The Zoom Sessions No 3: Saturday Practice Drop-In

This is a field recording of a live drop-in meditation session hosted on Saturday 11th April 2020. Due to the coronavirus, I decided to host a free Saturday night meditation sessions via Zoom whilst we are all locked down. This recording was made to enable group members to return to the session 'as and when' they would like to, or if they had missed the session they could sit with us when it suited them. This session contains a Loving Kindness Practice, Welcoming Practice and an Examen.

Transcript

The following session is a live recording of a Zoom meditation meeting that took place on the 11th of April to enable our group to continue to practice during the corona pandemic lockdown.

Tonight's practice we did a loving kindness practice and also a welcoming practice as part of the night meditation sitting.

Okay just to sort of ground us then and set us in then just when you're ready close your eyes and bring your awareness to your feet on the floor.

And just for a moment just notice that physical sensation there between the floor and your feet,

That nice firmness of this floor.

And then when you're ready bring your awareness up to the chair supporting your body so notice the contact with the thighs and the backside,

Maybe the lower back if you're in a chair.

Just notice the contact there.

And then when you're ready take your awareness up to the sounds around you so just noticing what's present,

What sounds you can hear where you are.

So it might be sounds outside of your room and also the sounds you can hear inside.

And then what we'll do now is just take two breaths.

So we take a breath in through the nose and sit out nice and deep out through the mouth and if you like just let go of anything you want to let go of as you're doing that,

Just in your mind.

If there's things you want to let go of as you breathe out through your mouth just let those things go.

So take a lovely deep breath in.

I'm going to do that again,

A lovely deep breath in.

And just allow yourself just to settle.

And then we'll do our body scan.

So take your awareness back to the sensation of the feet on the floor.

Taking your awareness out onto your toes,

The tops of the feet and the ankles.

Taking your awareness in up through the shins,

Calf muscles,

The knees,

The thighs,

The hips and the backside.

Just notice the physical sensations present as you just scan through those areas.

And then flow your awareness across up through from the hips up onto the belly and the lower back.

Taking your awareness then up through the upper back and the chest.

Taking the awareness then up onto the shoulders.

And just notice the physical sensations in that part of the body.

And then flow your awareness then down through the shoulder joints,

The upper arms,

The elbows,

The forearms,

The wrists,

The backs of the hands and the palm of the hands.

Just taking your awareness then into that little hollow that forms there in the palm,

The little dish that forms there.

And take your awareness out onto your thumbs,

First fingers,

Second fingers,

Third fingers and fourth.

And then flow your awareness gently all the way back up through the arms.

Just noticing the sensations that are present.

All the way back up onto the shoulder joints.

And then take your awareness then out onto the throat,

The back of the neck.

Taking the awareness then around onto the jaw.

Noticing your jaw and how it feels at the moment.

Taking awareness up onto the mouth.

Noticing your lips,

Your teeth,

Your gums,

The insides of the cheeks,

The roof of the mouth,

The tongue and the space underneath your tongue.

And just notice the physical sensations present there and the tastes.

And then flow your awareness then up onto the nose and the nostrils.

Taking your awareness around onto the ears.

Flowing that awareness around onto the eyelids,

The eyelashes and the eyes.

And just notice the physical sensations there.

And then flow your awareness around onto the forehead,

The back of the head and then finally the crown.

And then just as if you're being emptied out through the bottom of your feet,

Just allow that to flow out through your bodies.

If you're being emptied out,

Just scanning as you go all the way back down to the tips of the fingers,

Tips of the toes.

And this is a time again as well when we can just let go of anything we want to let go of.

Just picturing it leaving us,

Going out to the bottom of the feet and the solid ground just taking it away from us.

Just flow through your body,

Just noting what's there as you flow.

And then when you're ready,

Flow all the way back up in your own time,

All the way back up through the body from the tips of the toes,

Tips of the fingers as if you're being filled up afresh.

Just flowing all the way back up to the crown of the head.

And when you reach the crown of your head,

Just allow you just to sit there in your stillness.

You have to see what it feels like to be in your body,

In the space that you're in.

Just allowing yourself to settle.

And then when you hear the bell,

I'll start to guide us through a loving kindness metta practice.

