Hello there,
This is Subhadra Matty recording from the London Buddha Center and today's meditation is going to focus on gratitude.
So as ever I'm going to guide you through this meditation but first of all just setting yourself up somewhere,
Somewhere you can sit upright and as best you can that you won't be distracted.
So just take a moment for you to do that.
Good,
So hopefully you're sitting comfortable and upright now.
So we just start as ever with tuning into our bodies,
Closing our eyes.
So starting with the base of our posture.
As ever just tuning in with the actual sensations of contact of your body with the cushions or chair or whatever you're sitting on.
So you're not thinking about your body but more tuning in to how it actually feels and especially what the sensation of contact with whatever supporting you feels like.
Now you might notice that even the act of tuning in,
The act of becoming more aware itself starts to transform the experience.
You might notice that quite naturally more and more of your weight drops down into the cushions or chair and into the floor.
At the same time quite naturally you might notice that just by bringing in attention to your body,
Your spine naturally starts to stretch upwards perhaps like a young tree growing towards the sun,
Strong yet flexible.
Head just poised and balanced.
Just softening your face.
And softening your hands.
And softening your belly.
Now just sitting here with an overall sense of your body.
Noticing whether the overall sense is pleasant or unpleasant.
Or if you can't really tell or if you can't really make your mind up.
Just noticing that without judging it at all.
Tuning into the vedana associated with the body.
And again just see if you can be open to that.
Not presuming that you know in advance.
Tuning into the vedana.
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Or neutral.
And now just becoming aware of your mood as you sit here.
Where are your thoughts tending to go?
Just use that as information just to become more mindful of your mood as you sit here meditating.
And all this is without judgment.
Just with an attitude of curiosity.
So now having set up these first three stages of mindfulness.
How you are in your body.
Mindfulness of vedana.
And mindfulness of what your state of mind feels like.
What your mood feels like.
Just tuning into the heart center.
Not so much your physical heart but the area in the center of your chest.
That's your emotional center.
Just tuning into that area.
Just noticing any sensation there.
Even the sensation of no sensation.
Just notice how it feels at your heart center.
All the time anchoring yourself with your breath.
And now just going to start bringing to mind people who you've benefited from in your life.
People who have helped you even.
People who have taught you things.
So just bringing these people to mind.
And perhaps your parents,
Teachers.
Perhaps your partner you have on.
Friends.
Just think of people who have benefited you,
Helped you,
Taught you,
Cared for you.
And just bring each one to mind.
Perhaps one at a time.
Bring an image of them or a sense of them into your mind.
And just notice your inner response as you bring each person to mind.
Especially noticing any effect in your heart center.
And now trying to preempt the response.
Just allow yourself to actually have the response you're having as you bring each person to mind.
If you find your mind's gone away,
Don't panic.
As you notice your mind's gone away,
You're meditating again.
You can just come back to your weight on the cushions or chair.
Your breath in your body.
Your heart center.
And then bringing someone to mind that's benefited you,
Helped you.
And just noticing your response.
Just keep seeing if you can be sensitive.
To your heart center.
On the sensations that your heart center.
Keep softening the face.
The hands.
And just the heart.
And now for the last few moments.
Still sitting with our eyes closed.
Just relaxing our efforts.
And just sitting aware of the body,
Aware of the breath,
Not trying to do anything in particular.
Just sitting.
And then when you're ready,
In your own time,
Opening your eyes and bringing the meditation to a close.
And then just,
If you come,
Just pause for a little while.
Before carrying on with your day.
