To start this meditation,
Make no effort whatsoever to focus your mind.
Similarly,
Make no effort to relax or calm yourself down.
Instead,
Just let your attention drift freely.
And be curious about what draws your attention.
Do you find yourself engaged primarily with the sensory world,
With sounds and sensations?
Or with the mental world,
With thoughts,
Memories,
Plans,
To-do lists and so on?
Wherever your mind goes,
Let that be okay.
Be curious,
Be interested in what your mind has to say.
Be interested in whatever your mind brings to your attention.
If you find yourself thinking,
Let that be completely okay.
And if you notice some tension or discomfort,
Focus on that for a while.
Let your attention rest on the discomfort,
In the same way that a concerned friend might rest their hand gently on your shoulder.
Perhaps your mind wants to review your day or plan the next.
That's perfectly fine.
There's no need to interrupt it.
You can let your mind process and prioritize.
Perhaps it needs to feel like things are all in order before it will settle.
Or maybe you find yourself suddenly aware of the ticking of a clock or some other sound.
Let that be your meditation for the time being.
Welcome it in.
Listen intently to whatever sounds arise.
Listening can be one of the most simple and enjoyable ways in which to meditate.
You can listen to anything.
The sounds of passing traffic,
The hum of a computer or air conditioner.
All these sounds can be soothing if you let them float through your awareness without resistance.
Continue in this fashion.
Not trying to hold your mind in one place,
But instead just savoring each moment.
Giving your full attention to whatever arises.
Even if only for a few seconds.
Following along with your mind as though you were sightseeing in a foreign country.
Sometimes in meditation the thought arises that you're needed elsewhere or that you should be doing something else.
Let those thoughts be welcome too.
Invite them in as though for a cup of tea.
And if those thoughts are accompanied by some restlessness,
Imagine that you are simply dancing with that wild energy.
You can move with any urge or impulse that calls out in this way.
Maybe life is pushing or pulling you in some direction.
Maybe you feel like you don't have enough time to meditate,
Enough time to relax or settle.
And perhaps you can let that be okay.
Meditation doesn't have to live up to your expectations for peace and quiet.
It doesn't have to be all about stillness and focus.
Meditation can be everything under the sun.
A celebration of life in all its moods and flavors.
Perhaps some sensation in the body cries out,
Asking to be heard.
Or maybe emotions come to the surface.
Rising and falling in waves,
Making themselves known in passing impressions.
Or maybe there are stressful thoughts and worries clamoring around inside your head.
At times you might even find your mind surprisingly still,
Happy just to rest.
In this meditation nothing need be considered a distraction.
Whatever comes up in the moment,
That can be your meditation,
That can be what you focus upon.
In this way you avoid creating conflict in your mind.
There's nothing you should be focusing on.
There's no need to push away anything or block anything out.
There's nothing you need to resist or reject.
This is a kind and compassionate way to meditate.
Welcoming and accepting every part of yourself.
Inviting every experience to the party.
Moments of quiet.
Thoughts of all kinds.
Messages from the body.
The movement of your breath.
An ever changing dance.
Can you dance with the movement of your mind?
Letting it lead but keeping in time with it.
Resting here,
Moving there.
Perhaps you'd rather have your mind settled on one thing.
Maybe you crave a deeper sense of stillness or quiet.
Be assured that a deep sense of peace can be found by meditating in this open,
Receptive way.
In fact,
You may soon find that you feel a certain calm,
A kind of effortless ease developing as you cease to struggle to tame or control your mind.
You can surrender to the moment.
You can savour each experience as it arises.
You don't have to fight to keep thoughts at bay.
Or to prevent your attention being pulled out into the soundscape.
You can just tune in.
Instead of being irritated by sounds,
You can make them the objects of your meditation.
Give them your full attention,
Just listening.
Not necessarily listening without judgement,
But instead just being aware of any judgements you might make.
Can you see how nothing has to be considered a distraction in meditation?
Things are only distractions if you think you should be focused on something else.
But there's nothing better about one point of focus over another.
And it's perfectly okay to shift your focus every few seconds.
Our minds are designed to move.
And paradoxically,
When you stop trying to still your mind,
You may find it becomes still quite naturally.
Whatever you notice,
Let that be okay.
Just be curious.
You can even thank your mind for bringing things to your attention.
You can listen to it with the same kindness and respect you would offer a good friend.
These are the qualities you may like to cultivate when meditating.
You don't have to worry about how well-focused you are or how distracted you become.
Instead,
Let kindness drive the decisions you make.
Give yourself permission to think and feel.
Doing your best to tolerate your thoughts,
Each and every one of them,
No matter what shape they take.
See if you can offer any discomfort you feel your most soothing attention.
Relating to yourself with empathy and compassion is far more important than remaining perfectly focused.
And curiosity will make you more focused than any amount of willpower.
And so,
For the final few minutes of this meditation,
Continue in the way in which we began,
Just by letting your attention drift freely.
And by being curious about where it leads.
My guidance ends here,
But I'll leave you with a few minutes of silence.
Enjoy that time,
In whatever form it takes.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
