Let's meditate together.
We'll be doing an open awareness meditation.
In this meditation,
We train our capacity to be in the present moment as a kind observer to our direct experience in the here and now.
So allow yourself to arrive right here,
Letting go of whatever came before this meditation.
You can sit in a way that's relaxed and alert.
Relax your shoulders,
Your jaw.
Relax your hands.
Relax your hands.
Feeling your feet on the floor.
Turning attention inward.
Turning attention inward.
Perhaps imagining that you're sitting like a majestic mountain.
Settling.
Arriving.
Right here,
Right now.
Now become aware of the sensations of your body breathing.
Notice where in the body you feel the breath.
Perhaps at the nose and mouth.
Maybe the movement of your hands.
Perhaps at the nose and mouth.
Maybe the movement of the chest or abdomen.
Observe the sensations of the inhale and the exhale.
Become aware of different sensations that pull your attention away from the felt sensation of breathing.
Maybe there's tightness or tingling or itching or warmth or coolness.
Just be open to these sensations,
Noticing them.
Allowing them to be right here.
As you open to any sensations that are here,
That are arising,
Just feel them,
Just notice them.
And see if you can notice how they change.
Return again to your body,
To sitting,
Sitting and breathing.
And now becoming aware of any thoughts or emotions as they arise.
Just observing without being carried away by them.
You can try simply noting them as they arise.
You might give them a label,
A headline,
Such as thinking,
Planning or aching,
Tingling.
Simply noting the activity in your direct experience in your mind and body.
Observing and seeing them as they pass away.
Practicing allowing whatever is here to be here without trying to change anything.
Just this,
This is here,
You might say.
Returning attention again to the sensations of breathing.
Resting attention on the breath.
Resting attention on the breath.
Thoughts and images appearing and disappearing like clouds moving across the sky.
Like clouds moving across the sky.
When you notice your mind has wandered or you're lost in thought,
Begin again.
That's the practice.
Noticing and allowing all of it to be here with a gentle,
Kind awareness.
Noting the activity in the mind and not becoming attached to a thought or sensation,
Just letting it go.
If you like,
You can expand your awareness even further out from the body,
The breath,
Thoughts and emotions.
See if you can notice who's doing the observing.
Who's doing the noticing.
Who's doing the noticing.
Connecting to awareness of awareness.
Watching the watching.
Watching the watching.
You're tuning in with mindfulness to the direct experience right now.
And in this expanded awareness,
See if you can sense interconnection with others.
The broader shared human experience.
We're not moving through this world alone.
We're in it together.
We're in it together.
So we're sensing interconnection.
And now returning attention to breathing.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
Resting attention on breathing.
If you like,
You can offer words of kindness,
Care and generosity to yourself.
You might try.
May you be happy.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
May you be well.
And you can extend that.
And you can extend that.
And you can extend that back out to our broader shared humanity.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings be peaceful.
May all beings be well.
May all beings be well.
So thank you for practicing with me.
I'll see you here again.
