Simply Noticing

When we meditate, things still happen in our environment that we may consider "distractions" from our practice and then judge or criticize ourselves. This meditation invites us to use all this moment contains to practice simply noticing the unfolding here-now and apply the qualities of suspending judgment and striving. We greet the moment with acceptance, curiosity and compassion.

Transcript

Let's begin so setting aside the task at hand or whatever you were working on and bringing your focus now to yourself and to a period of uh self-care which we all need throughout the day and as far as uh initial posture one thing i like to add is considering taking off shoes or socks and it's amazing the soles of our feet are really as sensitive as much of a sensory doorway as the palms of our hands and sometimes with our foot all closed up inside of something we miss out on that so if you feel comfortable doing so taking off shoes or socks or footwear and placing each foot upon the floor and just feeling that contact of the soles of the foot with the floor and how it can provide a literal sense of grounding especially if you find that mind is off and running all the more opportunity to provide that sense of grounding down through the soles of our feet then inviting this comfortable rising up of spine from our base through lower back up through torso rising up through neck and the skull the top of head rising up towards sky not needing to force or impose a rigidity or a stiffness in spine but feeling that gentle lifting up and allowing spine to fall into its natural curvatures then perhaps a shoulder roll or two inviting shoulders to loosen or lower on torso hands coming to rest wherever you find comfortable perhaps cupped within lap or resting upon thighs making sure that head is supported by spine and shoulders by sliding head back atop spine and shoulders inviting a loosening of jaw and lips either gently touching or slightly parted whichever you prefer and eyes as well either open simply receiving the light before you or inviting lids to lower eyes to close settling in and experiencing body coming to rest and then a simple scanning through body beginning up at the crown and moving down across face noticing any tension or tightness and inviting a letting go as best as you can and then moving awareness down neck across shoulders down into arms forearms and hands noticing any tightness or tension and inviting a letting go as best as you can moving attention now down through torso through chest through back down into low back and belly noticing tension inviting a letting go as best as you can moving your attention now down into hips and thighs across knees and calves and across ankles and feet and toes noticing tension inviting a letting go as best as you can and now choosing a home base for your attention perhaps it's soles of feet resting upon floor or palms of hands resting upon thighs or the physical sensations of body breathing with each inhale and expansion each exhale letting go this sensory-based home base is a physical point of contact with this moment that we can link our attention to so common that we find ourselves spinning off into thoughts be they memories of the past or worries of the future and those have a place we certainly want to hold on to memories and hold on to anticipation or planning for the future none of that is bad or wrong it's one that's our only option it's when we become lost in that that we're cut off from ourselves and others and the richness found in this moment and so with mindfulness meditation we reclaim this capacity partnering with a sensory-based touch point such as body breathing or some other sensory touch point of bringing ourselves back to the only space time that we have an impact that we have a choice of here now and so practicing in this moment coming back home once again to body breathing or whatever you choose to have your sensory home base be in this moment if it is body breathing then letting that fill your attention completely in this moment following the full in breath being with a pause and experiencing the letting go of the out breath in in each of our locations likely there's some sort of activity occurring be it subtle or significant some sort of sounds or movement or visual changes and all of that's just part of this moment this space of here now and simply practicing a gentle noticing of this unfolding of our environment sometimes people consider this unfolding as a distraction it's taking me away it's like well no it's it's just what's happening in this moment and so applying the practice of simply noticing the unfolding of this activity how it's arriving through sensory doorways and it gives us a chance to practice this suspending striving and judging activating our capacity of curiosity oh isn't that interesting look at what's happening here and what's happening to my reaction to it greeting that with a simple curiosity as something else to attend to and then gently kindly when you're ready coming back to body breathing once again the world around us can sometimes be so cluttered and chaotic and we may or may not have control over that this is an opportunity to practice do we add to the clutter and the chaos internally or practice this curious observing this observing free of judging and striving and observing that perhaps we can add some compassion to for ourselves and for those around us just playing with the possibility of simply observing with less judging and striving with more curiosity and compassion what happens within our internal environment of mind and body when we play and practice with this shift in relationship to the clutter and chaos around us how might we show up differently and now beginning to transition back into our day first by opening your eyes if they were closed inviting in light and surroundings maybe a little gentle stretch or movement practicing some mindful activity and allowing that to become how we step back into our day with awareness with curiosity with compassion always a pleasure to hang out with you all and until we meet again may you be well may you be at peace thank you