G'day,
My name is Rachel Grace.
Thanks for joining me for this practice.
I invite you to take a moment now to prepare for this practice by finding a posture that supports you to be both alert and relaxed.
Allowing your eyes to gently close or softening your gaze down to the floor in front of you if that feels right for you.
We'll start the practice with the ring of a gong.
Becoming aware of the sensations of breathing.
Breathing in,
Know you're breathing in.
Breathing out,
Know you're breathing out.
I invite you to settle into this practice by bringing a relaxed and focused attention to your preferred anchor.
Whether that be to paying attention to the sensations of the flow of the breath,
Or awareness of sounds arising and falling away,
Or feeling the physical sensations in your feet and hands.
Whatever your preferred primary anchor,
Focus your attention there now.
And each time your mind wanders,
Gently return your attention to your anchor and start noticing the sensations and experience there once again.
I'll give you a few moments now to set your anchor in silence.
Where is the attention now?
If it has drifted,
Just gently returning it to your anchor.
Curiosity strengthens attention so you can be curious about the qualities and changing nature of the sensations at your anchor.
Let all the experiences unrelated to concentrating fully on your anchor fall away.
Where is the mind now?
If your attention has drifted away from your anchor,
Gently returning your attention and simply starting again.
Warmth of the breath,
Or qualities of sounds,
Or sensations in the hands and feet.
Maintaining awareness of sensations at your anchor.
Where is the attention?
No matter how many times you have to let go and begin again of a distraction,
It's not a sign of failure,
It's not a problem.
In fact,
This is the significant moment in mindfulness meditation.
When you notice that your attention has drifted,
It's a moment of awareness which opens up the chance to choose a response.
It's not a failure,
It's the training.
Noticing when the mind has wandered,
And then choosing to gently,
Kindly return attention again and again with an attitude of kindness,
Simply starting again.
.
Noticing your experience right now with a receptive awareness.
Returning your attention whenever it wanders.
.
Having cultivated some concentration,
I now invite you to shift into open awareness practice.
Let your awareness of the sensations at your anchor ebb into the background,
Expanding your awareness now to open to experiences that call your attention.
Whether they be thoughts,
Feelings,
Images,
Or sensations throughout the body.
.
Paying attention to your moment by moment experience.
Meeting whatever arises with a spacious,
Accepting awareness.
.
Many things may arise in your field of awareness.
Sounds and thoughts,
Sensations,
Feelings.
Let your attention be with whichever experience is most predominant in the moment,
Noticing it just as it is.
.
As we approach the end of our practice now,
I invite you to join me in taking a deep breath in,
Filling the lungs right up.
And then relaxing your body and your mind as you breathe out.
To end our practice,
I'll ring the gong three times.
.
Allowing your eyes to open.
Gently bringing your attention back up into the environment around you.
And take a moment now to appreciate yourself for the dedication to your own well-being that you've just demonstrated.
Each time you practice,
You are changing your brain for the better.
And you're building your capacity to handle life more skillfully,
So well done.
May mindfulness positively impact you,
What you do,
And all of those around you.
Thank you for practicing with me,
I hope you'll join me again.
