Hi and welcome to this short sitting meditation or what it can also be referred to as a Vipassana meditation and Vipassana means to see things as they are,
To see things clearly.
So wherever we are right now taking our seat,
Whether it be on a cushion or a chair or whether we're on the floor or on the bed,
Perhaps just noticing the contact of the feet with the floor or perhaps they're planted firmly on the floor,
Noticing the body being held by whatever we're on,
Perhaps getting a sense of gravity and groundedness and rootedness.
The two wings of a full attention are the wing of mindfulness and the wing of compassion.
Mindfulness to know what's happening right at this moment and also to bring a kindness to it,
A compassion to it.
Throughout this short sitting the mind is going to wander,
It's going to wander many,
Many times and that's completely okay and so when it does we return it back gently without judgment at all,
Kindly to whatever the focus of awareness is at that particular time.
Maybe we can use the breath as an anchor or perhaps the body,
The feet on the floor,
The hands on the lap.
So maybe the eyes are closed and that's okay or perhaps they're open,
Holding a gaze just in front.
So we just check into the back and the spine and making sure it's pointed upright towards the sky,
This kind of dignified manner,
Holding ourselves.
Bring a strong back and soft front but also bringing as much ease into the posture as possible,
Maybe dropping the shoulders a little bit or tucking the chin in.
This posture can often correlate or resemble our intention for this practice so maybe something comes to mind,
It doesn't have to be anything profound at all,
It could be just bringing a little bit of peace and calm into our day.
So when you're ready bring the full attention now to the breath and the body,
Noticing where it's most vivid for you,
Perhaps it's at the nostrils or at the mouth.
Maybe dropping into the body,
Following it all the way into the chest and maybe into the abdomen area,
Noticing how it moves in the body,
The rise and fall of the shoulders or the expansion of the abdomen wall,
Contraction too.
Noticing how we don't have to do anything with the breath,
It just breathes itself naturally.
So what we do here is we become a kind and gentle witness to the breath and to whatever arises for us in general throughout this practice.
Yeah this mind has probably wandered many many times by now so just returning it back to this breath,
Just really kindly and really gently,
No judgment at all and knowing that what we're doing here is no big deal.
Just observing this breath as best we can,
If we can,
Trying not to let one breath go without noticing for the next moment or two.
Sharon Salzberg often says that one conscious breath can change the course of our life.
So perhaps taking one deep in breath and slow smooth out breath and when you're ready bring the focus of awareness and attention to the body itself and again perhaps we can drop into the contact points of the body with whatever is supporting us right now.
Feet on the floor,
Perhaps we're noticing some tingling vibration in the feet or noticing the sit muscles or perhaps the hands maybe folded onto one another or maybe on the lap,
Maybe sensations of cold or warm air or maybe some vibratory sensations in the hands.
Now to the abdomen area,
Is there perhaps some tightness or holding or bracing or anything here right now?
Just dropping into the senses,
Noticing how some things arise and move,
Nothing is permanent,
This sense of impermanence with sensations.
We can bring the awareness up to the face and maybe bring a little bit more ease and comfort into the face,
Perhaps the brow might be furrowed a little bit and just bring some ease into this area,
Some softening or loosening the jaw if it's clenched or tight.
And again if this mind is wanted that's completely okay,
That's what minds do,
Just out to protect us,
Out wandering around and discovering and daydreaming and planning and sometimes worrying,
That's okay.
So just bring it back now to sensations in the body,
Whatever arises and whatever passes.
Now when you're ready,
Taking one deep in-breath and slow smooth out-breath and perhaps just checking into the heart space and what kind of emotive feelings are here right now.
Maybe there's multiple emotions,
Maybe we're struggling to kind of maybe name the emotions,
So maybe there's some anxiety or there's some fear,
Some worry or doubt.
Perhaps there's some feeling of calm or feeling of happiness or peace.
It's best we can just observing what's here right now,
So not getting caught up in it,
Just if you can imagine just taking a step back and we're just observing what's here in this heart space.
Just being kind to ourselves,
Just being a kind and gentle witness to whatever is arising right now.
Knowing that it's okay to you know pull back and just focus on the breath if that's what you wish to do you know.
Just as best we can checking into the emotive state that's present for us right now or again discerning that we would prefer to focus on the hands or the feet on the floor planted or the breath.
Knowing that everything moves,
Everything arises and everything passes,
This sense of impermanence.
So when you're ready just taking one more deep in breath and slow smooth out breath and just for the next few moments just on your own whatever arises arises whether it be the breath or sensation or emotion or even a sound.
Just letting it all be here.
Just sitting here in stillness and awareness.
Steady strong backs and soft fronts and open hearts.
Taking one more deep in breath and slow smooth out breath and if the eyes have been closed open them up and returning to the rest of our day.
