Calming the Mind & Opening to All Experience With Acceptance

This meditation begins with mindful breathing as a foundation to calm the mind. It then opens to the entire body and the states of the heart and mind.

Transcript

In this meditation we will begin by connecting mindfully with our breathing and then expanding our awareness to open up to the entire body,

To the experiences in our heart and our mind,

To the full range of whatever is happening in our experience.

And in addition to connecting with our experience itself,

The guidance will also be to attend to,

To be mindful of,

However we are relating with,

How we are being with whatever is happening.

Meditation is a training in which we can deepen and strengthen mindful awareness and the ability of our minds to settle and be peaceful and calm and also a training in deepening our ability to be with and let go around and bring some self-acceptance for whatever might arise.

Throughout this meditation you will be reminded to try and bring a sense of kindness to yourself.

In between the guided instructions will be some longer periods of silence so you can practice silently on your own.

Begin by finding some position,

Some posture in which you can be as comfortable,

As relaxed,

As easeful as possible.

You do not have to be in a formal meditation posture.

It's fine to lie down or sit in a comfortable chair.

Find what best supports you so your body can stay relaxed.

Take a few moments to settle into your posture.

As you're settling in,

If you notice any places of tension or tightness,

You may want to shift or move those parts in your body to help them relax,

To help them come to more stillness.

And then when you're ready,

Allow yourself to become aware of,

To connect with the experience of your body breathing.

You do not have to feel your breathing in any particular place in your body.

Let the breath reveal itself to you.

You may naturally notice it more in the area of your nose,

The cool air in and out with each breath.

You may notice it more in the area of your belly,

So it won't be a feeling of air.

It's more the physical movement of your belly rising and falling with each breath.

Could be in the area of your chest.

And it may be your whole torso,

So you've widened the lens of your awareness to take in a broader area as your body breathes.

Just notice however it naturally,

Most clearly and easily is for you.

When your mind wanders off,

No need to make a struggle about it.

Don't work too hard to try and keep yourself from wandering off.

You want to put in enough effort to stay connected with your breathing,

But also most importantly bring the sense of ease and relaxation.

If it helps you stay connected with your breathing,

You can add a mental noting.

So if you're connecting with your breathing at your nose,

You could mentally repeat with each breath in,

Out,

In,

Out.

Or at the belly you could repeat rising,

Falling.

Or it could simply be breathing,

Breathing.

It's whatever is supportive for you.

Let most of your awareness connect with the experience of breathing itself and let the noting be soft in the background.

And if you don't connect with or relate to or like the mental noting,

Just let it go and stay with the raw experience of breathing.

When your mind wanders off,

Try not to make a struggle about it or beat yourself up.

Just come back and start again,

Keeping it very simple,

Remembering to bring the sense of ease and relaxation.

Even with the simple experience of breathing,

We can begin to notice how are we relating to our breathing.

Check in and see if you're at ease,

If you're relaxed.

Then there's nothing else you need to do.

If you notice there's some struggle or tension or discomfort in any way,

See if you can relax with that.

If you're fighting your experience in some way,

Trying to make it different in some way,

See if you can let go around that.

Just do the best you can.

This is not only a training for deepening mindfulness and clarity and cultivating the ability of our mind to remain stable and calm.

This is also an acceptance practice.

Letting your experience of breathing be as it is,

However you find it,

However you experience it.

If there's some difficulty or challenge for which it's not easy for you to let go,

Then bring some acceptance to that place in you,

The place that's not yet able or ready to relax or let go around this challenge or difficulty.

See if you can bring a sense of letting be to that place in you.

Letting ourselves be,

Ending the fight or the struggle with our own experience,

Is a tremendous act,

A great act of loving-kindness and compassion for ourselves.

And now,

While remaining connected with and aware of your breathing,

Allow your awareness to expand,

To include your whole body.

You don't have to feel every place in your body,

But opening up to a general sense of your body,

Allowing the experience of breathing to be at the center and a wider field of awareness around the breathing.

Let the body and the breath,

Let all of that reveal itself to you in its own way.

You don't have to make it be any particular way.

Just notice however it is for you.

Notice how you are relating with,

Not just the experience of your breathing and your body,

But how you are being with or relating with that experience.

If there's something unpleasant,

If there's something challenging,

Something you don't like,

Just do your best.

