Welcome,
And may you find peace within yourself.
Having meditated for 52 years,
I've gained some interesting perspectives into the process of meditation and into myself.
I'd like to share some of those perspectives with you today.
In my profile here on Insight Timer,
I mention that,
And I quote,
Meditation has had a huge impact in all areas of my life.
It's a part of my life like breathing,
Sleeping,
Or thinking.
A turning point for me was when I stopped thinking of meditation as something I did,
And came to regard it as something I was.
Now what did I mean by that?
Well,
When most people decide to try mindfulness and meditation,
They tend to look at it like a task.
Something to put on your to-do list or your calendar,
Like Friday,
Get dog food,
Call the dentist,
PTA meeting,
Out and meditate.
And I found that as long as you look at it as something to be checked off on your to-do list,
It tends to stay as just something you do,
Like taking out the trash on Mondays.
If meditation is something you do just once a day or three times a week,
Its true benefits will always tend to elude you.
When everything changed for me was when I made the conscious decision to make medication an integral part of my life.
Now how did I do that?
I began taking advantage of the pauses in my day.
Time that would normally be wasted if I didn't take advantage of it.
And we all have so many times like this throughout our day,
Like getting in touch with my breath for a few minutes when I first wake up in the morning,
While sitting in the doctor's waiting room,
While waiting in the car while my daughter runs into the store,
While sitting on hold with tech support,
And many other times throughout the day.
And I found that when you break meditation out of a certain room,
In a certain position,
In a certain time,
It can start to permeate your life.
You begin to relax and see that it is something that's a part of you,
Not a task,
But a part of you like breathing.
The Buddha said,
You cannot travel the path unless you have become the path itself.
So I advocate becoming the path by inviting mindfulness into your whole life,
Not just once a day,
Taking advantage of all those pauses in your day.
Now close your eyes now,
Let's begin to relax.
It doesn't matter if you're sitting,
Laying down,
Or standing.
But those who are so inclined can feel free to stand on their heads.
The goal,
However,
Is simply to connect with your breath.
First,
Let's scan our body as we begin to relax.
Just breathe normally and don't force anything.
Relax your neck and shoulders.
Relax your arms and hands.
Let go of any tension that might be in your chest or in your belly.
Feel yourself getting heavier with each breath.
Relax your legs and feet.
As you begin to relax,
Let's start to focus on our breath.
Breathe in slowly and then gently exhale.
Notice where you feel the breath as it flows in and it flows out.
Make movement in your chest or belly,
Or perhaps a cool sensation in your nose as the breath flows in.
And listen to the gentle sounds of your breath moving in and out,
Flowing like a river of calm,
A river of tranquility.
Continue breathing gently in and gently out.
Our focus is only on our breath.
You're going to have thoughts,
That's just part of being human.
But in this moment,
You can choose to let those thoughts go.
Just let them drift away on the current of your breath.
Some people use a mantra to help them channel thoughts,
But we'll get into that at another time.
For now,
It's just you and your breath moving gently in and moving gently out.
One breath at a time.
One moment at a time.
Your breath is the key to calming your mind,
The key to dealing with frustrations and insecurities,
The key to being happier in your own skin.
If you learn anything from me at all,
I want it to be the idea of taking advantage of all the pauses in your day.
Think about it.
If meditation once a day can be beneficial,
Getting in touch with your breath multiple times a day can be empowering and transforming.
I practice this in my own life and have for many,
Many years,
And it has made all the difference in my life.
In sickness and in health,
My river of calm has transported me,
And I have found peace within myself,
And you can too.
Now,
Take one long,
Deep breath,
And let's exhale it through our mouth,
Letting out a sigh.
Open your eyes,
And come back into the room.
You're ready to resume the day.
I hope this has been a beneficial and calming practice,
And I hope that you may find peace within yourself.
Till next time.
