Welcome to this brief introduction to mindful meditation.
I've been practicing mindfulness and meditation for decades,
And I still love these beginning practices.
So if you could find yourself a seat.
It doesn't have to be on a cushion.
It could be in a chair,
On a sofa.
I'm not suggesting you lie down for this because especially when first beginning meditation,
It's too easy to be seduced to falling asleep when we lie down and meditate.
And so find a chair.
And put both feet on the ground.
Your back should be upright and straight,
But not stiff or tense.
Your feet should not be crossed.
Your legs should not be crossed.
Let your hands fall wherever they need to on your lap or next to your body.
And just notice your surroundings.
See what's in front of you.
Smell anything that you can notice.
Taste what's in your mouth.
Listen to sounds near and far.
And notice the temperature on your skin.
Now if it feels okay,
Let your eyes soften.
Or close completely.
And now notice those senses again.
And see if when you soften your gaze or close your eyes completely,
If your senses take in more stimulus,
If you notice sounds both in the room,
Outside the room.
Even in your own body,
Your digestive system perhaps.
So just take a few seconds and notice any sounds that you're hearing.
And now notice if you judged any of the sounds you're hearing.
I often meditate outside and so I appreciate and welcome the birdsong,
But I could do without sirens or helicopters overhead.
Until I notice the judgment.
And once I notice that I'm judging sounds.
I'll put my hand on my heart.
Take a little smile and think,
Huh,
Can I just allow sounds to be sounds without judging them?
And then I enter that space of just listening.
Noticing if I'm judging.
Each time I'm judging,
Taking a deeper breath,
Little smile on my face.
And just letting the sounds be.
Mindfully listening.
Easing out of judgment as much as I can,
Because sometimes I can't.
And then focusing on the breath.
So I invite you,
Find the breath,
Whether it's at your nostrils.
Your chest,
Your belly.
And if you're new to the practice or not so new,
It sometimes helps to put a hand on the heart or the belly or one on the heart and the belly.
Just to ground yourself here,
Now.
This breath.
This body.
These sounds.
And I'm going to stop talking for just about one minute.
And during that time,
I just want you to see what happens.
You can continue focusing on your breath.
You can have a hand on your belly or your heart.
But I guarantee you,
Even with just one minute,
Your mind will take you places.
So let's just see what happens.
And so now just continue.
Noticing your breathing.
Noticing sounds,
And noticing if your mind pulls you away from this present moment.
Does it take you into the past?
Perhaps worried about things you haven't completed or something you said or did that you regret.
Or did the mind pull you into the future of things you have to do?
This practice is really about noticing.
And then returning to the breath,
Returning to the body.
Present moment awareness resting in it.
And it often will feel frustrating or anxiety provoking.
But with a little practice,
We learn to rest in this moment.
And when,
Not if,
But when our mind pulls us into the future or the past,
We notice it and return to the breath.
So let's try it again for one minute,
And just notice each time your mind pulls you away.
Put your hand on your heart or your belly and just stay here now.
How was that?
Hope you found it useful.
And more than anything,
I encourage you to come to these practices with lots of compassion for yourself.
Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned practitioner,
These busy minds and bodies of ours are not used to stillness and yet it is such delicious medicine and so nourishing.
So I hope you'll keep coming back.
To these practices,
To these meditations,
And always to your breath.
Thank you for being with me.
Be well.
