So today let's talk about not wanting to meditate.
It might sound kind of strange to start a meditation like that,
But let's be honest,
Sometimes we just don't feel like it.
We're tired,
Distracted,
Or bored,
Or maybe we're just not in the mood,
And that's okay.
Really it is.
So instead of pretending that we're excited to sit down and breathe,
Let's just get curious about that feeling,
The not wanting,
The resistance.
Can you be aware of what it feels like in your body right now?
You don't have to get into any sort of position.
You don't even have to close your eyes.
Just take a breath in through your nose.
Let it out slowly.
Just noticing.
No pressure,
No fixing or changing anything.
And maybe you're feeling tension in your chest,
Or a kind of restlessness in your arms.
And maybe it's just a dull feeling of meh.
You just let it be there.
Just listening to me,
Being aware of that meh feeling.
This is a meditation on not wanting to meditate,
Which means there's nothing that you need to change.
There's no right state to get into.
Just awareness of this moment,
However it shows up.
Maybe seeing if you can settle in a little more comfortable,
Even if you're just a little antsy.
You don't have to be perfectly still.
You don't have to breathe in any particular way.
Just be here with the part of you that didn't want to be here.
Can you meet that part with a little bit of kindness?
And if it helps,
You can maybe place a hand on your chest or on your belly.
Just feeling the movement of your breath.
The chest expanding,
The belly expanding.
A simple gesture of care for the version of you that almost didn't show up.
Just paying attention to that breath.
Not trying to control it,
Just noticing.
Breathing.
Inhaling.
Exhaling.
And that's it.
That's the practice.
Every time you notice your resistance,
Every time you feel that energy bubble up,
That's awareness.
That's mindfulness.
You're already doing it.
See,
We so often think that meditation has to look a certain way.
Like you've got to be in a lotus position,
Serene stillness or peaceful silence.
But sometimes it looks like frustration or boredom or scrolling TikTok for 20 minutes.
Before finally sitting down reluctantly.
Even that can be meditation.
We're just bringing awareness to whatever it is that we're doing.
That's the practice.
So right now,
Instead of trying to escape the resistance,
Just try being with it.
Like you're sitting next to a grumpy friend.
There's no need to cheer him up.
Just sit with him.
Give him space.
Take a few breaths together.
In and out.
And if your mind starts complaining,
This is dumb,
Or I don't have time for this,
Or I should be doing something else.
It's okay.
Just notice those thoughts too.
It's like clouds passing through the sky of your awareness.
You don't have to chase them.
You don't have to stop them.
You just watch.
That's it.
And when you remember that you forgot to pay attention,
Congratulations.
Because that moment of remembering,
That's the meditation.
Thich Nhat Hanh once told us the moment that you realize you're not present,
You are present.
So even the noticing of distraction or resistance or aversion is a moment of presence.
And that means that you're already doing it.
Even if it doesn't feel perfect,
Even if you'd rather be doing literally anything else,
You're here.
So right now,
Just take a moment to thank yourself for showing up,
For sitting with the discomfort,
For letting it be okay.
There's nothing more that you've got to do.
So let's close this non-meditation with one last breath in through the nose,
Out through the mouth.
And as you move through the rest of your day,
Just remember this.
You don't need to want to meditate in order to practice.
You just need to notice.
Even your resistance can be a teacher if you notice it.
And if all you did today was sit for these few minutes,
A little grumbly,
A little distracted,
Well that's enough.
It truly is.
Mindfulness begins where you are,
Even if where you are is a place of not wanting to do this at all.
And that,
That is more than okay.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you be at peace.
Thank you so much for joining me.
