This is a traditional meditation tutorial.
For those of you just learning to meditate,
This is a wonderful practice to begin with.
For those of you seeking to deepen your practice,
This is a wonderful way to renew and refresh your knowledge.
In the next few minutes,
I will walk you through the three simple steps of meditation.
These are the basis for almost every meditation practice today.
Just remember,
Everyone is different.
There is no right or wrong way to meditate.
There is only your way.
Do not try to make things happen.
Let the experience unfold organically and at its own pace.
Simply observe your mind and your thoughts as you become more aware of yourself and the world around you.
In the end,
That is the essence of meditation.
Also remember,
While meditation is simple,
It is not easy.
In many ways,
Meditation is a game of distraction.
Your mind will constantly try to distract you.
Your mind will find endless excuses for not meditating.
This is as much a part of your training as sitting.
As you deepen your practice,
You will find it easier and easier to commit to a regular meditation schedule.
You will also notice less stress in your life and an increased ability to manage the distractions that occur.
These are all signs that your mind is becoming healthier and calmer,
Your body more relaxed and balanced,
And that you are gaining greater control over your thoughts and your life.
In the next few minutes,
I will give you some basic instructions for your meditation.
I will then provide three minutes of silence so that you can meditate on your own.
Afterwards,
I will sound a chime.
Feel free to continue your meditation if you wish,
Or feel free to stand up and join your day.
The choice is yours to follow.
If you are ready,
Let's begin.
There are three parts to any meditation.
The first is taking a proper seat.
The second is to gently place your attention on your breath.
The third is to acknowledge your thoughts as they arise and let them go as you return your attention again and again to your breath.
If you are sitting on the floor,
Cross your legs in front of you.
Sit up on a pillow if you need to.
Just make sure that your hips are higher than your knees.
Make sure that you don't sacrifice comfort for an image that you may have of what a formal meditation looks like that will only undermine your practice in the long term.
If sitting on the floor is uncomfortable,
Feel free to sit up on a chair.
Just move to the front of it so that your back is unsupported in either position,
Pillow or chair.
Tuck your sit bones forward and pull your shoulders back to straighten and lengthen your body.
You may want to raise your arms up above your head and give a small stretch to lengthen your ribs and further stretch your spine.
It sometimes helps to imagine a string extending from the top of your head up to the heavens above,
Drawing your breath and your spirit upward.
Drop your hands gently into your lap.
Curl the fingers of your left hand to form a C and place your right hand into your left.
Your right fingers should rest atop your left.
Your right thumb should rest atop your left thumb.
Together they will form an endless circle that represents the core to your meditation.
This is a formal but comfortable position to be in.
Like a tree,
Your feet and your sit bones form the roots,
Creating a solid foundation with the earth for you to grow from.
Your mind is like the branches and the leaves that reach up to the sky above.
And your body is the trunk,
Your hands representing a knot at the core of your trunk.
Close your eyes gently and give yourself permission to take a nice,
Deep,
Calming breath,
Drawing the air down deep into your lungs.
Pause for a moment before exhaling through your mouth to clear your lungs.
Do this one more time.
Exhale through your nose.
Let the air rest within your lungs and settle before exhaling it into the room and the world around you.
On your third breath,
Breathe in slowly and evenly through your nose.
Again,
Draw your diaphragm down and out as you feel the air into your lungs and fill them.
Feel them expand downward,
Pushing your stomach out against your clothing.
Your chest should not move.
Exhale your stomach as it expands and contracts with each breath.
Count slowly to yourself as you inhale 1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6.
Pause your breath and let it settle for a count of 2.
And then exhale again for a count of 6.
Do not force your breath.
Adjust your count so that your breathing is comfortable for you.
Breathe in for 6.
Let your breath settle for 2.
Inhale for 6.
And again,
Let your breath settle for a count of 2 before your next inhale.
These should be slow,
Comfortable breaths.
Focusing your awareness on the air as it draws in through your nose,
Cool and dry,
Flows down past the back of your throat and fills your lungs.
As you breathe in and out,
Place your attention on one of three points.
The tip of your nose,
Focusing on the air passing,
Cool and dry as it enters,
Warm and moist as it leaves.
Past the back of your throat as you feel the air as it curls down and moves into your lungs or the movement of your body.
Placing your awareness on the feeling of your body as it expands and contracts against your clothing with each breath.
Relax the tongue from the roof of your mouth.
Relax your eyes.
Focus your attention and your awareness on your breathing.
Feel the air inside your body as you inhale.
Feel it fill your body with calm.
Feel the lightness as you exhale and breathe out all that tightness and stress into the world around you.
Be aware of your stomach as it gently rises and falls with each breath.
It's the calm that descends over your body.
As a thought enters your mind,
And they will,
Simply acknowledge it,
Label it,
And let it go.
If you wish,
You can label it thought and then set it aside as you return your attention to your breath and to your count.
If you wish,
You can visualize it on a cloud of smoke,
Then watch it disappear as it dissipates around you and as you return your breath and your attention to your count.
Breathe in for six,
Pause for two,
Breathe out for six,
Pause for two.
If you hear a sound around you,
Treat that sound as you would have thought.
Simply acknowledge it,
Make it part of your meditation,
And return your focus to your breath and to your count.
I will sound a chime in three minutes.
In that time,
Breathe and settle,
Breathe and settle.
I am finished with one more time.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
