This is a meditation for working with the hindrance of sensual desire,
One of the traditional five hindrances to meditation practice.
Settling into a relaxed,
Upright,
Seated position,
Preferably somewhere where you won't be disturbed.
Taking some time to really make yourself comfortable,
There's no rush to settle.
As you begin to find some stillness,
If it feels right,
Closing down the eyes or lowering the gaze.
And begin by bringing awareness to the body sitting.
Sensing the touch points of the body and the surface beneath you.
The buttocks,
The thighs,
The feet.
Lingering at each for a few moments,
Arriving,
Grounding.
Breathing into the whole body.
Feeling the movements of the breath at the nostrils,
The chest,
The belly.
Just resting the awareness wherever you feel the breath most clearly.
Using the natural rhythm of the breath to calm and settle the mind.
Each time the mind naturally drifts into thought with awareness,
Relaxing any tightness in the mind,
Relaxing any tightness in the body,
And gently coming back to the sensations of breathing.
Breathing in awareness of the present moment.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Relaxed mindful presence.
Now bringing to mind either imagining or feeling.
Either imagining or remembering an image of something mildly desirable.
It can be an object or situation relating to any of the senses.
It's best to consider something that you could obtain without too much difficulty.
For example,
It could be the taste of your morning coffee or tea,
Or the aroma of your favourite scent.
Perhaps the feeling of a warm bubble bath,
Or the sound of your favourite song.
For the next few moments,
I invite you to embody this experience right now,
Allowing it to enliven your senses as best you can,
Remembering or imagining how it tastes,
Or how it feels,
How it smells or sounds.
Indulging your senses,
Allowing yourself to be swept up in the image or the thought or memory.
This is sensual desire,
Which when grasped at or clung to becomes a hindrance.
The first step in working with sensual desire is recognising it.
When you see it has arisen,
Silently name it sensual desire.
Seeing and naming the hindrance will help loosen its grip.
In the same way,
When it dissipates and dissolves,
Recognise its absence,
Consciously seeing that it is no longer present builds confidence in the practice based on your own experience.
The next step when sensual desire is present is to investigate it,
Become curious about its qualities and the conditions that led to its arising or ceasing.
To do this now,
Begin by directing the awareness to the actual direct experience of wanting,
Desiring,
Longing.
So rather than focusing on the situation or object of your desire,
The invitation is to drop out of the head and drop into the body.
Where do you feel desire in the body?
How is it physically expressed?
Are sensations strong,
Steady,
Warm,
Pulsing,
Flowing?
Is there an energetic quality to it?
Perhaps an energy of reaching out?
What is the feeling tone present?
Is it pleasant,
Unpleasant or neutral?
Are there any judgements,
Any reactions or associations in the mind?
What are the feeling tones of those?
Pleasant,
Unpleasant,
Neutral.
Now letting go of this exploration and bringing the attention back to breathing,
Abiding mindfully with the breath of the last few moments.
Seeing when the hindrance arises and when it passes,
Observing it with curiosity and kindly awareness.
Now letting go of this exploration and bringing the attention back to breathing.
And as we begin to bring this meditation to a close,
Expanding the awareness,
The awareness to include the whole body sitting,
Feeling the ground beneath holding you,
Supporting you.
And it feels right inviting some gentle movement into the body and in your own time,
If they've been closed,
Gently opening the eyes.
And so to summarize,
Working with the hindrance of sensual desire.
First we recognize when sensual desire is present and likewise when it's absent and we name it.
We accept that the hindrance has arisen,
That this is an opportunity to work with it.
We then investigate what leads to its arising,
Noticing what precedes it.
Perhaps there's a particular thought or image that triggers this state.
Does it seem to arise subtly,
Softly,
Almost like a whisper in the mind?
How loud and insistent does it get?
We notice its energetic quality and any sensations in the body.
We notice any physical or mental resistance around it.
We see if it's possible to soften and receive that resistance.
Noticing how long the desire lasts and what leads to its ceasing.
And it's helpful to become aware of the state that usually follows it.
We continue in this way,
Abiding mindfully,
Seeing when the hindrance arises and then when it passes,
Observing it with curiosity and kindly awareness.