And this is using words by a gentleman called Darren Cockburn who has written these words especially because of the pandemic at the moment.

So I'm just going to use those words tonight.

So in your mind's eye,

Bring an image of yourself as you are today.

So just allow as you close your eyes just to picture an image of you as you are at this moment.

And place this image of yourself as if it was sat opposite you.

And just take a moment just to notice what it feels like to be looking at this image of yourself.

Regardless of how we might feel about ourselves,

Our intention is to bring kindness to ourselves for no other reason than that we are human and we deserve kindness like everybody else.

And as we look at this image of ourselves,

We'll say these words to this image of ourselves.

May I be happy.

May I be well and healthy.

May I stay grounded.

May I experience peace.

May I be supported.

May I be accepting.

And may I have what I need.

May I be happy.

May I be happy.

May I be happy.

May I be well and healthy.

May I stay grounded.

May I experience peace.

May I be supported.

May I be accepting.

And may I have what I need.

May I be happy.

May I be well and healthy.

May I stay grounded.

May I experience peace.

May I be supported.

May I be accepting.

And may I have what I need.

So just allow the image of yourself just now just to drift away for a moment and in your mind's eye bring an image of someone you care deeply about.

And this doesn't have to be a human being,

It can be an animal that's important to you as well.

And just place in your mind's eye this image of this person or this animal sat in front of you.

And then we'll say these words of kindness to them.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

May you be happy.

May you be healthy and well.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

Let's say these words one more time.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

And then for a moment just allow that image of that person to go now.

Bring into your mind's eye someone who's neutral to you.

So this is somebody you see around but you don't know very well.

Could be a neighbour perhaps or someone who serves you at the local supermarket or cafe.

And just put the image of that person in front of you now as if they were sat opposite you.

And then we'll say these words to them.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepted.

And may you have what you need.

Just say those words one more time to say them.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

So allow the image of that person just to drift away for now.

Bring into your mind's eye someone you find challenging,

Someone who perhaps is a bit difficult.

And bring that person into your mind's eye.

And we'll say those words to them.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

May you have what you need.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

And may you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

I'll just say those one last time to this person.

May you be happy.

May you be well and healthy.

May you stay grounded.

May you experience peace.

May you be supported.

May you be accepting.

And may you have what you need.

So in your mind's eye now,

Just bring back the image of yourself,

The loved one,

Neutral person,

And place them alongside the challenging person.

And then allow your mind to fill with images of other loved ones,

Other people who are important to you,

Perhaps other people who are challenging at the moment.

Just allow your mind just to conjure up a whole throng of people that we're going to bring kindness to.

So just allow your mind just to bring all those images before you.

And then we'll say these words of kindness to them.

May you all be happy.

May you all be well and healthy.

May you all be grounded.

May you all experience peace.

May you all be supported.

May you all be accepting.

And may you all have what you need.

May you all be happy.

May you all be well and healthy.

May you all stay grounded.

May you all experience peace.

May you all be supported.

May you all be accepting.

And may you all have what you need.

So just allow those images just now just to dissolve away.

And as you do this picture the kindness that you've generated and given out towards these people coming back towards you,

Maybe coming in with your breath or coming into your heart centre in the middle of the chest,

And just picture the kindness that you've given coming back and nourishing you.

So in the same way that we've nourished others we bring that kindness back to nourish ourselves.

And then as we do this and we picture this kindness coming back into our being,

And just allow yourself to come back to that place of stillness.

So maybe it's just bringing your awareness back to the chest,

The heart centre,

Back to the breath.

So just allow yourself just to settle down.

And then when you hear the bell we do our grounded technique and then prepare to do the welcoming practice.

So bring your awareness then back to the sounds that are around you.

And then bring your awareness to the chair that's supported your body or the cushion.

And then take your awareness to your feet on the floor.

Just noticing that firmness of the floor that's there.

And then when you're ready we do the two breaths to ground ourselves back in.

So take a lovely deep breath in through the nose and sigh out through the mouth.

And we'll do that again.

Lovely deep breath in through the nose.

And we'll do our grounding technique again.

So just bring your awareness to your feet firm on the floor.

Just noticing that physical sensation.

And bring your awareness to the chair supporting your body again.

And then take your awareness to the sounds around you.

Just noticing those.

