Begin by finding a comfortable position to settle into with a long,
Tall spine,
Letting your hands rest either in your lap,
On your knees,
Or at your sides.
You can close your eyes all the way if you'd like,
Or put them at half mast,
Or find a spot to relax your eyes upon.
Take a deep breath in through your nose,
And exhale out through your mouth.
Take another deep breath in,
And exhale out.
Allow yourself to relax and let go of any tension you may be holding onto.
Bringing your full attention to your breath,
Noticing the natural rhythm of your inhale and exhale.
Notice the sensation of air flowing in and out of your nostrils.
Allow your breath to be your anchor and your point of focus.
Feeling your breath moving through your body,
And see what else you notice here.
The temperature of your breath,
Pace of your breath,
And maybe any sounds as you breathe.
And now notice the different parts of your mind,
Bringing your attention further inward.
There may be thoughts flowing like a river,
Memories from the past,
Plans for the future,
And emotions that come and go.
Just observe these thoughts and emotions as they pass by like a river flowing through time.
Imagine that your mind is like a river,
And you are navigating it in a kayak.
Rather than struggling in the water or being pushed against the rocks,
You are able to flow with the current and move in the direction that you choose to go.
Each moment of mind leads to the next.
It is an ever-flowing stream going far back in time.
Notice the continuity of your mind,
How one moment leads to the next,
And the next.
As you navigate this river,
Allow yourself to go back in time.
Remember what brought you here to this meditation,
Your day so far,
Any dreams you had last night.
Remember the thoughts and feelings you had yesterday.
Going back over your week,
Your month,
And even your year,
Allowing milestones to pop up in your mind.
See how the same stream of consciousness that you were connected with as you woke up and in these past memories is part of the same stream of consciousness,
Just a different point in the stream.
Continue to travel back,
Navigating the stream,
And from time to time,
Going deeper into some of your experiences and notice the continuity of your mind and how one moment led to the next.
Scan back through major moments in your life,
Staying aware of this continuity of your mind and stream of consciousness,
And go back as far as you can.
And now,
Bringing about the idea in your mind of how the future will unfold in the same way,
The present moment of mind leading to the next moment,
To the next day,
And the next year.
And take some time to contemplate how this continuity of mind means that in the present moment you are influencing your future.
Take some time to think about what you want to be like in the future,
What mental qualities and attitudes you want to have,
And how you can achieve that by how you use your mind in the present moment.
Each moment of your life is important and a precious opportunity.
Hold single-pointed awareness of this potential.
If you find that you get distracted,
Just gently guide yourself right back.
Gently bringing your awareness back to your breath,
Back to your surroundings,
Back to the present moment,
To the here and now.
Allow yourself to just be in this moment,
Fully present with your breath,
With your body,
With the current state in your mind.
If any thoughts or emotions arise,
Notice them and try to allow them to pass by for now,
Returning your focus to your breath.
As you continue to focus on your breath,
Become aware of how you can create awareness to change your actions and reactions,
And instead respond.
When you find yourself reacting to a situation,
Take a moment to pause,
Take a deep breath,
And respond with intention.
The only moment that truly matters is this present moment.
When you find yourself dwelling in the past or worrying about the future,
Practice compassion for yourself.
Be gentle as you navigate the waters of your mind.
And remember that no matter where you are in the stream of consciousness,
You can always choose again to be present and mindful in this moment,
Right here,
Right now.
Know that this river of consciousness will continue on from this point,
Even after you finish this meditation.
Take a deep breath in,
Deep breath out.
Again a deep breath in,
Filling up,
And letting it out.
When you are ready,
Slowly open your eyes,
Returning to your day with a feeling of presence,
Awareness,
And a grounded quality.
Thank you for joining me.
