Mantras: Words To Train The Mind
This meditation uses words to guide attention. We index a word to each in and out-breath. This style of meditation is non-secular and was inspired by the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh and Mahasi Sayadaw.
Transcript
Know.
Assuming a dignified posture,
Sitting comfortably,
Bringing the attention into this moment,
Aware of the body sitting,
Sounds,
The weather of the mind,
Whether cloudy or sunny,
Busy or quiet.
Bringing the attention to the breath,
Noticing the touch sensation of the breath as it goes in and as it goes out at the nostrils.
Breathing in,
I know I'm breathing in.
Breathing out,
I'm aware I'm breathing out.
It's a very matter of fact.
We can abbreviate by thinking in with each in breath,
Out with each out breath.
In as the breath comes in,
Thinking out as the breath goes out.
Now the breath comes in,
I think in.
Now the breath goes out and I think out.
Continue labeling like this for the next few minutes.
In as the breath goes in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
With each in breath,
I feel the abdomen rise.
With each out breath,
The abdomen falls.
I can note this with rising as the belly rises and inhalation and falling as the belly falls on the exhalation.
Rising and falling.
Rising and falling.
If you notice at any point the mind has wandered,
You can label that as thinking or wandering and return to rising,
Feeling the abdomen rise,
Falling.
Touch sensation of the breath at the abdomen.
Rising and falling.
Continue like this for several breaths.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
I take a new breath that I have never taken before.
Breathing out,
I recognize that the present moment is the only moment I ever have.
The present now is the only moment there is.
So you can abbreviate with new breath as the breath comes in,
New moment as the breath goes out.
New breath as the new breath comes in,
New moment as the breath goes out.
A new breath comes in that you've never taken before and that you'll never take again.
I label it new breath.
A new moment comes,
Passes.
I label it new moment,
New breath,
New moment.
Continue like this for the next few moments.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
I am grateful for each breath.
Breathing out,
Express my thanks.
You can express your thanks to creation,
If there's a God,
Being whatever it is,
Your mother and father,
For life itself.
Breathing in,
I'm grateful for the breath.
Everything comes to you courtesy of this breath coming in,
Going out.
All of your experiences come because this breath comes and it goes out faithfully.
You can meditate with grateful.
Thank you on the exhalation.
Grateful on the inhalation.
Thank you on the exhalation.
Continue like this for the next few moments.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
Out as the breath goes out.
Breathing in,
I cultivate calm awareness.
Breathing out,
I relax.
Breathing in,
I cultivate calm awareness.
This doesn't mean that the mind is calm.
The mind may be busy,
But the awareness that which witnesses this remains calm.
You're cultivating this,
Developing this awareness.
Breathing in,
Calming.
Breathing out,
I relax.
I intentionally relax muscles.
Even if you are not relaxed,
Even if the body may be a little tense,
On the exhalation,
Intentionally relax muscles.
Breathing in,
I think calming.
Breathing out,
I relax.
If you care to,
To make the breath even more calming,
You take a slightly deeper than usual breath as you breathe in.
Holding it,
Exhaling longer than the exhalation,
Twice as long as the inhalation rather.
I think relax.
Breathing in again,
A new calming breath.
Breathing out,
I'm relaxing.
Relaxing tensions in the face,
Tensions in the shoulder,
In the arms,
The hands.
Tensions in the torso,
Tensions in the thigh,
The calves.
All the way to the tips of the toes,
Relaxing.
Breathing in,
I'm thinking calming,
Calming breaths.
Breathing out,
Relaxing.
Calming on the in breath,
Relaxing on the out breath.
The more you practice,
The more responsive your mind and body become to these cues of calming,
Relaxing.
Calming,
Relaxing.
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Regardless of what arises,
As thought,
As feeling,
Sensation,
Or emotion,
You can allow and accept it as it is,
Not as we would like it to be.
Accepting as it is without censoring,
Without rejecting,
Without suppressing,
Without judgments,
Without craving or aversion.
Simply accepting and allowing to arise whatever arises.
Allowing whatever to arise to also pass away.
Accepting whatever arises and passes away.
Allowing whatever lingers to linger,
Accepting whatever remains.
Allowing on the in breath,
Accepting on the out breath.
Allowing yourself to simply be.
Accepting yourself as you are in this moment.
No effort,
No improving,
No expectations,
No shoulds,
No demands.
Simply allowing,
Accepting.
Think,
Allowing on the in breath,
Accepting on the out breath.
Allowing,
Accepting.
This is a beautiful practice of self compassion,
Self love,
Self acceptance.
Allowing,
Accepting.
Continue like this for the next several moments.
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Breathing in,
I surrender to the present moment.
Breathing out,
Accept that this is the only moment there is.
There is only now,
Only ever now.
So breathing in,
I surrender to the present moment.
Breathing out,
I accept this is the only moment.
I can abbreviate with present moment on the inhalation.
Only moment on the exhalation.
Present moment on the inhalation.
Only moment on the exhalation.
Continue like this for several breaths.
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4.6 (59)
Recent Reviews
Katie
April 15, 2022
Very very nice. So simple and centering. To quote one of the affirmations, grateful, thank you. ☮️💖🙏
Jane
February 26, 2021
Very powerful for me, gratitude. You have a very clear distinctive tone of voice which triggered memories for me of my military service (15 years over 30 years ago!). It reminds me of the rigour required for this yet the beauty. When you used the word beautiful it was like balm. What powerful things mind and meditation are. Thank you 🙏 very much. 💝
Talya
December 9, 2020
This a a very powerful meditation, thank you so much!
Suat
July 28, 2020
A democratic meditation! Why because it allows us to do it ourselves between well separated and balanced 'do it yourself' times. Mantras are meaningful and clear. Thanks a lot🌄🎆🌌