Leaning Into Thoughts

Noticing thoughts can sometimes be difficult when learning to meditate. This short guided sitting meditation is a way of creating a bigger container by opening the eyes or expanding out to sounds. Awareness of breathing is also invited to allow the language of sensations to be a support for ongoing practice.

Transcript

Hi, Welcome to this practice leaning into thoughts. So you might begin by sitting comfortably and I find it can be helpful to have a window or somewhere where you can gaze outside if you need to. Sometimes leaning into thoughts can be difficult when we practice and be still. So look after yourself, Know that you can open your eyes and look outside creating a bigger container if that supports your practice. So just begin by being grounded in the body. So that might be feet on the floor, You might notice a bend in your knees, Weight into your seat, Spine tall, You might like to cup one hand on top of the other and just feel that sense of touch into your hands, Inviting your shoulders to soften, Releasing through the tongue, Maybe unhinging your jaws and just begin by noticing that you're breathing, Wherever the breath is most alive in your body. We're going to begin by quietly noticing three breaths, Might be the nose, The throat, The chest, The belly and if that's not available you might just feel the touch in your hands. So your body will continue to be still breathing and now we're going to expand out to hearing. You might be aware of any sounds to your left aware of any sounds to your right. Noticing any sounds in front of your body, Any sounds behind, Any sounds above, Any sounds below, Any sounds inside your body. You might hear the sound of your heartbeat, You might notice the sound of your breath. And now tuning into the mind, You might hear words at the back of the head, Between the ears, Chatter, Talk, Words. You might see pictures or images, Might feel like that's at the front of the head. If anything's difficult, Know you can open your eyes, Gazing out or expand out to hearing. Just observing, You might know thinking, Thinking, Remembering, Remembering. Pictures, Images, Observing whatever is arising in your field of awareness, Not trying to push anything away. Know that you can meditate with your eyes open or a soft gaze down if that supports your practice. And then dropping away from the thoughts back down to the hands or wherever you can feel the breath and taking three breaths. And then coming back to the mind, Just for a moment, Noticing what you're aware of now, Sort of racing mind, Maybe the mind has settled because the body is still. Just to know. Then coming back to your body, Feet on the floor, Touch in the hands, Air on the cheeks. And just take a moment to thank yourself for taking the time to be curious about the mind, The body, The breath and sound. Thank you for your practice leaning into thoughts.