Aloha and Namaste everyone.
Thank you for joining me today in this practice.
We will explore a Vipassana style meditation with a gentle yet powerful technique that with practice and dedication can eventually lead us to right mindfulness,
Samasati.
Our breath will not only serve us through filling us with prana,
Our life energy,
But also guide us and build the center of our focus and attention for the upcoming minutes.
This class is suited for beginners as well as practitioners with a regular practice.
If this is your first time meditating it would be good to set a timer when the practice starts.
Maybe set it for five minutes for the first three days and then slowly adjust the length step by step.
Continue with seven minutes on the upcoming three days,
Ten minutes the following and so on until you feel like following the entire length of the practice.
Find a comfortable seat on the floor.
As we'll be here for a while make sure you find a position you can sit with long enough without feeling uncomfortable or hurting your knees or ankles.
Sitting on a mat or folded blanket is a good choice and elevating our sitting bones with a yoga block or a bolster or meditation pillow if handy helps opening and relaxing our hips.
The crown of your head is drawing you towards the ceiling or the sky if you're outside.
Imagine you're being pulled upwards so your spine can really stretch out.
Apart from our spine our body would find organic relaxation.
Hands loosely on the thighs,
Indijnana Mudra if it is in your practice,
But you can let your hands just rest on the thighs as well.
Chin is slightly in so the spine can be erect,
Shoulders away from the ears.
Rather put one heel in front of the other to prevent a restriction of the blood flow through ankle crossing.
Find your ground and take a few in and exhales.
When the meditation starts it is best to sit in silence so maybe turn off your phone if you haven't done that yet and any music or background noise if you can.
Once you've adjusted your seat let's arrive in our space.
Let everything go that doesn't serve you with your next exhale.
Inhale deeply,
Profoundly.
Exhale with your mouth open.
Let everything go.
There is nothing to be done right now.
You don't need to know anything in this moment.
Just breathe in and breathe out.
Just be and breathe.
Be a human being in the true sense of the word.
Another human doing.
Continue breathing naturally.
Let the breathing come and go as it comes naturally.
If you want you can set an intention for your meditation practice now.
This can be a person,
An emotion,
Whatever calls you and whatever feels right.
Everything is possible.
This is your time and your meditation.
Continue with your inhales and exhales so that they become longer than the inhales.
That way we show the parasympathetic nervous system that we are in peace and relaxation and our heartbeat can calm down.
Let's now begin to breathe in and out.
Inhale and exhale through our nostrils.
Focus on your nostrils.
Feel where the prana enters the body and where it leaves you again.
Feel the fresh and rich air entering your body,
Bringing fresh oxygen to each and every cell.
Feel it filling your lungs and it falls inwards when the breath is leaving you again.
Feel your nostrils.
Feel your exhales leaving you warm and moist,
Letting go of anything that doesn't any longer serve you.
Feel the breath leaving you.
Feel the fresh air entering your lungs,
Letting go of anything that doesn't any longer serve you.
Exhale everything out that you don't need anymore.
Relax your jaw,
Your face,
Relax your eyes,
Your shoulders.
Through vipassana and samasati we want to deeper connect our mind and our body.
We want to let go of all our emotions and the cage our thoughts sometimes put us in.
We keep on thinking continuously all day,
Every day.
Whenever you notice that your attention has left your breath and nostrils,
Just notice what kind of thought has drawn your attention to it and then just let it go and let it pass and return back home with your attention to your breath.
It's like our true self is in this happy place where the sun is always shining before any thought ever emerged and there are clouds in the sky covering it which are our thoughts.
But we can blow the clouds away and always and everywhere return to the sunny spot within us through continuous practice.
Inhale and exhale.
Notice the natural pauses of your breath.
Inhale and exhale.
I will ring a gentle bell every five minutes during the upcoming session as a gentle reminder to bring your attention back to your breath.
Whenever the monkey mind wanders away,
Just explore your thoughts and then just let them pass as you send them away.
Always remember that we have thoughts.
We are not our thoughts.
You are not your thoughts.
So don't be hard on yourself if your attention flows away from your nostrils.
Just return back home to your natural breathing,
To the here and now because it is all we have.
Inhale and exhale.
Let's start together.
Now gently deepen your breathing.
Inhale deeply and then take a deep exhale until you're empty.
Slowly bring your attention back to the space you're touching.
Whenever you're ready,
Slowly open your eyes.
Recognize the space you're in.
Gently roll out your wrists,
Your wrists,
Your ankles and your shoulders.
Take your time.
Let your chin drop towards your chest and slowly roll it towards your left shoulder.
Then to the back if your neck is okay.
Roll your right shoulder and then return back to center.
Maybe rise your palms and arms in a powerful circle above your head.
Let your palms meet in the center in Anjali mudra and draw them and draw them downward in front of your heart.
Let's bow to ourselves and to each other.
The light in me honors and recognizes the light in you.
Thank yourself for taking the time and effort for this practice and let me thank you for letting me be part of your journey.
Let's place one palm on our heart and one on the ground next to us as a gentle reminder that we are held always.
If you want,
Sit for a little while longer and if you are done for today,
Maybe apply some gentle movements to counter the long phase of sitting down like some slow sun salutations after this session.
Thank you for joining me today.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if you would like any further information.
If you liked this session,
I'd be thankful for a review or any feedback.
Thank you and I wish you a pleasant journey.
Everything you need is already within you.
Namaste and Mahalo.
