Welcome to session 7,
Enjoy Yourself.
Throughout this session I'd like you to focus on increasing any pleasurable sensations that you may feel as much as possible.
Really try to enjoy each breath as much as you can,
Focusing on any of the sensations that you find pleasurable or comfortable or any that make meditation an enjoyable practice to engage in.
By making meditation more enjoyable you're more likely to sit down each day to practice.
So beginning with your eyes open,
Getting comfortable sitting with a relaxed but alert posture with your back straight.
Just briefly checking in with yourself,
See how your mind feels,
See how your body feels.
And then when you're ready gently take three deep in breaths through the nose and out through the mouth.
In and out,
In and out,
In and then just gently closing your eyes on the out breath.
Start by noticing the heaviness of your body,
The weight of your legs,
Of your arms,
Of your torso and of your head.
Then notice any sounds that might be present.
Just feeling how comfortable and relaxing it can feel to sit back and let sounds arise and disappear all by themselves.
And then when you're ready start to focus on the breath.
Again you can focus at your nose,
Your chest,
Your belly,
Wherever it feels easiest and the most comfortable to do so.
Again you can count the breaths or repeat the word calm whichever helps you to maintain concentration on the breath.
If you're following the breath at the nose just see if you can enjoy the subtle sensations related to breathing.
The colder air going into the nose,
The slightly warmer air coming out of the nose and just seeing how satisfying it can feel to follow the rhythm of a full breath cycle in and out.
And if you're following the breath in your belly or in your chest just noticing the subtle expansion and then contraction of your torso.
It's as if you're slightly inflating and then deflating on each breath cycle and this can feel quite automatic,
Quite relaxing and quite enjoyable.
And if it does feel good see if you can encourage or increase the pleasant feelings related to following the breath.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of meditation and the following the breath is that there's actually nothing to do here.
The breath comes in and out all by itself.
Your job here is just to sit back,
Relax and watch this process unfolding all by itself.
It's gonna be very hard for you to enjoy meditation if you're getting cross with yourself or angry or upset with yourself every time the mind wanders.
As I've alluded to previously the mind is very very busy so the more that you can be kind with yourself whenever the mind has wandered the more you can put the smile on your mouth and in your mind the more you can congratulate yourself for remembering to meditate after your mind has wandered the much more enjoyable meditation will ultimately be.
And the more that you enjoy your sessions the more you're likely to continue meditating over the long term.
And then just gently letting go of all effort completely,
Allowing your mind to be free to do whatever it wants.
And noticing any sounds,
Sensations related to sitting,
Smells that might be present in the room.
And then just check in with yourself,
See how your mind and body both feel.
Do they feel the same or different to how they felt before you sat to meditate today?
And then when you're ready gently opening your eyes.
Once again before rushing off straight away just take a moment to take in your surroundings and to congratulate yourself for taking the time to practice today.
The vast vast majority of the people in the world don't take this sort of time for themselves so you should be pleased and happy that you are one of the few people who are opting to do so.
Have a great day!
