This practice is called Expanding the Mind,
Beginning here in this meditation by finding a position and a posture that feels helpful to you,
Where you can feel alert and upright as well as relaxed and at ease.
I invite you to take a look around your space before we begin.
Slowing down the way that you're taking in your sensory input,
Noticing more detail with the eyes,
Feeling the space around you with the body.
Perhaps you might even notice the smells,
The sounds in the environment.
And now when you're ready,
If you feel comfortable,
This would be a good time to close the eyes,
To prepare yourself to eliminate visual distractions,
Culting a sense of being here in the body.
And just right here,
The invitation is to feel the weight of the body,
This body,
This place anchoring the here and now.
You may already notice what kind of state you're in as we begin here,
Whether the mind is busy,
Chaotic,
Or whether you feel calm,
Centered,
Grounded.
Meditation holds space for all of these possibilities.
Just knowing how you are in this moment is already part of the mindfulness practice.
Noticing if there's any intention you have here as we enter into the practice to gain awareness,
To experience a certain state,
To cultivate rest,
Focus.
Just noting the reasons why you're here.
Choosing an anchor point for the mind to begin to develop steadiness,
Collecting your energies in the body.
This could be through the breathing,
Through focusing on the breath coming in and out.
This could be through a place on the body,
Such as the palms of the hands,
Or through the ears,
Listening to sounds.
Just allowing the mind now to settle on this point.
Bringing alongside your practice a gentleness and kindness that's imperative for mindfulness practice.
Understanding the qualities of peace within you,
Of steadiness and calm.
I invite you to turn your awareness to the physical body,
Feeling your own presence in the body now in whatever way that is accessible to you.
Seeing the force of gravity that's holding the body here in this position.
You might feel the weight of the body sitting,
Laying down,
Standing.
Allowing the mind,
The awareness to drop down into the body.
Having sensation throughout the body.
There's no need to worry if there are areas that feel numb or uncomfortable.
I invite you to notice these things and to steer your attention in a skillful way for yourself.
Noticing sensation in the feet.
Noticing sensation throughout the back.
Noticing awareness of the hands.
Trying to expand the mind outside the body.
I invite you to notice the surface beneath you.
Sensing with the body there is a ground.
It may hold a quality of firmness,
Solidity.
This is earth element.
Notice how it feels now to expand the awareness to include this ground.
Expanding the awareness outside the body,
I invite you to notice the air.
The air in this environment around you.
This is air element.
Noticing the temperature quality of the air.
Noticing if it carries any sense or feeling for you.
Noticing what it's like to include the air element in your environment into your awareness now.
Holding the mind further,
I invite you to notice the walls that might contain you if you're in an indoor space.
If you are in an outdoor space,
You might also notice nearby objects such as trees,
Rocks.
Simply noticing what do these objects nearby in your physical space feel like.
With your sense of awareness of these objects,
Can you touch on texture,
Hardness,
Smell,
Structure?
You might even notice any associations you have in the mind or emotional reaction to these objects or walls.
Checking in now with yourself to see if you are holding your awareness with some gentle kindness.
If there's tension or over-efforting in this practice,
Maybe you can invite yourself to soften that a bit.
Expanding the mind again further,
I invite you now to notice the outside world beyond the physical structure of your indoor space into the world of nature outside.
You might sense if there are trees,
If there is earth,
You might sense what the weather is like.
Allowing your awareness to merge outside with the natural world.
There may be water element,
Sun.
If it's nighttime,
You might notice how that feels,
Feeling into the darkness.
What do you notice about the outside world?
Seeing your own personal connection,
Response to this meditation on nature.
Is it difficult for you?
Does it bring you ease?
Is there a depth of connection with something you did not notice before?
There's no one right way to experience this meditation.
Notice what it feels like when you include the earth as part of your awareness.
Allowing your awareness to CSF and you are embody a spirit of being otherwise,
Just listen to what you're seeing.
How the sense of self has shifted as a result of this practice.
You
