A lot of us turn meditation into another thing that we have to do well.
Another task or performance.
So we sit down and immediately we try to be peaceful or calm or present or blissful.
And then maybe we feel like a failure when we're not.
So today we're putting all that down.
And for the next number of minutes.
Don't have to do meditation well.
You don't have to do it at all.
You just have to sit.
So let's get comfortable.
Spine long or not.
Whatever your body wants to do is fine.
Let your hands fall wherever they fall.
Eyes closed or open,
Doesn't matter.
Take a breath if you want.
Don't take one if you don't.
Notice the body.
Many teachers won't tell you this,
But the body knows how to settle without your help.
The breath knows how to slow,
The mind knows how to quiet.
And so your job today isn't to make any of this happen.
Your job is to simply get out of the way.
Notice if you're trying or if you're checking.
If you're managing your posture,
Managing your breath or your attention.
See if you can drop all of that.
It's a bit like floating on water.
The water holds you up when you stop fighting it.
And this is the same.
Sitting holds you up if you stop performing it.
If your mind wanders,
That's fine.
That's what the mind does.
You If you get bored or restless,
That's fine too.
If you fall asleep,
Fine.
Wake up when you wake up.
You can stop trying to have a meditative experience.
There's no special state you're supposed to reach.
Whatever's happening right now is exactly what's happening right now.
We're just being with it.
Drop the meditator,
The one who's monitoring how it's going.
The one who's quietly evaluating whether this is working.
And when that evaluator or judgment comes back in,
Just drop it again.
Just say it.
Quietly.
Without effort.
If you find yourself efforting,
That's the cue to soften.
The body settles when you start pushing it to settle.
The mind quietens when you start pushing it quiet.
And stay here.
Notice that you're still breathing,
Even though you aren't managing it.
It's the body doing its job.
Notice that you're still here even though you stopped trying to be here.
You don't disappear when you stop performing.
This is what effortless feels like.
Maybe not impressive or blissful,
Just easy.
Now let's take three slow breaths and we'll come back.
So breathing in.
And out.
In and invite you to carry this softness with you when you get up No doubt the day will hand you a hundred reasons to start gripping again.
But you don't have to grip.
You don't have to get back.
Open your eyes when you're ready.
And have a great day.
