Connecting To Experience And Letting It Be

Mindfulness meditation leads to insight into the nature of our hearts and minds, revealing an inherent clarity, openness, and ease. This meditation was originally recorded as part of an Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation course. In this meditation, we we are exploring what we can call basic common sense. Mindfulness practice is simple, however our minds are not used to simplicity, we need to practice. We begin this meditation with a basic instruction: Can we recognize whatever the mind is knowing? Is it safe to let this knowing happen? Can we let it be? Mark then leads us through a body scan where we explore reconnecting with a basic intimacy with sensations. We practice being both awake and at ease with whatever is being felt in the body.

Transcript

Welcome everyone. Nice to see everybody tonight. Let me know if you can hear me at any time. So this is our six week introduction to mindfulness meditation class. And I always like to just start with a little practice just so everybody gets a sense of what we're up to. And of course, Many of you have been practicing and maybe even more of you have never practiced before. But what we're doing in this six week class is something that you could call basic human common sense. Because it's so simple, But that doesn't mean it's easy. There are a lot of things that are simple, But if our mind isn't used to being simple, It's used to being complicated. And scattered, Well, Then simple can be quite challenging. So let's just do a little practice. Sit in a comfortable way. Next week I'll talk more about posture, But don't worry about it tonight so much. Just sit in a comfortable way, Whatever that is for you tonight. Eyes can be open or closed. If they're open, Just gazing down toward the floor in front of you. And simply recognize what the mind is knowing, Whatever the experience is. Just see, Can you leave it alone? Whatever the mind is knowing? In other words, Is it safe to trust that this experience is being known, This feeling is being felt? Is it safe to just let this knowing, This awareness, This sensitivity, Is it safe to just let it happen? And so if you haven't yet, Maybe close the eyes for a little bit, Noticing any sensations, Now in the face, Something simple like the air touching the skin of the face, The cheek, For example. Maybe there's a gentle breeze and just tune in to the sensations. Maybe there's some tension around the mouth, Around the eyes. Perhaps you can feel the weight of the hair or some pressure, Some tension someplace in the head or face. And again, Just see in terms of these sensations, Now in the face and head, Can these sensations simply be allowed to be the way they are? Can you leave them alone? Knowing that the head and face is like this now, But just leaving the experience be. So on the one hand, You're aware, You're intimate, But on the other hand, You're not controlling, You're not trying to fix, You're relaxing and letting the sensations here in the head and face be. And then try doing that with the throat and the neck and the shoulders and arms and hands. So these other places in the body now. Just allow the attention to settle, To open to the neck and throat and the shoulders and arms, Hands. We're just feeling sensitive to whatever's here now. And once again, See if you can just allow these sensations to be in the hands and the arms, In the throat and the neck, Tops of the shoulders. It's a very simple thing we're doing. It's bringing together these two qualities that are the most important. Bringing together these two qualities of the mind, This capacity to be alert, Interested, And this capacity to relax, To allow things to be, To accept. So let's do it now with the trunk, The entire torso. So the chest area, The upper back, The entire spine, The belly, Pelvis. So again, Just taking the time, Feeling the entire torso and work on those two simple qualities, Being alert or open to the sensations here, Just as they are, And relaxing, Not needing to fix anything or do anything, Just letting everything be the way it is here in the trunk. All the way from the collarbones down to the floor of the pelvis. Intimate and letting things be. And then again, With both legs, Both feet, Take your time, A willingness to be sensitive to the legs and feet, And to let things be, And the whole body together now. Breathing in sensitive to the whole body. While you breathe out, Practice being sensitive or open to the whole body. And once again, You're experimenting. Can you bring these two qualities of mind together? The quality of alertness, Which also would mean a pure interest, A bright attention, And the quality of relaxation or acceptance, Allowing things to be. So just for another couple minutes, Alert and relax with the whole body. י On the one hand, We're bringing a very fresh, Alert presence to the sensations in the body. And on the other hand, We're relaxing and letting things be. It's a relief not to have to control or fix or judge. It's a relief not to have to control or fix or judge. Breathing in, Sensitive to the whole body, Alert and relaxed. The same then while breathing out. So for the duration of the exhalation, Is it possible for the mind to be both alert and relaxed as it opens to the entire body, The sensations of the whole body? Just a few more breaths. And now for the last few seconds, See if you can be curious about the mind, The awareness, Recognizing the present moment. So the mind is alert, It's aware that it's like this now. It's a reflective knowing of the present moment. Oh, It's like this now. For just a few more seconds, See if you can sustain this very simple present moment awareness. Is there a way to stop the mind from being aware, Like an off button? Just getting a sense of how natural it is for the mind to be aware. It's like it's not, There's not really an on or an off button. There's something about the nature of the mind that is awake, Is aware, So we're noticing that. Like an internal mirror that simply reflects what's going on, What's being known. Thank you.

Reviews

I appreciate all of Mark’s guided meditations and talks. His decades of experience and sincere practice shines through, for me. Sitting long silent retreats at the Forest Refuge with Mark has become an annual priority for me. He brings the dharma alive to each moment.

I always appreciate your I always appreciate your teachings Mark. Thank you.

Very simple but effective instructions. Thank you Mark.

Thank you Mark May you abide peacefully where you are. Blessings 🙏

🙏🏻 thank you

Again the bell is a somewhat loud and abrupt and may be experienced as startling