Hi,
This is Madeline.
Simply knowing and understanding the benefits of mindfulness without having a regular practice won't bring the desired changes that you're seeking in your life.
Changes like more joy and ease and the ability to stay grounded in times of turbulence.
Researchers like neuroscientist Dr.
Amishi Jha have found that the time needed to create change in the brain and subsequently in our daily experience that follows is at least 12 minutes a day,
Five days a week.
This focused attention practice with 12 minutes of meditation is perfect for a daily routine.
You might think of it as your basic daily workout for your mind.
So when you're ready you can begin to settle in and take a posture that is alert,
Steady,
With an upright spine.
Think of it as both relaxed and alert.
Feel free to close your eyes if you wish or lower them to a soft gaze in front of you.
So we're looking to have an active spine with relaxed shoulders,
Relaxed jaw,
Relaxed muscles in the face,
And a soft belly.
This practice uses the breath as a focal point or an anchor like an anchor on a boat.
And if you prefer to use sounds or sensations in your body like noting the sensations in your hands,
Feel free to substitute that when you hear the word breath.
So begin to notice the sensations of breathing that are most predominant for you.
Think of the breath as a target or focal point for your attention.
The sensations could be the coolness of the air moving in and out of your nose,
Your abdomen moving up or down,
The chest rising and falling,
Or some other sensation tied to your breathing.
So for now,
For this period of practice,
Focus your attention on these breath-related experiences.
We're simply inviting the mind to rest on the sensations of the breath or other anchor that you're using.
This is totally doable.
We do have the power to move our attention around.
So it's not difficult,
But it does take some practice.
And when the mind has wandered away from your anchor,
Your home base,
Your attentional target,
This is normal and you're not doing it wrong.
Just simply begin again bringing your attention back to noticing the breath or the full experience of breathing.
If you're like most people,
Perhaps you're noticing that your focus is now on thoughts or sensations or memories and not on the breath at all.
When this happens,
Just redirect your attention back to the breath or the other home base that you're using.
And if it's possible to do this in a loving,
Non-judgmental way,
Just begin again.
And when your mind wanders off,
Planning,
Remembering,
Thinking,
There's nothing more to do.
Just simply return back to the breath as many times as you need to.
If you have a very busy mind today,
Then you just have more reps for your mental workout.
That's great.
Just begin again.
We're simply letting our attention rest on a very simple phenomenon.
Our minds are capable of so much more.
So just rest on this simple task and enjoy it.
When the mind wanders off,
Simply begin again breathing in,
Breathing out,
Or noticing the other focal points or anchor that you're choosing.
We're not trying to make something happen.
We're simply noticing the breath as it goes in and out of the body,
Like a third-party observer,
Just watching this simple phenomenon.
When the mind wanders off,
It's totally normal.
There's no judgment.
We're not doing it wrong.
We're just going to begin again and fill your awareness with a sensation of the breath going in and out of the body.
Just tuned in to being aware.
In,
Out,
In,
Out.
There's nothing more to do.
Just simply return back to the breath as many times as you need to.
We do have the power to move our attention around and that is the ability that we're strengthening right now.
Just inviting the mind to rest on the sensations of the breath or other anchor that you're using.
And in a moment,
I'm going to ring a bell three times and when you hear it,
Listen to the bell ringing all the way out and the space in between.
So beginning now,
If you weren't using sound as a focus point or an anchor,
Shift your attention to sounds in your experience.
Inside the room,
Outside,
The sound of my voice.
Just letting sound fill your awareness and when you're ready,
You can begin to rub your fingers together.
Maybe tilt your head from side to side or roll your head around stretching your neck and gently open your eyes if they were closed and begin to take in your surroundings.
Maybe by noticing one small thing that you hadn't seen before just where you are.
The goal is to end this practice but not your presence.
With mindfulness,
The more you practice,
The more you benefit.
But it doesn't have to be hours a day.
By using a formal meditation practice of at least 12 minutes a day,
Five days a week,
Plus any informal mindfulness activities you can bring in throughout your day,
You'll begin to notice positive changes in your daily experience of life.
Looking forward to next time for our 12 minutes of mindfulness.
The practice will be the same but you'll be different.
See you tomorrow.
