A warm welcome to this meditation session.
This is a recording of the early morning sessions that we hold at 4 o'clock Tokyo time during our live sessions on Insight Timer.
So please use this recording to help you maintain your practice if you miss out on a live session due to some kind of difference in schedule.
To begin,
Please make sure that you are seated in a comfortable position,
Either in a straight backed chair or on a cushion or meditation bench.
Adopt a position that you can hold without moving for the entire 60 minutes of the practice.
Please make sure that there is no pain in the body,
Especially in the knees.
This is not an exercise in pain control.
If you do suffer from knee pain,
It is a very good idea to try a meditation bench or sit on a straight backed chair.
Again,
We do not have to twist ourselves into any kind of yogic postures for this practice.
At the start of this meditation,
You will hear a gong followed by a chime every 5 minutes.
The chime reminds us to return back to the focus on the breath and is useful,
Especially when we find our minds being distracted by thought stories that appear.
Focusing on the breath,
The awareness of the breath,
The sensations on the skin,
Around the nose,
Is an essential part of this meditation.
You may find,
As you go deeper into this practice,
That you may lose complete track of time,
And that is perfectly okay.
Experience shows us that if we let peace arise in the body,
And then let peace arise in the mind,
That eventually we are able to access that peace that resides deep within us all.
Meditation practice tends to be cumulative,
So therefore if we have a regular practice in place,
We will find over time that our meditations become more successful in a sense.
The peace that we find is a path that we know.
Let's begin.
Soften the face,
Close the eyes,
And breathe through the nose,
Close the lips,
Teeth slightly apart,
Tongue touching the back of the teeth lightly.
Soften the jaw,
Chin pointed slightly down,
With a straight,
Soft spine.
Release the shoulders,
Relax the arms,
Hands held lightly in the lap.
Soften the torso,
Release the hips,
Relax the buttocks,
Soften the thighs,
Release the knees,
Relax the forelegs,
Release the ankles,
Soften the feet,
Wiggle the toes.
Take three deep breaths through the nose.
Let peace arise in the body.
Become aware of the thoughts arising and passing.
Notice the content of these thought stories.
Often they are the same content,
Or variations on a theme.
They seem to be on an endless loop.
Sometimes these thoughts are important,
Oftentimes they are not.
For the purpose of this meditation,
The thoughts can be let go.
Drop the thoughts and turn the attention fully to the breath.
Notice the body breathing.
Feel the inhalations,
Be aware of the exhalations.
Notice the body expanding and contracting.
Notice the breath becoming more and more subtle.
Focus on the body breathing.
Turn the attention now to the breath entering and leaving the body at the nose.
Notice the entrance to the nose and nostrils,
And further the area between the bridge of the nose and the side of the left nostrils,
The side of the right nostrils.
This triangular area is highly sensitive.
Become aware of any sensations arising in this area.
It could be tingling,
Prickling sensations,
Throbbing,
Wetness,
Dryness.
Become aware of the sensations arising on the skin of the nose and inside the nose.
Notice the breath becoming even more subtle.
When thoughts arise and take away your concentration,
Notice this has happened and gently bring your focus back to the breath.
Return to the breath.
Return to the breath.
Return to the breath.
Keep returning to the breath.
The breath is the anchor in this meditation.
This is the practice.
Move your awareness to your heart center.
Bring your hands up to your heart,
Palm down upon your chest.
This is a gesture of self-acceptance,
Self-compassion,
Self-love,
Self-forgiveness.
We understand that we are a work in progress.
I'm grateful for this lifetime and this opportunity to practice.
I'm grateful for this environment and the community that supports it.
I'm grateful to my teachers and all the teachers before them.
I'm grateful for this healthy body and this clarity of mind.
Release your hands and open your heart.
Connect across space and time.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all beings experience unconditional love.
May all beings be free from fear,
Anxiety,
Depression,
And the storms of mind.
May all beings live in peace and harmony.
May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
May all beings be happy.