And then we'll take our breaths to settle ourselves in.

So take that lovely breath in through the nose and sigh out through the mouth.

A little deep breath in.

And again this lovely deep breath in.

And just allow yourself just to find that stillness.

And then when you're ready just now bring your awareness to the sensation of the breath in the body.

So we use our body to bring the anchor that helps us sink back into the here and now.

So watch that breath rolling in up through the nose,

Filling the body.

Enjoying all the lovely movements of the breath in the chest and the ribs,

The upper back and the belly.

Just noticing that breath rolling in.

And that breath rolling back out.

And as you all know if you get distracted don't worry that's a very normal part of the practice.

And just bring yourself back to the breath.

Noticing the breath rolling in and rolling out.

Let that just be what helps you sink in.

And as when you're ready just allow yourself then just to bring this awareness to what's going on in your body at this moment.

So you bring awareness to any physical sensations that are there.

Any emotions that might be present.

And the key here is that we're not pushing anything away.

So you've got that sort of curious explorer type of feeling going on about what is there,

What am I feeling.

And the key thing is we're not judging ourselves or having those feelings or those emotions.

And we know we don't need to change anything or fix anything at this time.

It's just about awareness.

Just noticing what's there.

And then when you're ready this is when we can start to just welcome it.

Just welcome that it's there.

So we're doing the opposite to the human instinct to push things away.

So as I was saying,

So if for example if I'm feeling fearful I just welcome fear.

I just welcome fear.

I just welcome fear.

I just welcome fear.

I just welcome fear.

I just allow yourself just to settle in this welcoming practice just in that place.

Just noticing what's there as you sit and breathe.

And just accept it at this moment.

And then we just repeat these words quietly to ourselves in the next stage of this practice.

I let go of my desire for security,

Affection and control.

And embrace this moment as it is.

I let go of my desire for security,

Affection and control.

And embrace this moment as it is.

I let go of my desire for security,

Affection and control.

And embrace this moment as it is.

And then just return your awareness then back to your breath.

Just letting yourself settle back into that place.

Letting that just be your place of focus now.

And then we conclude with the words of this poem,

The Oval.

As swimmers dare to lie face to the sky,

And water bears them.

As hawks rest upon the air,

And the air sustains them.

So would I learn to attain free fall and float into the Creator's Spirit's deep embrace.

Knowing no effort earned that all surrounding grace.

So I'm now going to lead us now in our Examen of the Day.

You begin by lighting a candle.

Come home to yourself,

Come home.

Lovingly welcome into your home the person that you are.

Let your hands find rest and allow your hands to hold the weave from your day.

Come home.

As we remember the day as it was,

Remember a moment of light,

A moment of life.

And gently revisited,

Letting it live again in your mind.

Be still.

Be thankful.

And as we remember the day as it was,

Remember a moment of despair or frustration or disappointment.

And gently revisited,

Letting it live again in your mind's eye.

And ideally without judgment.

Be still.

Be accepting.

Now gently take the moment of life and the moment of frustration or disappointment and allow them to settle into the divine love within you.

Allowing that deep divine love to take hold of the moment of life and light and the moment of disappointment or despair.

Just allowing divine love to take them away.

Be still.

And then the closing moments of our practice.

Think of tomorrow.

The things that you hope to achieve and do.

Or even some intentions that you would like to set for your day.

Perhaps to be kinder to yourself or more patient with others.

Just take this moment just to think of tomorrow.

And then we gently trust for our tomorrow.

And as I blow out the candle,

Return your awareness then back to where we started the evening with awareness to our breath.

Just allowing yourself to focus on the mystery of the breath,

Rolling in,

Bringing in life,

Rolling back out.

Just evaporating away.

So just allow yourself to settle in that place until you hear the three bells.

And then we'll do our grounding practice and open our eyes when we're ready.

So take your awareness to the sounds around you.

And then taking your awareness to the chair that has supported your body.

And then taking your awareness to your feet firm on the floor.

Maybe give your toes a bit of a wriggle.

And then we'll take two breaths.

So lovely,

Breathe in through the nose.

And sigh out for the breath.

And we'll do that again.

Lovely deep breath in.

And then just gently open your eyes when you're ready.

Reviews

Really supportive, thank you Matt.🙏🙂