MBSR Sitting Meditation

This is a guided sitting meditation practice, using the breath as the primary object of attention. This practice is one of the basic meditations first taught in the MBSR programme, and guides the participant to practise the skill of observing thoughts, feelings and bodily sensations, whilst continually returning to the anchor of the breath.

Transcript

This practice guides you through a sitting meditation with breath as the primary object of awareness.

I will mark the beginning and the ending of this meditation with the sound of my voice humming.

Hmmmmmmm.

.

.

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Arranging to spend this time in a comfortable but attentive posture,

Preferably sitting up,

Without leaning back for support if that's possible for you right now,

And at a time and in a place where you won't be disturbed.

Sitting in a dignified posture,

Head balanced on the shoulders,

Arms and hands resting in a comfortable position,

And eyes either closed or gently resting on a spot in front of you.

This is a time for allowing ourselves to switch from our normal mode of doing and moving and reacting to one of simply being.

Just being attentive to what's happening within your own awareness right here and right now.

And as you sit,

Just noticing sensations of breath.

Just noticing how the abdomen moves in and out.

Perhaps you might be more aware of what's happening around the chest area.

The outward movement of the chest as the air fills the lungs.

And then the inward movement as the air escapes from the body.

Perhaps you're noticing the breath more prominently in the nostril area as the air is moving through and into the body.

Noticing the sensation of the airflow as it enters into the body.

And then again as it escapes from the body.

Without needing to do anything or control anything,

And perhaps noticing the tendency to want to control the breath.

Seeing if it's possible to be with the breath.

Knowing that it's the most natural thing to do.

There is nothing to do.

Breathing happens all on its own.

Noticing the entire cycle of breath from the movement of the air coming in and filling the lungs and extending the abdomen slightly.

The movement of air going out and being aware of the pause,

The stopping point in between both the in breath and the out breath and the out breath and the next in breath.

It's all one movement,

Even though the changing of direction is there.

And just noticing where that pause is.

Seeing to what degree you can become aware of the entire cycle of breathing.

Perhaps recognizing that each part of the cycle is different from the other part.

And perhaps that this time might be different to the last time.

Noticing the uniqueness of each breath if you pay attention.

Perhaps you might be noticing the feeling of predictability and sameness with each breath.

Just seeing what comes into your experience and your awareness as the attention is brought to the sensation of breathing.

You might be noticing your attention shifting away from the breath.

Perhaps the mind may be wandering into thoughts of the day,

Worries,

Things that need to be done,

Memories.

And then without giving yourself a hard time,

When you notice that this is happening,

Gently but firmly bringing your attention back to the sensations of breathing.

Back to the physical sensation of the breath as it is entering into the body and leaving the body.

Bringing the attention back to that anchor of awareness.

The anchor into the present moment.

Like a guidepost,

The breath gently pulls us firmly into the present moment.

Allowing the quality of attention to be light and easy.

One of simply observing and noticing.

Just as if you were floating on a lilo,

On the ocean.

Where you're up with one wave and down with the next.

Knowing that it's impossible to control the depth between the waves or the duration of the wave.

Just riding,

Being with the ebbing and the flowing of the breath in the same way as one would be with the ebbing and the flowing of the waves.

The swell of the ocean.

And you may be noticing that there are sounds in addition to the sounds that are coming from this recording.

Sounds of traffic or movement.

Sounds of nature.

Something else going on in another room.

And just noticing that your attention has moved to that perception of sound.

And staying with it long enough to notice the quality of the sound.

Sensing it as sound as a vibration or its intensity or its volume,

Tone.

Being aware of the tendency of the mind to label the sound as traffic or someone or something.

And seeing if it's possible to come closer to the actual experience of the sound as it hits your eardrums.

Noticing qualities or rhythm or pitch.

Seeing if it's possible to separate out the actual reception of sound from the labels we might put on it.

Or perhaps even noticing any emotions or feelings that arise as your awareness is drawn to the sound.

Perhaps feeling of frustration,

Of being distracted,

Or interest or curiosity about what might be going on.

And then gently bringing your attention once again back to the breath.

Letting your breath be your anchor of awareness.

So that each time your awareness goes somewhere else,

Just gently coming back to the breath without judgment or any upset.

Almost like an observer.

Ah,

My attention's gone off to the sound of something happening.

And then just reminding oneself to come back to the breath.

And then perhaps noticing the tendency to have an opinion or a feeling about things.

An unpleasant feeling or a pleasant feeling or a liking or a disliking of how things are going right now.

