Resting in awareness.
Begin by settling into this present moment by consciously putting aside worries and concerns about the world and your life.
It may sound hard to put aside worries and concerns,
But let this intention form and take shape by focusing attention on present moment realities.
Let worries and concerns,
Hankering and cravings bubble away on the edge of your awareness and bring complete attention to this present moment by feeling yourself sitting in the chair on your cushion.
Feel your feet on the floor,
Your hands wherever they are and bring presence to sitting here now.
Here now,
Let your attention shift to sounds as they are arising and passing.
You may hear sounds outside the room,
Inside this room or you may even hear the sounds of your own body breathing.
Let the spotlight of your awareness shine on sounds.
Notice the subtleties of the vibrations you hear.
You may name the sounds you hear such as birds singing or wind or person talking,
But let the concepts of the sounds you hear be on the periphery of your attention and notice the changing nature of sound.
Try not to control the ambient sounds that come your way,
But let them be as they are,
Changing and arising out of space and back into space.
Now,
Expand your awareness to include sensations in your body.
Don't try to suppress sounds,
But simply let your awareness include sensations.
Let your attention circulate and scan around your body and go where it feels like going.
Noticing a sensation here,
A feeling there.
Perhaps you can feel your feet one moment and the stretch of your abdomen as you breathe the next.
Simply bring witness to the experience of your body without trying to focus on any one thing,
But let awareness go where it feels like going.
Noticing the changing nature of sensations and how one experience leads on to the next.
Let go of struggle and accept one moment after the next.
Be present with your body and sensations.
Let go of struggle and accept one moment after the next.
Let go of struggle and accept one moment after the next.
Now shifting your awareness or shifting your attention gently and with delicate care and interest expand your awareness to be present with thoughts.
Without suppressing sounds or suppressing sensations,
Bring this spotlight of your awareness to thoughts.
Thoughts may be like words,
Like pictures,
Like feeling urges or combinations of all these.
As much as possible,
Step back from being entangled or engaged in thought,
No matter how enticing.
Let thoughts come and go without getting caught up in the story of the thoughts you are having.
Simply let thoughts come and go.
If you can,
Notice the beginning,
Middle and end of thoughts.
Also if you can,
Notice the gaps between thoughts.
Don't worry if you can't notice the beginning,
Middle and end of a thought.
Rather be content to know whether thoughts are present or not.
If you can,
Step back from thoughts as if they are appearing and disappearing on a screen or they are like passing you by in the street in a vehicle.
You can use all sorts of analogies for thoughts like clouds across the sky,
Buses hurdling down the street,
Train carriages passing.
Whatever is appropriate for you,
Use that analogy.
What's important is that you notice that thoughts change.
And simply notice the beginning,
Middle and end if you can.
Some have a charge and others may not.
Simply let thoughts come and go like bubbles rising and bursting into nothing.
Rest into yourself and into a sense of spaciousness from being caught up with thought.
As much as possible,
Rest in a quality of witnessing.
Draw a line 80 degrees from your mind and authenticity the message you are here for Now,
With warm and compassionate willingness,
Expand your awareness to include the mood state you are currently experiencing.
There's no need to suppress sounds,
Sensations or thought.
Simply shine the spotlight of your awareness on your current mood state,
Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant.
Try to accept the mood state you're in as it is.
Just like nursing a tiny baby,
Nurse your current mood state or the state of your heart.
Be kind and compassionate,
And let changing states of your heart or your mood change as they do.
Without feeling,
You have to act on them in any way,
Except with complete openness and kindness.
Let mind states,
Moods or emotions arise and pass away like waves passing through the ocean or moving across the ocean.
Notice them,
Note them and let them arise and pass freely.
Let them arise and pass freely.
Being aware of sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts and mood states,
Simply let awareness go to whatever grabs its attention.
And try to control attention and let it notice whatever arises and passes in this present moment.
Let sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts and mood states arise and pass according to the laws of change.
Settle back and let these experiences change.
Let sounds arise and pass by,
Float by.
Let thoughts arise and pass by.
Let the waves of moods,
Emotions or states of mind build up and pass by.
Let sensations bubble up,
Rise up and pass on by.
Let all these experiences come and go.
And as you notice the changing experiences,
Relax your mind,
Relax your heart and ask yourself what is it that knows these changing experiences?
Do not struggle with analysing or trying to intellectualise this question.
But if you can,
Rest with the sense of witnessing experience.
Let this witnessing be spacious,
Open and receptive like the sky.
If you can,
Simply rest with awareness and be content to be present.
Know where to go,
Nothing to do,
Know when you have to be,
Nothing you have to do other than being present.
Be present by simply letting go of grasping after things.
Be content to know the changing experience.
Be content to be present as a witness without trying to control anything.
Step back to the deepest part of your being and rest in awareness.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
Ugh moderate lead
