Start with coming into your step one.
Remember,
Into something comfortable.
It could be laying down.
It can be seated.
It can be really any way that you like,
Preferably seated with a nice straight spine or laying down with a nice straight spine.
I wouldn't recommend laying on your side.
But coming into a space in which you say,
This is comfortable.
And as you come into that space,
You've affirmed that you are now comfortable.
No changes need to be made.
Nothing needs to be done.
When you come into awareness of this first anchor,
Now we talked about many anchors,
But this first anchor is your breath.
And just notice the unforced breath coming and going.
This unforced breath may start in your nasal breath way.
It might come in through your mouth.
It might be deep.
It may be shallow.
Whatever it is,
Let it be what it is today without trying to change it,
Manipulate it,
Or control it.
Just simply being aware of the process of the unforced breath coming and going.
As you begin to rest your eyes to remove the sensory information from sight,
If that feels comfortable.
As we notice the unforced breath,
You can begin to scan the body.
Maybe with each inhale,
Beginning to move through areas like drawing awareness with your next inhale to your left foot,
Noticing it,
Feeling it.
Starting with your exhale unforced,
Letting that sensation go.
Maybe on your next breath,
You breathe in just enough.
And as you let go,
You release that breath slow enough to feel the sensation of actually letting go.
Taking your time with that unforced breath to notice the sensation of letting go,
Not just saying it,
Or not just exhaling,
But letting go.
Moving your awareness over to your right knee.
You can practice this.
Notice the right knee as you breathe in unforceably.
And as you exhale,
Exhale slow enough to feel the sensation of letting go.
Moving your awareness up the body,
Maybe you move towards your hips in an area that sometimes we hold emotion and this space may cause you to begin to tell stories.
Notice the stories,
But come back to your anchor.
Your anchor may be that unforced breath as you breathe in.
It may be the sensation of the belly rising.
It may be the sensation of you on your exhale settling into the seat beneath you.
Notice your anchor.
Each time a story wants to take you,
Recognize it as a story or a myth from the mind.
And come back to what's actually happening.
This is me breathing and becoming aware of me in this present moment.
Let a strong experience in the body arise,
An itch,
A cough.
Something that you feel as discomfort.
Notice it as a strong experience.
And if it's calling to you to react,
Use that as your anchor.
Just saying ah,
Itch.
Ah.
I feel you.
I see you.
And you move into that present moment awareness of that itch,
That cough,
That sneeze,
That discomfort.
If that strong experience wants to take you away from your breath as an anchor,
Follow it and then come back.
Let it rise and let it fall.
Just like the breath,
Just like ocean waves rising and falling,
Not physically,
But rising and falling in awareness.
Feeling the waves of presence coursing through your body scan.
As you bring your awareness now maybe to the shoulder,
To your right shoulder,
Stay with your anchor,
Breathing in and unforceably letting go.
Strong experiences do not need to only be physical.
Your strong experiences could be that of fear or delight or joy or any strong emotion including excitement.
These could be the strong experiences that you are having.
Notice and name it.
Name it as though it is part of this present moment.
Ah,
Fear.
See you fear.
Hello.
Or maybe you just say excitement,
Ah,
Excitement,
Excitement,
Excitement.
Anticipation,
Anticipation,
Anticipation.
Thinking thinking thinking thinking.
And come back to the breath.
After naming that sensation for the remainder of this meditation when you hear this bell,
It is an indication to come back to your anchor that you've chosen.
So as you see that strong emotion,
Feeling or sensation rising,
Name it.
Give it space.
Give it space to open,
To change and then to fade away.
Where is that thought you were thinking just a few minutes ago?
It's gone.
Just like that last breath,
It's now a past breath and we're on to the new present moment breath.
Give it space to open,
Change and then dissolve away.
When that wave of strong emotion passes,
Rest in stillness and return to the breath.
It's now inside.
Each moment is an opportunity for us to move back into presence,
Into this space of loving awareness.
Resting in these moments of stillness.
Not in anticipation of when it will be over,
Or how long we've been here.
Just feeling what is.
Maybe you tune in into the heart beating.
You draw your awareness into that anchor.
You may notice the mind wanting stimuli,
Wanting to tell stories.
You may notice you fading away from your present moment.
That is also a present moment thought.
I notice my anticipation.
I notice my desires.
Let me come back to my anchor.
Unveiling what is really happening here.
Perhaps you move your awareness into the heart space.
Just to see if you can shift your awareness from one anchor to another.
To notice the heart operating and functioning just as it should.
And to connect to that space of the DNA that created your body before the mind was even developed.
Finding a moment of appreciation in the heart space.
And perhaps moving your anchor there for our final moments in our meditation.
Slowly coming back into your physical reality.
Maybe by moving your hands or feet,
Slowly opening your eyes and reacquainting yourself with your surroundings.
Sometimes I like to just bring my hands together,
Rubbing them together and put them over my eyes and slowly reveal the world that is behind the hands,
One finger at a time.
Okay?
