Greetings and welcome.
Please get ready now for a meditation practice.
This is a soothing meditation based on the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum.
This mantra has been used in the Buddhist and Hindu tradition for centuries.
These Sanskrit words refer to the jewel in the lotus of the heart.
The heart is compared to a lotus which is one of the most beloved of spiritual symbols.
The lotus grows up from the muddy bottom of the pond,
But the mud does not stain its lovely wax and petals.
For this reason,
The lotus is a perfect symbol of purity,
Reminding us that whatever mistakes we may have committed in the past,
We can all purify our consciousness with the repetition of the mantra.
Our hearts can be open with love and compassion to all.
We can think of the jewel being the permanent treasure of joy and security which is hidden deep within us,
Waiting to be discovered.
We say it is hidden simply because we have forgotten that which is our true nature,
Ever present,
Ever conscious,
Ever new joy and bliss.
In Sanskrit,
These words are expressed as Sat-Chit-Ananda.
So to begin a process of finding this jewel within us,
We must be able to relax.
And that is where we are going to start now.
So I suggest that you sit up for this meditation unless of course you have to lie down.
But for meditation,
It is really so much more effective if you are sitting up.
It is not that you meditate to fall asleep necessarily.
You meditate to become relaxed and calm and feel the inner stillness that arises with your meditation.
So it is important that you check your posture now and feel your feet firmly on the floor.
The spine is elongated,
Upright without rigidity.
Your shoulders drop so the head feels comfortably poised.
And just drop the lower jaw a little bit.
Place the back of your hands,
Palms facing upward,
On the very top of your thighs.
And this helps to open the chest a little bit and thus sit more upright without rigidity of course.
Always comfortably and softly.
Also just let your eyes feel softly closed.
If you don't wish to close your eyes straight away,
Just let them feel heavy and eventually just close your eyes.
This is essential also so as to avoid distraction,
Avoid the sense of sight coming in and distracting you whilst you are meditating.
Now turn your mind gently around the natural breath rhythm that you are feeling flowing in and out softly through your nose.
It is the natural breath that I am wanting you to notice at the moment.
Just the natural breath.
And keep that going,
Just that smooth flowing breath now.
Now we are going to practice a technique which helps the body to relax.
And it involves taking a deep breath in through your nose,
Holding the breath for a few moments,
Tensing the body,
Just make fists and tense through your body.
And then exhaling with a double breath,
Like that,
As you relax all that tension.
So let's do that three times together now.
Inhale deeply through your nose,
Holding the breath,
Tense your body and exhale,
Relaxing the whole body all at once.
And again inhaling through your nose,
Tense the body and hold and release.
One more time.
Inhale,
Tensing the body,
Holding the breath and release.
And with that long exhalation feel the whole body releasing and relaxing,
Feeling lighter,
Just that little bit lighter in your body now,
As you resume your natural breath rhythm.
And from here we'll go into a body scan just to enable your body through awareness to relax a little bit deeper.
So now feel again that your eyes are very lightly closed.
And feel the space between your eyebrows.
We call this the eyebrow center or the spiritual eye,
The eye of concentration,
Spiritual awareness.
Feel that space softly spread now.
Feeling your eyebrows widening and expanding.
Be aware of your tongue softly spreading in the mouth and your lips feel soft and full.
And so drop your shoulders now.
Feel your shoulders releasing any heaviness,
Any burden or worry.
Just let go and relax your shoulders.
And so your arms relax now.
Feel the arms just letting go of any tightness or tension.
And feel your arms,
Hands and fingers relaxing.
Be aware of your whole back,
The muscles in your back relax a little bit.
If you feel there's any rigidity in your sitting posture,
Just relax a little bit but don't slump.
Feel that you let go of that rigidity but you're still able to hold that upright position.
And so your chest relaxes.
Feel the softness of the breath in your chest and the quietness of your heart.
Allowing all the abdominal muscles to relax now.
Relax all the abdominal muscles.
Easy breathing.
And let that feeling of ease stream down through your legs now.
Both legs relax.
Both legs,
Feet and toes relax.
And be aware now that your whole body is relaxed.
Aware of a certain feeling of lightness in your body and that feels good.
And coming to a mantra now on Mani Padme Hum.
I'm going to recite the mantra several times.
Please ensure that you remain very relaxed with an open heart.
Feel that as you listen and perhaps even join me in the mantra.
Remember,
Feel that your heart is expanding with love and compassion.
Listening now and again please join me if you wish.
Om Mani Padme Hum Om Mani Padme Hum,
Om Mani Padme Hum,
Om Mani Padme Hum,
Om Mani Padme Hum,
Om Mani Padme Hum.
And so feeling the softness of the mantra now vibrating with the stillness in yourself,
Visualize a pure white lotus flower having grown up out of the muddy bottom of the pond.
Now it is in full bloom,
Standing proud above the water,
Glistening with the gentle rays of sunshine upon its petals,
And its radiating purity and beauty and peace.
Imagine that you place this lotus deep inside your heart,
Inside the heart that you have felt expanding with love and compassion.
And in the center of the lotus is a radiant jewel.
This precious jewel is a symbol of your open heart,
Which is full of love and compassion to all,
Especially to yourself.
The warmth and radiance of the jewel is the symbol of pure love,
And this fills every cell of your body.
Allow your body and mind to be immersed in this warmth,
The warmth and radiance of the jewel in the center of the lotus in your heart.
Remember that the lotus is also a symbol of purity,
Reminding us that whatever mistakes we may have committed in the past,
We can purify our consciousness,
And the repetition of the mantra can help us to feel that purification over time.
Be still now.
Feel the peace that comes in the stillness of meditation.
If you like,
You may continue repeating the mantra silently or out loud.
This will help you to keep the mind present.
I'll come back to you in about two minutes.
I will be meditating with you now.
Thank you.
You are welcome.
You are welcome.
Come back to the breath now,
Gently and with peace.
Don't rush.
There is enough time.
Gently coming back.
You can breathe a little deeper now and feel its sensations in your fingers,
Perhaps.
Wriggle your toes a bit.
Even stretch your arms up over your head with a smile,
A smile of gratitude and peace,
Experiencing the stillness within yourself.
Although our meditation has come to a close for now,
Know that you can always carry the consciousness of the jewel in the lotus of the heart,
Now and always.
Take it with you and cherish it.
Take refuge in it at times when you may need to.
And return to the mantra as often as you can.
Much benefit is found in its frequent repetition.
Thank you very much for tuning in and many blessings to you.
