So beginning this six step preparation with step one,
Firing up your motivation.
So getting in touch with whatever your motivations are,
Whether you're sitting for a bit of stress reduction,
To experience jhana,
To gain full awakening,
Or even just following a calling that's hard to define exactly.
Whatever genuine motivation you can get in touch with will help you.
So why are you practicing?
Step two is to set some reasonable goals for the session.
So considering what stage you've mostly been working in recently and the goals you've been trying to reach,
Take a few seconds to consider what would you like to have accomplished by the end of the sit.
Step three is beware of expectations.
So setting goals can be skillful,
But don't get too stuck in ideas of what your practice should be like.
Hold the goals you've set lightly,
Keep your effort light and joyful,
Try to savour what's going well in your practice,
Congratulate yourself for any steps you've taken,
Including just sitting down to practice at all.
So remember to look for the enjoyment in your meditation session and remember that progress isn't always easy to notice.
Step four is committing to diligence.
Diligence simply means engaging wholeheartedly in your practice.
So when you're practicing,
Practice.
When you're tempted to think about or fantasize about other things,
Try to set them aside for later.
You can't always choose what the quality of your meditation will be,
But you can choose to practice diligently for the whole session.
So setting that intention now.
Step five is to review potential distractions.
So you may find it helpful to briefly make a note of things that are likely to distract you during the sit.
The purpose of this is simply to help you notice such distractions if they do arise,
So you don't need to be comprehensive or overly detailed.
Simply making the intention now to let these distractions go will help if they do arise later during your practice.
Finally,
Step six is to adjust your posture.
So making sure that your posture is relaxed and comfortable,
But also upright and alert.
So check that your head,
Neck and back are aligned,
Not slumping forwards or leaning too far back or side to side.
You could imagine as a thread attached to the top of your head,
Pulling you straight up and then setting you back down.
And when you're upright,
You should need almost no tension at all in your muscles to stay that way.
You should be able to relax and stay balanced and upright.
You can have your eyes open or closed.
If you angle your eyes slightly down,
You'll find that it creates less tension in your forehead and face.
And finally,
Just scanning your body for any areas of tension,
Contraction,
Seeing if you can let that go.
The body should be like a lump of clay,
Solid and stable,
But completely pliant.
Okay,
And now beginning your practice.
