Let's start over with meditation.
Seriously,
Imagine you've never done it before.
You've never seen anyone do it perfectly.
You don't have an ideal image in your mind of meditation.
And you don't feel anxiety about having to do it.
Meditation is a blank mystery.
A completely new idea.
Now,
I'm going to walk us through a novel experience.
One that we are bringing a fresh and curious perspective to.
There is not a wrong way to do this thing called meditation.
Except to not do anything at all.
See if you can notice anxiety.
Or anticipation come up.
As you feel inclined to perform meditation a certain way.
Or expect it to be structured somehow in particular.
What we're going to do is rest the thinking mind and moving body for a few moments.
With the very simple and boring goal of noticing what happens.
We're going to do it for just a few minutes.
After which we will congratulate ourselves on having meditated today.
Ready?
Make yourself comfortable.
Which means give your body the environment and position that it needs to feel the most safe and relaxed.
Maybe that means lying down on a bed.
Maybe it means sitting in a chair or in the back.
Maybe it means walking slowly.
It doesn't matter what it looks like.
It's meditation if your goal is to meditate.
Settle the body into your chosen position.
And give yourself the chance to move around a little bit until you are sure you're comfortable.
And then see if you can stop moving altogether except to breathe.
If you feel discomfort during the next few minutes.
You can move your body to accommodate that and try to change it.
You can also challenge yourself to add discomfort to the things you notice if the discomfort is mild.
Okay,
Next up.
See how you feel about your senses.
Your sense of hearing.
Listen to some of the sounds that are moving through right now.
Cars.
Birds.
Air conditioning.
My voice.
Whatever it is,
Try to listen to it as though you're hearing it for the first time.
Just listen to the quality of sound as a physical phenomenon that is happening in your ear.
Move on to noticing your sight.
If you want to,
You can close your eyes.
If you want to keep your eyes open,
Unfocus to relax them.
Like you're looking at a magic eye poster to see the hidden picture.
See if you can smooth the muscles in your face around your eyes,
Between your eyes,
Across your forehead.
Notice the play of color,
Space,
And texture.
Whether your eyes are open or closed,
Notice how seeing feels.
Does your mind label and try to understand what you're seeing?
Does it tell you a story about what is happening with sight right now?
That's okay.
That's just what the mind does.
Now bring your awareness into your body.
Move your mind into your heart.
Start with the way your clothing feels making contact with your skin.
Notice the way your clothing moves to accommodate your breathing body.
What other changes take place when you inhale and when you exhale?
Bring your focus to the areas of your body where breathing is happening.
Does your breathing change when it notices you noticing?
That's okay.
That's just what the body does.
Allow yourself to let go of the expectation to breathe correctly.
And allow breathing to do its thing for a little while.
Finally,
Rest on your body and lean back into a full awareness of the moment.
Hearing is happening.
Seeing.
Feeling.
There is a vibrant life inside you that is happening too.
Thoughts are happening.
Maybe ideas coming or memories.
Notice them and then float along like a leaf on the surface.
Maybe more leaves float down the river toward you.
Notice them and then watch them carry on their way somewhere else.
Sit here and allow everything to happen just a minute.
There.
Did it.
You meditated.
Nailed it.
Gold star.
Thank you so much for meditating with me today.
