This is sounds and thoughts meditation.
So starting off by closing of the eyes,
Then deepening into the breath.
Watching as the breath comes into the body and flows out from the body.
Just using the breath as a way to slow down,
To arrive here to today's meditation.
And as you sit here breathing,
Giving yourself permission to be fully present.
Nothing else to do,
Nowhere else to be.
Taking this time to be in the here and now.
And taking a deep breath in here.
And on the exhale,
Letting go,
Letting be.
Extending your awareness away from the breath and towards sounds.
Opening up to sounds around you.
Feeling as if you were hearing for the very first time.
Allowing the sounds to come and to go.
Not feeling the need to label sounds or judge whether you like them or not.
Rather simply being aware of them,
Being curious about them.
Opening to sounds that are near.
And then sounds that are further away.
Sounds that are loud.
And the sounds that are softer,
The sounds within sounds.
And if at any point your mind wonders,
Perhaps gets trapped in one of the sounds and starts to tell a story.
That's okay.
Notice where the mind has gone to and then gently escort it back.
Back to the raw sensations of sound and soft.
And now taking a deep breath in.
And as you breathe out,
Letting go of sounds.
We now turn our attention to thoughts.
So here we try a slightly different technique.
We allow our thoughts to come up.
Observing them coming into the mind.
Letting them stay a little while.
And perhaps dissolve.
So as you sit here,
Letting your thoughts come to mind.
And observing them.
Just as we did with sounds.
Even if at any point you get wrapped up in one of the thoughts.
As we did with sounds,
Notice where the mind has gone to.
Then gently bring it back.
Back to the thought itself.
It may be helpful to think of the mind as the sky.
Open,
Still,
Ever present.
Our thoughts are like clouds.
Sometimes many.
Sometimes few.
Sometimes dark.
Other times light.
No matter the weather,
The sky remains.
Taking a deep breath in.
And out.
Thinking of the thoughts now and returning to the breath.
Having stillness in the breath here.
And perhaps holding on to these words today.
You are the sky.
Nothing else is just the weather.
Bringing your hands to your heart center.
Thanking yourself for this practice.
Namaste.
