This practice is a gentle introduction to meditation.
When we're used to being constantly on the go or stimulated,
Simply sitting quietly with just our own awareness can feel unfamiliar and even a little challenging.
So this practice offers us an opportunity to pause and just familiarise ourselves with cultivating stillness and present moment awareness.
I will guide you through the practice,
But there will be a few quiet pauses,
Allowing you to focus your attention on your own experience.
To mark the end of the practice,
I will ring a bell.
So,
Inviting you to adopt a comfortable seated position and taking a few moments to get whatever you need to support yourself,
Such as a cushion or a bolster.
Sitting feet on the floor,
Hands resting gently in the lap,
On the knees,
Whichever feels most natural.
Elongating the spine,
So we're sitting not stiffly,
But with grace,
Poise and intention.
Head aligned above the pelvis,
So neither leaning backwards or forwards,
Just sitting with balance and ease.
Inviting you to close the eyes if that feels comfortable,
Or perhaps gently lowering the gaze.
Beginning the practice by setting an intention to simply be present with what is.
Not trying to change anything,
But seeing if it's possible to bring acceptance,
Curiosity and kindness to what we find.
So,
Let's begin by taking a deep breath in and gently releasing.
Maybe taking a couple more nice deep breaths in and releasing it in your own time.
Seeing if it's possible to invite a sense of relaxation and release with each exhalation.
And now,
Just allowing the breath to return to its own natural rhythm.
Having a sense of the body being supported by the chair and the ground beneath you.
Really sensing into how it feels to just be,
Right here,
In this moment.
Right here,
In this moment.
Nowhere else to be,
Nothing else to do,
But just to be here with what is.
Taking a few moments to do a mental scan of the body,
Noticing any areas of tension or discomfort.
Is it possible to just breathe with them,
To just let them be?
Perhaps bringing that kindly curiosity to the sensations we find.
Now shifting the attention to the sounds that drift into the ears.
Sounds outside the room.
Sounds within the room.
Noticing if there's a tendency to name the sounds,
To judge them or speculate about their source.
Can we just simply notice them,
Letting them pass in and out of our awareness?
And if thoughts arise in the mind,
Which they inevitably will,
Is it possible to just notice them and let them go?
Perhaps just recognising their nature,
Such as planning,
Judging,
Worrying,
Wondering.
And then with kindness and patience,
Bringing the attention back to the sounds passing in and out of our attention.
Remember we're not trying to empty the mind,
We're simply observing it with kindly curiosity.
So if thoughts arise and we get caught up in them,
The moment we notice and are aware,
We are being mindful.
That is the practice.
Bringing the attention back into the body,
Sensing into contact points of the body,
With the chair and the ground beneath our feet.
Noticing any sensations that are present.
Perhaps pressure,
Tingling,
Pulsing,
Or perhaps nothing at all.
Now having a sense of the space within the room,
The atmosphere and temperature.
And shortly I will ring a bell to mark the end of the practice.
And allowing the eyes to gently open if you've had them closed.
And perhaps now bringing some gentle movement into the fingers and toes,
And doing whatever feels right in this moment.
Perhaps taking a big stretch,
Rubbing the eyes or having a drink.
And taking a moment to reflect on how you found the practice,
Before moving on with the rest of your day or evening.
