Hello and welcome to Listen to the Silence Meditation.
Please find a comfortable position,
Straighten your back,
Relax your shoulders and your neck.
You may choose to close your eyes or use a soft gaze looking in the distance for this meditation.
Now let's take three deep breaths and with each exhale relax your body a little bit more and release all the daily stress and anxieties.
Now we are going to rest our mind without focusing on anything so just let your mind be free and whatever comes to your attention,
Sounds,
Thoughts,
Sensations,
Just notice them and let them go.
If your thoughts start to wander just bring your focus back to your free mind,
Relax and rest.
Your mind reflects everything around you,
Your thoughts,
Your feelings,
Your smells or sounds,
Just notice these reflections and do not attach to them,
Let them float away.
Now bring your attention to the sounds around you.
First tune in to the sounds far away,
Maybe traffic or airplanes flying over,
Just let the sounds come to you,
Notice them,
Do not label them,
Just accept them as they are and let them go.
Also you may notice the sounds closer to you,
Maybe sounds in your room,
Refrigerator,
TV,
People,
Neighbors chattering,
Just notice the sounds,
Do not categorize them,
Do not label them or judge them,
They are as they are,
Let them come to you,
Notice them and let them go.
Now notice the pauses between the sounds,
Small breaks,
Maybe the place where one sound begins another sound ends,
So take that silence,
Take that space in,
You get distracted,
That's okay,
That's what minds do,
So just gently bring your attention back to the sounds and again try to catch those pauses between the sounds,
That silence.
Okay.
Now bring your attention to the sound of your breath,
Follow the sounds of inhale and exhale,
You do not have to force your breathing,
Just follow the natural rhythm of it,
Just use your breath to get back to the sound of your breath.
Now start noticing and listening to the pause between the inhale and exhale,
There is that gap between.
If you slow down your breathing and extend the pause between inhale and exhale,
You can increase that gap,
When the silence and the gap is bigger,
Your mind is calmer,
Your mind is calmer,
Notice that calm,
Marinate in that calm.
Now slowly bring your attention to your thoughts.
Like watching a movie and following the screen,
Let these thoughts come and pass,
Do not replay,
Do not chase them,
But also do not suppress them,
Welcome any thought that arises in your mind and let every thought naturally disappear from the screen of the mind.
If your mind is rushing,
That's okay,
If your mind is confused,
That's okay,
Just accept your thoughts in whatever shape,
Number they come.
Now slowly notice the little gaps between the thoughts,
There's that space that naturally exists between the thoughts,
So start noticing it.
The more you notice those gaps,
The bigger they become.
Notice the calmness and the space and the stillness in those gaps,
Immerse yourself in those gaps,
In that stillness.
Now slowly bring your attention to your thoughts,
Let these thoughts come and pass,
Do not chase them,
But also do not suppress them,
Remember the moment you notice those gaps,
The more they come,
Gently bring your attention back to your body,
The way you're sitting or lying down,
Where your body touches the surface,
Where the clothes touches your body,
Slowly notice your environment,
Wiggle your toes and fingers,
Slowly when you're ready,
Open your eyes and take all the time you need before going back to your day.
Thank you.
