This Buddhist practice of vipassana,
Which means clear insight or seeing clearly,
Is to help develop mindfulness.
Find a comfortable sitting position that allows your spine,
Neck and head to be aligned.
Let your hands rest in an easy,
Effortless way.
This can be palms up or down,
Or with your index fingers and thumbs touching and your hands resting on your thighs.
You may close your eyes if that feels right for you.
Gently allow your awareness to scan through your body,
From your feet to the top of your head.
If there is anywhere that you notice any tension,
Allow these areas to soften and release.
With conscious awareness,
Let your jaw relax,
Let your shoulders relax,
Let your hands relax,
Let your belly relax,
Let your legs relax.
Our minds often wander,
Lost in thought.
Vipassana meditation begins by grounding us in the present moment,
Using the breath as an anchor.
This focus helps to quiet and calm the so-called monkey mind,
Allowing us to observe the continuous flow of thoughts and experiences with greater clarity.
Your meditation practice is a personal journey,
And while the breath is a traditional anchor for meditation,
It's not the only option.
As you deepen your practice,
You can explore other anchors such as sounds,
Bodily sensations or awareness of your moment-to-moment experience to find what works best for you.
What is important is to remain present and engaged with your experience,
Regardless of the anchor you choose.
Take a few deep and mindful breaths,
Being aware of how the lungs expand on the in-breath and how they contract on the slow and gentle out-breath.
Allow your breathing to return to normal.
Observe the entire cycle of breath as the air enters and then fills your lungs,
With the abdomen slightly rising,
Then the pause between the in-breath and out-breath,
And the movement of air leaving the body,
The abdomen falling,
And the pause between the out-breath and the next in-breath.
It's all one movement,
With no two breaths being alike.
Notice where you most easily perceive the sensations of breathing.
This might be the rising and falling of your abdomen.
It might be the subtle movements of your chest and shoulders as you breathe.
Or perhaps it might be how the air moves through your nostrils.
You might feel the coolness of the breath around your nostrils,
Or how it touches your upper lip on the out-breath.
Bring your awareness to the sensations of breathing in the area where you perceive it the strongest.
There is no need to control the breath.
Simply observe it with a relaxed,
Interested attention as it moves in and out of the body.
Observe how the breath is a changing experience of sensations.
You may find that your mind wanders into thoughts.
This is completely natural and okay.
Thoughts are not the enemy and the practice is not about getting rid of them.
Instead,
You are strengthening your ability to recognise when your mind has drifted without getting lost in your thoughts.
When you notice your mind has drifted,
Offer your mind support.
You can do this by softly saying to yourself,
My breath is now rising and now falling.
Describing the movement of your breath can help bring you back to the present moment.
Or you might simply say to yourself,
This is a thought.
Or,
I am now thinking.
If your mind wanders,
Do not give yourself a hard time.
Remember that it is completely normal.
Simply guide the mind gently but firmly back to the area where you most noticeably feel the physical sensations of breathing.
This gentle return is the essence of the practice.
Breath always happens in the present,
So let it keep you anchored in the here and now.
The more your mind wanders,
The more chance you have to practice returning to the breath and the more practice you will have guiding yourself to the present moment.
You may notice other experiences that draw your attention to them.
This could be sounds or smells around you,
Or the temperature.
Such momentary distractions are normal and part of life.
When this happens,
Mindfully observe the event and label it.
For example,
If there is a sound,
Observe it and label it as sound.
Or,
If you feel cool air touching your body,
You can mindfully observe that sensation and say,
Cool touch.
Doing this helps the mind to recognize the nature of external experiences.
Once you have observed and labeled the event,
Guide your awareness back to your breath.
You may also notice sensations in your body.
This might be an itch,
Or tingling,
Or aching,
Or heat,
Or chills,
Or vibrating.
If any of these sensations become strong and pull your attention to them,
Allow yourself to mindfully observe them.
With a gentle and open awareness,
Allow yourself to experience those sensations as they are.
Where is the sensation happening?
What is the quality of the sensation?
What is the intensity of the sensation?
Notice if the sensations are pleasant or unpleasant.
You might use labels like pressure,
Tingling or warmth.
Stay with the experience of it without having to react to it.
Notice how sensations change as you focus on them,
Coming and going.
Becoming more or less intense,
Never staying the same.
When the sensations are no longer a strong experience,
Return to the physical sensations of breathing.
If the sensations are very strong and persistent,
Perhaps unpleasantly so,
Breathe into them.
Let the breath help you find some balance and centre you.
As you continue to breathe,
Expand your awareness to include any thoughts or emotions that arise.
You may feel sadness,
Joy,
Boredom,
Fear,
Excitement.
There is no need to try and resist them and push them away.
Try to observe these emotions and thoughts without judgement but with a clear and kind presence,
Allowing the experience just as it is.
Notice how emotion feels as a physical sensation in your body.
Where do you feel it most strongly?
Are you judging yourself for having this emotion or this thought?
Does your mind feel contracted or open?
As you pay attention,
Just notice what's happening and let it be,
Just as it is.
This is building your capacity to notice your emotions and your opinions without having to do anything about them.
Just observing them as they come and go.
Noticing that the emotion may also change as you observe it.
If the emotion is strong,
Is difficult to experience,
You might breathe with it.
And if it feels overwhelming,
Come back to your breath,
To the anchor that allows you to be at ease with the present moment.
Remember that the goal isn't to stop thoughts,
Emotions or sensations but to observe them without getting caught up in them.
Be aware of the difference between being inside a thought and being awake,
Senses open,
Present.
If you find yourself getting lost in thought or caught up in emotions,
Simply return your attention to the anchor of your breath.
The particular sensations,
Emotions or thoughts that arise when we are meditating are not so important.
Just like the weather,
There is no inherent goodness or badness to these inner states.
What matters is our willingness to be present and aware,
Regardless of the weather.
To accept the content of our minds with equanimity.
This openness is the path to deeper understanding.
For the next few moments,
Allow your attention to rest on whatever is most prominent in your experience.
It might be a thought,
A feeling,
A bodily sensation or something from your environment.
Whatever arises,
Simply note it and let it pass.
If there are no emotions or sensations that come up,
That is also okay.
As your practice deepens,
You might find yourself letting go of the anchor altogether,
Exploring letting go of the need to control your attention and direct your mind.
This spacious awareness allows you to observe the entire field of experience without fixation.
Your senses become wide open,
Taking in sounds,
Sensations and thoughts without judgement.
When thoughts or sensations arise,
Meeting them with curiosity and openness and allowing this experience of aliveness to be as it is.
Vipassana is a practice of patient observation.
Always keep in mind that it is normal for the mind to wander.
Each time you notice this,
Gently return to your anchor,
The breath,
Sounds or your moment-to-moment experience.
This practice is not about eliminating thoughts,
But rather about cultivating awareness of their arising and passing.
With consistent practice,
You'll strengthen your capacity for equanimity and being present regardless of what arises.
You can continue to practice vipassana throughout your day,
Being mindful of what is going on internally and externally and meeting it all with open awareness.
This will further help to cultivate mindfulness in your everyday life.
What you practice grows stronger.
Take one last deep breath in and out.
Gently open your eyes and remember to be gentle with yourself.
Vipassana
