Hi,
My name is Taylor and I'll be guiding you through this seated meditation.
The intention of this practice is to help you cultivate focus for creative writing.
Settle into a seated posture.
You might sit in a chair,
On the floor,
Or reclined against something.
The exact shape doesn't matter,
So long as you are comfortable.
The goal here is to maintain a relaxed posture which allows you to fully breathe in and out.
For the next several minutes,
Our focus will be with the breath and mind.
Feel rooted and heavy through the bottom of your sits bones.
Feel a softness around your hip creases.
With your next breath in,
Notice a lifting sensation behind the heart.
Feel the crown of your head float a little higher toward the ceiling or sky.
Exhale legs and hips and lower back are heavy.
Inhale ribs and skull are light.
Exhale heaviness drawing back down.
Feel the constant push and pull of these two forces.
Notice how these oppositional forces do not cancel out,
But instead work together to create a sensation unique to this very present moment.
Stay with this practice for a few more rounds of breath.
Now release any effortful doing of the breath and allow the breath to move through you however it naturally flows.
How does it feel to breathe without any effort or control while still remaining mindful of the breath?
It is not a thoughtless breath like the unconscious involuntary breathing we do every day.
The breath becomes our single focus.
Focus does not mean control or manipulate,
Focus as in concentrated effort.
The breath is not the effort,
It is the focusing of the mind that is the effort.
The observation of the breath requires discipline.
In the same way that we might allow our breath to move through us as we notice and feel but not control,
We can use this same practice to allow inspiration to flow through us without directing or manipulating the inspiration.
For example,
Allowing words,
Phrases,
Sentences,
Even simple sounds to flow through you without direction or doing,
But rather an openness and a noticing that noticing is the effort.
Even if we are not in front of a sheet of paper with a pen or pencil in our hand,
Even if we are not actively writing,
We can still take moments of quiet to reflect,
To still our mind and our breathing,
And to allow inspiration to flow through us as we simply observe.
So let's take a moment or so to practice this.
I'll go quiet so that you can notice what you notice.
Bring your awareness back to your breath.
The inhales,
The exhales,
The rhythm and shape of your breath.
Notice the temperature of the air on your skin.
Let your awareness drift toward noises in the space around you as you gently rejoin your surroundings.
Take a deep breath in and out.
When you feel ready,
Softly blink open your eyes.
Bring some gentle movement back into your body,
However that feels best for you.
One more time,
Take a deep breath in and exhale.
Thank you for practicing with me.
