Noticing When Mindfulness Returns

The intention toward clarity supports stillness of mind. Wanting steadiness is to turn away from distraction and fantasy. When the mind returns from wandering there is a moment where it becomes clear and empty. Notice, connect and delight in this moment.

Transcript

We begin meditation with intention and clarity of the heart as the supports for clarity of body and mind.

This is a way of saying that we,

That it's helpful to really want to be doing this,

Meditating,

Bringing the heart-mind into stillness,

Steadiness.

To want to rest in stillness or to want to find deeper steadiness is to turn away from turn away from the objects of distraction and fantasy.

Notice how the body sits or in whatever posture the body is.

Notice the settling into gravity,

But also the lifting up away from gravity.

The way that maintaining the brightness of the posture and relaxing fully into this place in this moment and co-exist sitting with brightness through the heart,

Through the upper body.

At the same time letting go,

Releasing,

Relaxing,

Releasing,

Relaxing.

Once we become disenchanted,

With our own story,

The stories of the mind spinning again and again,

The same top 10 tunes.

Once we become disenchanted with the top 10,

The mind is much easier to bring to settledness,

Ease,

Quiet.

And besides just the task or game of letting the mind quiet and remain quiet for a few seconds,

A few minutes,

Even more important than this is feeling what's left in the mind quiets.

When distraction quiets,

When attention rests in the here and now,

And there's no story being overlaid,

But just this breath,

These sounds,

This field of the body.

The moment when mindfulness returns,

When there's been a wandering in the fields of story of distraction of some kind,

The moment when there's a noticing of that,

The attention comes back to the body,

To the breath.

For a moment,

The mind is cleared,

Empty.

Notice this very first moment,

Connect with it.

Connect with it,

Delight in it,

Savor it.

And we'll sit together in silence,

Continuing in silence,

Letting the moment when the mind comes back to the body and the story quiets,

Letting that moment expand through delighting in it,

Through savoring the pleasure,

The sweetness of that inner quiet and how it meets the outer quiet of the evening.

Reviews

Lovely. Thank you for the space in this practice. Got me in a sweet spot to settle in for some time after. I appreciate the open ending. Blessed Be!

Thank you for that still and quietly connecting meditation.