Don't make a struggle not to struggle,

But see if you can relax,

Even if a little bit around that,

Bringing a sense of letting be.

This is about ending the battle with ourselves,

Ending the struggle.

Just do your best.

Just returning back,

Reconnecting with your breathing and body whenever you've wandered off,

Bringing a sense of kindness to yourself,

Not beating yourself up or being hard on yourself,

Not judging how your meditation is going,

But just connecting with whatever is actually happening.

And now checking in with the states of your heart or your mind.

Perhaps you may stay also aware of your body.

You may or may not have some emotions,

Feelings,

Moods.

Your mind may be calm and peaceful,

Or it may be agitated.

There's no particular way that it's supposed to be.

What to connect with and what to get interested in is how it actually is,

And how you are relating to whatever is happening.

See if you can relax or let go if you notice any tension,

Stress,

Discomfort in the states of your heart and your mind.

The idea of befriending ourselves is about ending the fight or the struggle with ourselves and really learning to let ourselves be with a sense of kindness.

You don't have to be skilled at doing that.

Just do the best you can.

If you're not able to bring a sense of kindness,

A sense of letting go or letting be,

Bring some acceptance to that place in you.

Iums Let the breath act as a stabilizer.

It's an ally and a support.

You could think of it as an anchor to support you to stay more connected,

More present with whatever's happening.

If judging or critical mind arises,

You don't have to fight that or judge yourself because you're having a critical mind.

See if you can just let it be and relax around it.

Bringing a sense of acceptance means opening to,

Letting be,

And accepting all parts of ourselves.

Not fighting ourselves.

Not judging ourselves.

Say it.

Self-acceptance and letting yourself be includes all the places where your mind,

May not settle down or if your body is not cooperating and that includes the times when we may not be able to settle our minds or be peaceful or calm.

This degree of self-acceptance is a great act of kindness and compassion for For the last few minutes of this meditation,

I invite you to reflect on your own good qualities,

Your own intentions,

Motivations,

Your aspirations,

The wholesome qualities in you that bring you to practices,

Self-awareness and compassion practices such as this.

Let yourself feel the goodness of your intentions for wanting to live in a way that is more wise and skillful,

More clear and awake,

Less reactive and more wisely responsive in any situation for wanting to live in a way that creates less suffering and more well-being for others and yourself.

Take the ending portion of this meditation to rest in the awareness of your breathing connected with your own inner goodness.

Reviews

A wonderful practice, very relaxing and helpful to opening up to what's happening for us, Thankyou 🙏 I'll be back!

I’ve been struggling with intrusive thoughts when trying to meditate lately. So much unrest is around and within me. Thank you for reminding me just not to struggle and instead that the practice is just to be with it all just as it is.

Very calming and down to earth. His voice is gentle and instruction is easy to follow .

Wonderful meditation. Nothing fancy. Just a really good grounding session focused on acceptance and loving kindness toward yourself.

Peacefull nothingness Thankyou x

Clear, grounding and expansive. Thank you.🙏

Perfectly paced and clear instructions within a gently created atmosphere of kindness and acceptance. Thank you.

Wonderful, compassionate and very relaxing. Thank you so much 🙏

What a wonderful meditation this is....many thanks for sharing your wisdom! 🙏

Well paced. Good voice. Simple in abgreat way. Thank you.

I started and stopped other meditations by other instructors before finding this one. Lovely in its simplicity, instructions, and sparseness, it was just what I was looking for. Thanks. Recommended.

Excellent in its simplicity. Instructive and relaxing.

Excellent meditation… The most soothing, relaxing, calming guiding that cultivates a total sense of acceptance of what is and connection to deep within. Thank you 🙏🏻

Wonderful guidance. Truly helped me with self acceptance and self forgiveness. Thank you 🙏🏽 God bless 🙏🏽

This is a wonderful practice of the foundations of mindfulness. I really appreciated the open space to be with my practice. Thank you!

Perfectly balanced and addresses all my usual areas of “struggle” including with struggle itself. How can surrender be such hard work? 🤷‍♂️🙏🏽 thank you

Love this meditation. Always calming and centering. Thank you 🙏🏼

Lovely, thank you so kindly for that ❤
Namaste 🙏🏼 🌺

Such a calm affirming messenger and guide to acceptance.

I needed that today. I'll come back to this one