And this will be a very basic,
Simple meditation appropriate for beginners or anyone at any time.
You see,
Meditation is really just the ability to be present and calm and bring our awareness to one thing rather than the multitude of things that our minds are usually darting back and forth to.
When we sit and meditate,
We begin to quiet the chatter in the mind to drop into a little bit of space between thoughts.
And the technique is very simple,
Although not always easy,
But it does take a little training and a little practice.
And each time that we sit to meditate,
We strengthen our ability like strengthening a muscle,
An inner muscle.
We strengthen that ability to be present,
To redirect our mind away from the racing thoughts into one thing,
Whatever that thing is that we choose.
Often we use the breath or a mantra.
We can also use the sensations in the physical body because the body is always in the present moment.
So let's begin by closing the eyes and taking a comfortable seat.
I'm going to take a full breath in and let your breath go and allow yourself to soften and settle.
Another one like that.
Breathe in deeply and release your breath.
Release your shoulders.
Close your eyes if you'd like and feel your connection to whatever you're sitting on or lying against.
Allow the breath to continue to flow smoothly and somewhat deeply without any strain or struggle.
Just notice the sensations of the inhalation,
The sensations of the exhalation,
The connection to whatever you're sitting on or lying against.
Begin to notice any contact points between you and that cushion or the floor,
Any contact points in your own body,
If your ankles are crossed or your hands are resting against your legs.
The arms are grazing your sides.
The top and bottom eyelids touching if they're closed.
The top and bottom lips touching if the breath is flowing through the nose.
The tongue resting against the floor of the mouth and the cheeks against the teeth.
Anytime you bring your awareness to the physical body,
You let go of external thoughts and shatter in the mind.
Continue to breathe deeply and smoothly and notice the sensations of each breath.
Perhaps an expansive rising quality to the inhalation.
A softening,
Relaxing quality to the exhalation.
When your mind drifts away from sensation into other thoughts or images or projections or replays,
Ever so gently return to the sensations in your physical body.
Retraining,
Redirecting and strengthening that ability to be here and now,
Present,
FlowCheck.
As you inhale next.
As you inhale next,
Pause at the top in that spaciousness.
As you let go of the breath,
Pause when you're empty in that emptiness.
Exhaling and pausing without any struggle or strain.
Exhaling and pausing as you relax and soften.
Continue like that.
Exhaling at the top in that spaciousness.
Pausing and relaxing at the bottom in the emptiness.
As you experience the pauses between the breaths,
Notice if you also experience a little pause between the thoughts.
And then the pause is often where we can access a deeper sense of calm and presence and even healing for our minds and bodies.
And know that however short or long those spaces are between the thoughts or between the breaths,
You'll carry some of that calm and healing into your life with you.
Remember that each time you sit and witness the spaces between the breath,
The calm between the thoughts or even redirect your awareness to the breath or body or what's actually happening in the here and now.
You're giving yourself an opportunity to let go of recurrent thoughts,
To quiet that incessant chatter and to heal.
So as we conclude the meditation,
Please take a moment here at the end just to be grateful for this time that you've taken for yourself to witness those little spaces between the thoughts,
To experience this present moment.
So take a last breath of gratitude in,
Pause at the top so it fills you.
As you let go of the breath,
Hold on to that gratitude,
Relax into it,
Let it soak into your bones and your cells.
And take another breath in.
Let go of the breath,
Let go of any effort or desire or even judgment about what just happened and your experience of it.
When you feel ready,
You can bring movement into your body and you can open your eyes and you can take some of this calm and peace into your day with you.
Thank you so much for practicing.
Namaste.