That too can be an object of an awareness.

Just noticing that perhaps you might have an opinion about things quite often.

So sometimes it can be helpful to label that as,

Ah,

That's my liking mind.

It's liking this.

Or,

Ah,

That's my critical mind.

I would rather have things different to how they are.

So building the capacity to notice liking or disliking.

And not to have to do anything about it.

Just noticing how that feels.

And sensing into the feeling tone of that.

Again,

Sometimes it might be helpful to label it as pleasant or unpleasant or neutral feeling.

Sensing into the general feeling tone of this moment.

Perhaps even noticing how our minds tend to hook onto either the pleasant or the unpleasant.

Perhaps maybe even ignore the neutral.

Just noticing what's happening right now.

And as you notice that happening,

Just bringing the awareness back to the physical sensations of breath.

Wherever it's most vivid for you.

Just riding the wave of your breath.

You might be noticing the attention shifting to body sensations.

Perhaps noticing sensations of aching or tingling or numbness.

Discomfort.

Tension.

And as you are noticing the sensations of discomfort,

There's several things which can be done with just the sensation.

And one is to,

If it feels comfortable or better for you right now,

Is to deal with the sensation.

It's to allow yourself to shift.

But in doing that,

First becoming aware of the sensation.

Noticing precisely where the tension or the achiness might be.

And once you're aware of where that is,

Developing an intention to move.

And moving mindfully and with full intent to make that motion.

And that's one way to deal with a strong sensation.

And a second way,

And neither one is better than the other,

Is to notice that sensation.

Notice it in its actual physicality.

Seeing if it's possible to be curious about the unpleasant sensation.

Exploring it in its quality.

Its shape.

Its size.

Noticing if the sensations are of throbbing or tension,

Tightness,

Aching,

Burning,

Tingling.

And seeing if it's possible to stay with the feeling,

The sensation of the discomfort for just a moment longer.

Seeing if it's possible to experience it as pure sensation without the label of pain or my headache or my back pain.

Just noticing where it is and noticing the experience of it.

Seeing if it's possible to stay with the sensation without having to react to it.

Just for this moment.

And reminding yourself of these two choices.

Reminding yourself that if your attention keeps getting called back to this area of intense sensation,

Knowing you can either form an intention to do something about it and mindfully doing it,

But forming the intention first,

Or bringing your attention and intention right into it.

Bringing curiosity towards it.

How big is it?

What does it feel like?

How is it changing over time?

And wherever the mind goes,

Whether it's towards a thought or to a feeling,

Liking or disliking,

Or if it's to perception of sensation or sound,

Perhaps general feelings of happiness or peace or sadness,

Frustration.

Seeing if it's possible to just notice what is coming into your awareness most prominently.

And then as you notice that's happening,

Bringing awareness back to the sensation of the movement of breath.

.

And seeing if it's possible to have a friendly attitude toward whatever comes into your awareness.

Just noticing in a friendly way what is happening.

And then coming back to the breath.

Like an old friend.

Ah,

There I go.

There I can see my thought or my feeling or my sensation and,

Ah,

Let me bring my attention back to the breath.

There it is waiting for me.

And recognizing that it's the entire cycle of awareness that is important to this experience,

To this sitting meditation,

Including the coming back.

Coming back is as important as the awareness of breath and the noticing of the present situation.

And seeing if it's possible to have an attitude of celebration or of congratulation,

Of recognition that this is a moment of awareness.

Acknowledging yourself for noticing you've gone somewhere else.

Seeing if you can notice that moment,

That flicker of attention when you realize that your attention is elsewhere.

And acknowledging yourself for noticing you've gone somewhere else.

And then just easily bringing your attention back to the breath in this friendly way,

This non-judgmental way.

Back to the breath.

And as this meditation starts coming to an end,

Recognizing that you've spent this time intentionally aware of your moment-to-moment experience.

That you've been nourishing and strengthening your ability and skill to be with whatever comes your way.

Even if it is the fact that your attention was in a place far,

Far away from your breath.

You've been building the capacity for opening the senses,

For opening your attention and your awareness to the vividness of life,

To the aliveness of the present moment.

And you've been expanding your skill to be curious and available about whatever presents itself.

And then you're ready,

Allowing the eyes to let some light in if you've had them closed.

And permitting yourself to move or shift or stretch in whatever way feels comfortable.

And listening out for the sound of my voice,

Making the humming sound to mark the end of this meditation.

Hum.

Reviews

Authentic and enjoyable!