This is Mark Nicolbine with the Secular Buddhist Association and this meditation is called the Three Letting Bees.
You can do this meditation either by itself or as the beginning of a longer sitting practice.
So begin by finding a sitting posture that allows you to be upright but relaxed and we'll begin.
And we'll begin by taking some deep cleansing breaths.
Taking a breath deep,
Allowing the breath to enter the lower abdomen,
Holding it there for a moment,
Allowing the mind to follow the breath into the body,
And then relaxing and allowing the breath to carry all the tension out of your body.
So we'll begin taking a deep breath right down into the abdomen,
Holding it for a moment,
And then letting it go.
Breathing in again deep into the abdomen,
Holding it and allowing the awareness of the breath to draw your attention down into the body,
And letting it go.
And taking a few more breaths like this on your own timing.
And now bringing the awareness into the body,
And just allowing the body to be.
Noticing any places of tension or holding,
And recognizing the tension in the body as a way of resisting the way that the body wants to be.
So as best we can,
Just letting those places of tension and holding relax,
And just letting the body be.
Relaxing as best we can.
Allowing that relaxation to help us be one with the body.
Letting the body know itself.
Allowing the body to accept and let be.
Relaxing as best we can.
And next bringing the awareness to the breath.
Noticing the flow of the breath in and out of the body.
And just allowing the breath to be.
Allowing the breath to breathe you.
Being aware of any tendency to want to hold on to or control the breath.
Just allowing the breath to be the way that it wants to be.
Relaxing as best we can.
Letting the body be,
Letting the breath be.
And then noticing the quality of awareness right now.
And allowing the mind to fall completely open.
Noticing any tension or busyness in the mind.
And just inviting it to relax.
Letting the mind be.
Letting any tension in the mind to just unwind,
However it wants to.
Allowing any tension in the body to relax and unwind.
Any holding in the breath to unwind.
Any tension in the mind to unwind.
Letting the body be,
Letting the breath be,
Letting the mind be.
Resting in this space of natural acceptance and compassion.
The mind completely open.
The breath settled.
The body relax.
Resting in this space of natural acceptance and compassion.
The body fatigued.
Now you can continue to abide in this space of open accepting awareness as long as you like.
Or at the sound of the bell you can open your eyes.
Allow your body to stretch and move in any way that it needs to.
And enter into the rest of your day carrying with you the sense of relaxed open awareness.
This is Mark Nicholbine for the Secular Buddhist Association and I hope that this meditation will be of benefit to your practice.
