Hello,
Welcome to this mindfulness meditation.
This meditation can be used to guide you through a process of inner quieting and deep listening.
This meditation will end with a sound to indicate that the verbal portion of the meditation is finished and you are encouraged to continue on in your own silent meditation for as long as suits you afterward.
This meditation will guide you through the basic process of settling in and dropping your awareness into a space of mindfulness and ease.
Begin by finding a comfortable position,
Preferably one sitting up so that you can be comfortable but alert.
Allow your back to be supported in whatever way serves you,
Keeping your head awake,
Not rested back on anything so that you're not tempted to drift into sleep but can continue to maintain your focus with a relaxed awareness.
Once you have found your space,
Close your eyes and begin to settle into the rhythm of your breath.
Deeply inhaling into your chest or deepening down into your abdomen and diaphragm.
You may use your breath as your anchor point to refocus any wandering thoughts or diffuse awareness.
If the breath does not serve you as this anchor point,
You can also use your physical sensations as a reminder to refocus or repeat a short mantra or word to bring yourself back to center.
Beginning with scanning your general body or any signs of discomfort,
Sensation,
Or drawing in of your attention,
And with using the lens of curiosity,
Simply observe any sensation or any drawing away of your awareness as a neutral stimulus,
Without labels of good or bad,
Right or wrong,
Simply allowing an objective noticing of your body and your internal state.
Once you notice the sensations,
Allow them to be released from your awareness and bring your awareness back to your anchor point.
Perhaps your breath in.
If you notice that any external sensations are drawing your awareness away,
Such as a feeling on your skin,
Smell,
Or a distracting sound,
Once again attempt to observe and notice these pieces with an openness and curiosity,
Not trying to cling too hard or push anything away,
But instead observing as you would the wind,
Allowing it to come and go without trying to hang on or interpret,
Bringing your awareness once again to your anchor point,
Finding stillness inside of your body,
And beginning the practice of clearing the mind as thoughts arise,
Which they will.
Imagine that your exhale is a road that they can exit your mind on.
As you inhale,
It brings spaciousness to your internal space.
As you exhale,
You give permission to release and let go of any thoughts,
Any judgments,
Any distracting sensations floating away effortlessly.
Continue breathing,
Observing,
Releasing,
And as you do so,
You may notice that your internal space feels more at ease,
More slower,
More vast.
Continuing to observe this from neutrality as an observation and a curiosity,
Trying not to cling to any outcome.
If you notice that there are narratives or stories in your mind,
Coming back again to your anchor point,
Sensation,
Or your breath.
And if your anchor point needs to shift,
Allow it to do so with grace,
Continuing here at your own pace,
Breathing,
Redirecting yourself with neutrality and ease to your center,
To your anchor point.
