Namaste,
I am Sandeep.
Come into a comfortable sitting position,
Hands resting on the knees with the palms facing up,
Tip of the index finger and thumb touching each other,
Head and neck aligned to the spine.
The body is upright and straight but comfortable.
If needed you can use a cushion or a back support here.
Once you are physically comfortable,
Inhale deeply and while exhaling close your eyes.
We are practicing body stillness meditation.
Before we attempt to make the body still and try to sustain that state of stillness,
I invite you to explore how your body feels at this very moment.
Keeping your eyes closed,
Become aware of the right leg,
The whole right leg.
Check if the right leg is comfortable,
Not squeezed too strongly,
Having enough space for a smooth circulation,
Not holding to any pain or any discomfort.
Shifting the awareness on the left leg,
Making sure it's comfortable.
Observe how the leg feels,
Drawing the awareness to the hips,
Making sure the body weight is equally distributed among both sides of the hips.
Being aware of the torso,
Making sure the back is in an upright position without any contraction,
Stiffness or tension there.
The abdomen is relaxed,
Letting go of any regulation or control there.
Observe the chest,
The shoulder blades,
The shoulders are relaxed.
The right arm,
It is soft.
Feel the whole length of the right arm and right shoulder.
The left arm,
The whole left arm and the left shoulder.
Being aware of the whole head and neck.
The face is relaxed,
A gentle smile on your face.
The whole body.
Become aware of the entire body,
From head to toe,
The whole body.
Now create a mental image of your surroundings.
See your body seated here.
Look at the body from the front,
As if you are looking at a statue which looks exactly like you.
Mentally,
Go to the right side and look at the right side of the body.
Go to the left side,
Look at the body from the left.
From the top,
Take a complete 360 degrees spin around the body.
Now,
Imagine that your body has become a stone statue,
A stone statue which is hollow from inside.
The legs have become stone,
The arms and the shoulders have become stone,
The torso has become stone.
The whole body is turned into a stone statue.
Focus upon the steadiness of the statue,
No movement whatsoever.
The air is flowing in and out of the statue.
Gently,
Let go of the mental image of the stone statue.
Continue to keep the stillness of the statue in the body.
Now become aware of your body internally.
Try to observe these sensations throughout the whole body.
The sensations may come to your awareness in the form of heat or cold,
Pain or numbness.
In whatever form the sensations appear,
You maintain the attitude of a witness,
That is,
Acknowledge their presence without reacting or responding.
Observe the placement of the hands on your knees or the thighs.
The palms are facing up,
The position of the feet,
Position of your legs,
The tension in the shoulders,
Observing the whole body,
Being aware of all experiences and sensations there.
Now,
Starting with the feet,
Move your awareness up to the head,
Observing each body part in between minutely.
Feel the pressure,
The sensations of how that body part feels at this very moment.
Feel,
Experience all the sensations there.
As you are observing the body,
Experience the complete stillness and silence pervading the whole body.
The whole body is still and steady.
Simply stay present to this stillness.
Now take a resolve,
Repeat mentally to yourself.
I will not move my body until the end of this practice.
I will remain steady and motionless like a statue.
The whole body is still and steady.
No movement whatsoever.
Experience the body immobile,
Still like a statue.
The only movement in the still body is that of breath.
Observe.
Experience the flow of breath in this still motionless body.
The subtle movement in this body is the palpitation of the heart.
Feel the gentle palpitation of the heart in the still body.
The flow of blood through the whole body.
Try to feel the movement of blood flowing in the veins and the arteries throughout the whole body.
Now experience your body completely immobile,
Still like a statue.
Experience your life as awareness in this motionless still body.
Say to yourself mentally,
I am aware of this body and all these sensations are the experiences associated with this body.
Feel the stillness or silence of your mind.
Say to yourself,
I am aware of the experiences or the sensations related to the mind.
Be the witness to the physical experiences of comfort and discomfort.
Be the witness to the mental experiences of comfort and discomfort.
Just be the luminous awareness contained in the still motionless body.
Just be the luminous awareness in the body which is still motionless.
Practice of stillness and silence.
Now prepare to slowly end the practice by making the breath a little deeper.
Acknowledge the space where you are seated right now.
Remember the time of the day.
Now take a deep breath in and feel the energy spreading to every part of the body.
From the tip of your toes to the top of your head.
Now gently start making micro movements with your toes.
With your fingers move the tongue,
Move the eyes.
Take three deep breaths in and out.
And gently open your eyes.
Namaste.
