An Introduction To Mindful Meditation

US Navy SEAL Jon Macaskill leads a simple introduction to mindful meditation focusing on the anchors of breath, seeing, hearing, and feeling. The practice includes a full body scan, focus on the here and now.

Transcript

Hello and thank you for joining me today.

Today we'll be practicing mindful meditation.

We will learn to be present in the here and now by focusing on sensations.

Our breath,

Our sight,

Our hearing,

And our sense of touch.

We will call these our anchors as they keep us anchored to the present.

As our minds drift away to the future or the past,

These anchors will help to bring us back.

With that in mind,

Please be gentle with yourself.

There is no judgment.

Even if your mind races or goes elsewhere,

Just notice that.

We're all human and that's going to happen.

Just simply be aware of it and gently come back to the exercise.

Even noticing that your mind is wandering is in and of itself awareness of the present moment.

So count that as a win and then gently come back to an anchor.

Again,

The anchors are your breath or some other sensation.

During the course of this meditation,

I'm going to ask you several questions to make you think about your sensations.

Don't answer them out loud.

Just be aware of the answers.

Now let us begin.

I invite you to assume a comfortable pose,

Whatever that may look like for you.

It can be sitting,

Lying down,

Or even standing,

Whatever works for you.

Now slowly close your eyes.

Our intention for this meditation is to learn how to do mindful meditation and to just work on being present in the moment,

But to not feel guilty when our mind wanders.

I invite you to begin with several cleansing breaths.

In through your nose,

Out through your mouth.

Notice the rising of your chest and the expansion of your belly with each breath in.

Notice the rising of your chest and the expansion of your belly with each breath in.

And the falling of your chest and contraction of your belly with each breath out.

Continue breathing deeply,

Focusing on the feelings and sounds of your breath.

For the duration of this exercise,

There is nowhere else you have to be,

Nothing else you have to do.

Just focus.

Focus on your breath.

Now begin to breathe naturally,

But still take note of your breath.

Notice it coming into your nose,

Imagine it going down into your lungs,

And then coming back down into your nose and then coming back down into your mouth.

Notice the rising of your chest and your belly,

But still take note of your breath.

Notice it coming into your nose,

Imagine it going down into your lungs,

And then coming back up from the lungs and out of your nose or mouth.

If you would like,

Use your breath as your primary anchor.

Remember to note your diaphragm rising as you breathe in and falling as you breathe out.

Rising and falling,

Rising and falling.

Feel the breath.

Notice the rising of your chest and the expansion of your belly with each breath and falling.

If you would like to explore other anchors,

Feel free to join me as we explore our other sensations.

Your sight,

Even with your eyes closed,

Even in complete darkness,

You're seeing something.

What do you see?

What colors?

Perhaps black,

Brown,

Red,

So the colors of your eyelids,

Or perhaps something deeper,

Colors you wouldn't expect.

Blue like the sky,

Or maybe yellow like the sun.

Perhaps shapes or objects.

If your mind is starting to wander,

Just note it.

Don't be critical,

Just note the wandering mind and gently come back to your preferred anchor.

Your breath or your sight for now.

Notice the rising of your chest,

Your breath or your sight for now.

Breathe in,

Feel the breath in,

Then let it out.

Note the warmth of your breath as you breathe out.

Or note the colors or shapes you're seeing with your closed eyes.

What emotions do those colors or shapes evoke?

If you feel your sight as a valuable anchor for you,

Then stay with it.

Stay with it,

Or if you prefer the breath as your anchor,

Return to that,

Breathing in and feeling your chest rise,

Breathing out,

Feeling your chest fall.

Next,

We'll explore our sense of hearing.

What sounds are you hearing?

Are there sounds that you hear coming from inside your body?

Inside the room,

Maybe outside on the street.

Notice the sounds,

But don't feel the need to identify what they are.

Just be aware of them.

Listen to them.

Are there other sounds?

If your sense of hearing is too sensitive,

Then listen to the sounds.

If your sense of hearing is too stimulating an anchor for you,

Then feel free to move back to focusing on your breath or what you're seeing.

Again,

You will notice in these times of silence,

These are the times where it's easy for you to wander,

Start focusing on the tasks ahead.

No judgment.

Just note it and slowly come back to your preferred anchor.

What sounds are you hearing?

Are there sounds that you hear coming from inside your body?

And slowly come back to your preferred anchor,

Your breathing,

Your sight,

Or your hearing.

The last anchor we'll explore for this exercise is the sense of touch.

What do you feel?

Perhaps the coolness in the room,

Or the sensation of your feet or buttocks on the floor.

Perhaps a little tingling in your neck or back,

Or some pain somewhere in your body.

If you're able,

Focus on those sensations,

But do not try to change them.

What's actually happening with that sensation?

Is it an ongoing feeling or a fleeting sensation?

If you're not picking up on any particular sensations,

Perhaps a body scan would help.

Start by focusing on your breath.

If you're feeling a little bit of pain,

Or a little bit of pain in your body,

Then you can start focusing on your breath.

If you're feeling a little bit of pain,

Then you can start focusing on your breath.

How should I excanutate feeling offenses?

Note the sensations there Follow the scan up the body and note sensations in each step Moving from your feet to your ankles From your ankles to your calves From your calves to your knees To the front of your thighs Back of your thighs Lower back Stomach or abdomen Chest Upper back Shoulders All the way out into your fingertips Back into your hands Forearms Elbows Forearms,

Elbows,

Biceps,

Triceps Back into your shoulders Into your neck Up into your face And finally into your scalp Now that we've completed the scan,

Come back to your breath Focus on the rising and falling of your chest Gently come back into your overall awareness of your body When you're ready,

Slowly open your eyes Take one last deep cleansing breath Thank you for joining us today I hope you've gotten something from today I'd love to answer any questions you may have after this Please contact me at johnmccaskill at mccaskillconsulting.

Com Or find me on LinkedIn,

Johnmccaskill.

Com Thank you very much and have a wonderful day

Reviews

Great beginner script. My main compliant would be hearing the email and social media charter at the end. Put it in the notes. I'd like to see an intermediate meditation by this teacher.

Easy to follow and will listen again

Very relaxing. Your tone of voice was smooth and supportive.

Many thanks 🙏to you,Jon

Liked your voice and the calm of your guidance here... Look forward to more of your work here on IT. Thank you so much!

Thankyou John. Excellent meditation. Easy to listen too and emerge into. Thankyou. Namaste

This was a fantastic introduction to meditation! I have been meditating for 4 years now, and I love it when I key into another technique that helps me have a deeper experience with my meditation.

This was a calming and deep meditation for me that seamlessly helped me navigate between the many different anchor points to help me develop more variety into my mindfulness! Thanks Jon!

This meditation really helped me focus by exploring each of the “anchors” to the present moment. By the end of the practice I felt relaxed and engaged and ready for my day. My mind did wander a few times - as the mind does - and this practice anticipated that by welcoming me to acknowledge my thoughts and to return to an anchor. The practice concludes with a body scan as another helpful tool for being mindful and present. Peaceful music nicely complements the narration throughout.