of your body.
Feel the pressure where the ground or chair is holding you.
Feel the skin on your face.
Sense whether it is warm or cool.
Hold all of your skin,
Wrapped lovingly around the entirety of your body,
In your awareness.
From it,
Stretch or melt outward into the formless space beyond the body.
Open and sense into your aura field.
We are going to do one final round before I gently guide you out of the meditation.
Bring your attention to the sounds around you.
What does this new moment sound like?
Bring your attention to what this new moment feels like on the inside of your body.
Ask yourself,
What am I feeling right now?
And then relax and breathe into the moment.
Bring your attention to what this new moment feels like on the outside of your body.
Sense the edge of your body and stretch or melt into the formless space around it.
Move deeper into stillness.
What does peace feel like in your being?
What do you need in order to feel more peace every day?
I want to thank you for letting me guide you through your unique mandala of now.
May you carry this light and peace with you into your day or into your dreams.
Many blessings.
