In this practice we are going to explore our thoughts,
Feelings,
Sounds,
And sensations as they come and go without trying to change anything or make anything happen.
For this practice,
Sit in a comfortable but alert posture in your chair.
Your feet should be flat against the floor.
Your back should be straight,
Preserving the natural curve in your spine.
Your arms can rest on the chair's armrests,
Or you can rest your arms in your lap.
Once you're seated comfortably,
You can close your eyes or look down in front of you with a soft gaze.
Feel your feet against the floor,
Your hands in your lap or on the armrests of your chair,
Connecting with your body sitting in the chair right now.
Now,
Move your attention to the breath.
Notice the in-breath and the out-breath.
Notice any sensations associated with the breath as you breathe in and breathe out.
Maybe you can notice the rising and falling of the chest or belly as you breathe in and as you breathe out.
As you sit here,
Breathing,
Other things will catch your attention,
Maybe sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts,
Or feelings.
It's the nature of the mind to notice these objects of attention.
Simply notice them and let them be.
Right now,
We're not trying to change anything or make anything happen.
We're just noticing whatever comes up.
If you hear a sound,
Focus on that sound and notice presence silently.
When the sound fades,
Return to the breath,
To breathing in and breathing out.
And when something else arises,
Turn your attention to it without trying to push it away or hold on to it.
Just notice it.
If your mind wanders off into planning or worrying or thinking about something that's already happened,
Just note thinking or thought and let the thought be there.
Don't try to push it away or hold on to it.
Just notice the thought is there.
And when it passes,
Return your attention to the breath and your body right here,
Right now.
Whatever else comes up and captures your attention,
Just notice it as it arises and passes.
Whatever else comes up and captures your attention,
Just notice it as it arises and passes.
From time to time you may find that your mind gets caught up in your thinking,
No longer observing your thoughts and feelings,
But lost inside them.
When this happens,
Congratulate yourself for noticing.
Take a moment to acknowledge what your mind got caught up in and begin again.
Simply renew your intention to observe these mental events as they arise,
Stay awhile,
And dissolve from awareness.
You can think of whatever captures your attention,
Whatever you notice,
As clouds,
And your mind as the sky.
The sky is spacious enough to hold whatever arises,
As sounds,
Sensations,
Thoughts,
And feelings arise and pass through.
There's room for everything.
Some clouds are light and move quickly,
While some might be darker or heavier and move more slowly.
Whatever you find is fine.
Just notice and allow whatever is there to be there.
Keep noticing objects of attention arising and passing through your awareness.
When a sound,
Thought,
Sensation,
Or feeling passes,
Return to your inhale and exhale,
To your body right now.
There's no need to try to control your thoughts in any way.
Let them come and go on their own,
Just as you did with sounds.
So when thoughts arise in the mind,
See them come and go like clouds passing in the sky.
Notice the beginning,
Middle,
And end of these objects of attention,
Without trying to hold on to them or push them away.
Just notice them passing through like clouds.
Now again,
I'd like you to feel your feet against the floor,
Your hands in your lap,
Or resting on the armrests of your chair,
Tuning into your body sitting in the chair right now.
Preparing to end this practice,
Take a few nice deep breaths,
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Bringing your awareness back to the room,
To where you are right now.
Now,
Again,
I'd like you to feel your feet against the floor,
Your hands in your lap,
And when you're ready,
Gently open your eyes,
Bringing your awareness back to the room,
To where you are right now.
