This is a guided meditation to help you cultivate a more easeful relationship with your thoughts.
Start by finding a comfortable posture,
Position either lying or sitting down.
Taking your time to settle into this posture,
Positioning your body so that it's comfortable and at ease throughout the meditation.
When you're ready,
You might like to gently close your eyes.
Begin the meditation by bringing awareness to the breath,
Sensation of the breath on the inhalation.
As you inhale through the nose,
You might notice a cool sharp sensation in the nostrils.
On the exhalation,
Perhaps a softer warmer sensation.
As you notice the sensation of your breath,
Also becoming aware or conscious of the way it flows,
How it balances between the inhalation,
The exhalation,
The time and space between the inhalation and exhalation.
Whether the breath becomes stuck in any particular areas,
Rather areas where it feels a little more easeful,
Flows a little more naturally.
It's no right or wrong way to breathe,
No particular effort required,
But if you feel you'd like to,
You may adjust your breathing so that it feels a little more natural and easeful,
Without any effort.
Also noticing where the breath flows to within your body,
Particular area.
As you exhale,
Noticing particular areas where the breath is released from.
Just checking in with your body now,
Lightly scanning through,
Noticing any particular areas that call your attention,
The quality of your sensations.
Is there any discomfort?
Just checking in with your posture,
Noticing any sensations in the external body,
Contact points between your body and the surface beneath you,
Any contact points that your body is touching,
Sensations in your skin,
Any particular sensations in the internal body that call your attention or energy.
At times we notice subtle discomfort during certain thought patterns that may become difficult,
Perhaps when we feel uneasy.
This area of discomfort can often sit in the abdomen area,
Feeling perhaps of things becoming tangled up.
We may notice a holding on to perhaps a subtle dull pressure within the abdomen area,
Perhaps some discomfort,
Unease around the solar plexus area.
Just tuning into whatever you're experiencing in the body now.
If you feel called to any areas of discomfort or sensations,
May like to direct your breath to those areas,
Inhaling as you do,
Imagining the breath,
Meeting that part of the body.
As you exhale,
Just allowing the sensations to be released or shifted with the breath,
Just repeating this several times,
Directing your breath to discomfort on the inhalation,
Allowing a releasing of pressure on the exhalation,
The breath bringing new life into the body,
Cooling and refreshing the body.
As you exhale,
An opening and a releasing of tension and pressure.
Now an opportunity to also tune into the quality of your mind,
Perhaps asking yourself do the sensations in your body have any particular connection to the topics on your mind,
Your thoughts.
Just noticing how your thoughts are moving through your mind.
Do you find yourself getting stuck on a thought or a particular topic?
Does your mind move freely from one topic to another?
Any particular themes perhaps about your day or about this practice?
Just imagining your thoughts and subtle sensations linking together,
Thoughts maybe moving from one to another,
Like the connections of a chain,
Perhaps your thoughts move together,
Like separate parts of a machine spinning together.
What is the nature of your thoughts?
Are they loud or fluttering around a little more gently?
Do they jump rapidly from one to the other?
Joining quite smoothly?
Just allow yourself permission to freely experience your mind naturally in the present moment,
From moment to moment,
Just streaming almost effortlessly.
How are you experiencing your mind?
What is its current mood?
In the Tibetan language the word for meditation is gom,
Which means to become familiar with.
This is an opportunity to become familiar with,
Get to know the qualities of your mind as you're becoming familiar with your mind and its inner workings,
Perhaps asking yourself if there's a particular quality to bring in right now to create more ease in your mind,
What would that be?
Perhaps a greater sense of compassion for yourself towards others,
Maybe a greater sense of gratitude for allowing yourself to be open to your experience,
Greater sense of gratitude to the world,
The universe for bringing you into this present moment.
Perhaps just reminding yourself to go a bit easier,
Less force,
Allowing your thoughts and life to flow a little more naturally,
Allowing yourself to let go be open to the idea life can bring you what you need at the right time and every opportunity is in the present moment to make a conscious choice about how you respond to challenges,
Move towards the outcomes you desire in your life,
Staying with this idea for a few moments now,
Through the conscious awareness of your mind you can operate with more choice and agency in your life,
Bring greater clarity,
Presence,
Your thoughts,
Words and actions.
Now I invite you to slowly start arising from the meditation,
Opening your eyes,
Bringing some light movement into your body,
Stretching in a way that feels natural,
Taking the attitudes of unconditional acceptance,
Conscious awareness and presence into the rest of your day.
