Coming to this moment with the intention to practice mindfulness meditation,
To work with the mind and the body in a particular way,
With discipline and with compassion.
So beginning by sitting in a posture that for you embodies dignity and that allows the body to become still.
Either sitting on a straight back chair with your feet flat on the floor,
The back,
Neck and head are straight,
Not stiff,
The shoulders are down and relaxed and the hands are comfortably placed in the lap.
Or sitting on a meditation cushion on the floor,
Sitting on the front half of the cushion with legs crossed in front of you,
The pelvis is tipped slightly forward,
Allowing the knees to fall towards the floor or to touch the floor if possible.
And once again the back,
Neck and head are straight but not stiff,
The shoulders are relaxed and the hands are in the lap.
And becoming aware of the fact that you are breathing,
Noticing the place in the body where the sensations of the breath are most vivid for you.
It might be at the nostrils,
Feeling the air as it enters and leaves the body.
Or it might be in the abdomen,
Feeling the muscles expand and contract with each breath.
Feeling and sustaining your attention on the sensations of the breath,
The entire in-breath and the entire out-breath.
Not thinking about the breath or trying to control the breath,
Just feeling the sensations of the breath.
Just this breath.
And when you notice that the mind has wandered off the breath,
Noting what pulled it away and then gently and firmly escorting the mind back to the breath,
Picking it up wherever it is on an in-breath or an out-breath and once again aiming and sustaining attention on the breath.
Gently bringing the mind back over and over again without judgment.
Just escorting the mind back to the breath.
This is the practice.
Over and over again,
As often as the mind wanders off the object of attention,
Bringing it back,
Firmly and gently escorting it back to the breath.
Feeling whatever is here to be noticed about the sensations of the breath.
Gently bringing the mind back over and over again.
Gently bringing the mind back over and over again.
Gently bringing the mind back over and over again.
Gently bringing the mind back over and over again.
Just this in-breath and just this out-breath,
Sustaining attention,
Noticing perhaps the beginning of the breath and sustaining attention on the entire in-breath,
The moment of stillness between an in-breath and an out-breath and the entire out-breath.
Strengthening the mind's ability to sustain focus and awareness in the present using the breath as an anchor.
Each in-breath is an opportunity to simply begin again.
So as soon as you notice,
Become aware that the mind has wandered off the breath,
Just escorting it back to the breath without judgment,
Cultivating patience towards yourself and compassion.
And now,
If you care to,
Allowing the breath to recede as the object of attention and bringing into center stage of your awareness,
Awareness of sound.
The sounds might be in the room,
Outside the window.
It might be the sound of your breath,
Footsteps in the hallway,
Whatever is there to be noticed about sound,
Just resting in awareness of hearing and aiming and sustaining attention on awareness of sound.
Not judging the sounds,
I like this sound or I don't like that sound.
Noticing any story writing about the sound,
The mind starts thinking about the sound and just letting all of that be and again resting in awareness of sound.
Noticing the air to just bring the sounds to the ears,
Noting them as sounds and letting them dissolve as they will.
And noticing as well the silence between sounds.
And if you notice that the mind is distracted,
Noting what pulled it away from sound and again simply escorting the mind back to the awareness of sounds.
And if you care to now returning to the breath as the object of attention,
Sustaining attention on the entire in-breath and the entire out-breath.
Knowing that the breath is always available to us.
Just this breath,
Just this in-breath,
Just this out-breath.
Keeping the breath as a powerful reminder to bring mindfulness and clarity to the present moment.
What ์ผwie.
You
