So now follows the actual meditation practice.
As always get yourself comfortable,
Upright.
Your position either cross-legged or on a chair with your legs apart,
Your back straight.
The shoulders a little bit pulled back,
The head slightly looking downwards,
The eyes almost closed,
Tongue against the top of the mouth and the hands either on the knees,
Upward or downward,
Or the right on the left with the thumbs gently touching.
And then begin with a few deeper breaths,
Take two or three long breaths.
Especially on the out breath,
Try and calm the body,
Calm the mind.
Take one more long breath in,
Long breath out.
And then briefly we set our intention,
We're here doing this meditation,
This practice not just for ourselves alone.
Let the mind go out beyond ourself and think of others as well.
And make the intention to be here for the benefit of all living beings.
And then bringing your attention into the present moment.
Let the past go,
Don't be in the future.
Come into this moment now.
Bringing that factor of mindfulness into your mind,
Staying there in the moment.
Gentle effort to be there in the moment.
And gently bring your attention to your breathing.
Breathing normally through the nose.
We're just observing the breath all the way in and out,
And count one.
And the breath in and out,
And count two and so forth up to ten.
And then start from one again.
Consciously bringing those factors of mindfulness,
A little bit of gentle effort to keep yourself on the object,
The breath.
Mixing the mind with the breath.
And have that introspection in the background,
Just observing,
Making sure you're there in the moment with your object.
And gently bring yourself back when the mind wanders.
Just be there with the breath.
Each time you lose your attention,
Each time you wander into thoughts,
Just notice,
Let your introspection notice that you've lost your attention.
Let the thoughts,
The feeling go.
Just let it pass by like a cloud through the sky.
And gently bring yourself back to your breathing.
And then refreshing your awareness,
Bringing your mind back if it's wandered.
Come back into the moment,
Come back to the breathing.
And continue observing the breath without counting.
So just leave the counting and just be there with your breath going in and your breath going out.
Cultivate those qualities of mindfulness,
Staying in the moment,
Staying with the breathing.
And the quality of introspection.
Keep that little observer in the back of your mind,
Just checking you're there with the breath.
And gently coming back when the mind wanders.
Again refreshing your awareness,
Bringing your mind back into the moment.
And now particularly bring your attention to the small sensation at the end of the nostrils as the breath goes into and out of the nose.
Focus your attention a little bit more deeply.
Mix your mind a little bit more closely with the breathing.
Holding on to the attention with mindfulness and observing the meditation through introspection.
Just be there with that small sensation as the breath goes into and out of the nose.
Last minute or so,
Try and keep yourself there,
Keep yourself with the breathing,
With that sensation at the end of the nose,
Just be there,
Just for a little one more minute.
We finish by just dedicating our practice.
May it become the cause to lead all living beings out of all of their suffering.
And may it become the cause to lead every single living being into complete happiness.
Thank you.
