Advanced Mindfulness Training

Although this is an advanced practice, anyone can do it. The more experienced you are, the deeper you will go into mindful awareness. Use this regularly to strengthen your awareness and ultimately become more resilient to stress. Combining aspects of Yoga Nidra/NSDR, MBCT, and basic therapeutic grounding principles, you will be sure to grow in your practice through the regular use of this Advanced Mindfulness Training.

Transcript

Welcome to my advanced mindfulness training.

Make sure you're in a quiet place,

It's free of distraction.

Maybe a bed,

A couch,

Sometimes it's a closet,

A car,

Depending on how many people are in your home and what's going on that day.

But just try to get into a quiet place,

It's free of distraction.

Get comfortable,

Take your shoes off,

Maybe put some pillows to support your back or neck or legs,

Depending on your position or your posture.

Just get as comfortable as you can,

Close your eyes.

We're going to practice today focusing on awareness,

Strengthening our awareness.

There's really nothing you need to do other than sit or lie as comfortable as you can.

Listen to my voice and follow along.

There's no need to concentrate too hard,

Just relax.

Don't worry if you feel like you missed some of the instruction,

It's perfectly normal to feel like you drift in and out.

The goal is not necessarily to create relaxation,

Although that may occur.

The goal really is to strengthen our awareness.

Just try to remain aware of your experience,

Aware of your thoughts,

Your feelings,

Your emotions,

Your physical sensations,

To notice each of them without judgment.

Just try to follow along.

Before we begin,

I want to ask everyone to set an intention for today.

This is a short,

Positive statement,

Something you'd like to manifest in your life now,

Saying it as if it's already true.

Use present tense language to help bring it about.

It's good to repeat the same intention every time you do this until you start to see it manifest in your life.

For example,

If you'd like to feel like you're more resilient to stress,

You might say,

I cope easily with the stress in my life,

Rather than I will get better at coping with stress.

Just take a minute to think about what your intention might be.

Remember it,

And I'll ask you to repeat it a little later.

We're going to start with becoming mindful of our breath.

You're going to notice the breath wherever you can sense it the strongest,

Maybe the nose,

The nostrils,

The back of the throat,

The chest,

Down at the diaphragm,

The belly.

You start to notice the subtle change of physical sensation as you breathe in and as you breathe out.

If you haven't already,

Allow the awareness of your breath to drift down to the diaphragm,

To the belly.

Notice the diaphragm expand as you breathe in and relax as you breathe out.

Notice the subtle pause of sensation in between each breath.

Begin to view the awareness of the breath at the diaphragm as an anchor,

Anchoring your awareness here in the present moment.

So when you notice new thoughts arise,

Distractions,

Maybe thinking about a stressor,

Maybe doing the mental time travel thing of thinking about something you need to do later today or this week,

Something you forgot to do this morning or last week,

Or maybe the mind is questioning what's the point of this,

Am I doing this right?

Whatever it is,

Whatever thoughts take you away from the breath at the diaphragm,

First congratulate yourself for noticing it,

That it really is the first step to coming back into the being mode,

Coming back to the present,

Aware of our thoughts,

And gently escort the attention back to the diaphragm,

Back to the breath.

I mean,

Each time you do this,

Each time you catch the brain thinking,

Noticing it,

And choosing to bring your attention back to the breath,

Back to the anchor,

That's like another mental repetition in exercising the awareness muscle.

Viewing this awareness of the breath at the diaphragm as an anchor,

Using the anchor to keep yourself anchored here in the present moment,

Attempt to bring this idea of the anchor into the rest of this practice,

Using awareness of the breath and the body to anchor your awareness here in the present moment,

Returning your awareness back to the task at hand.

With that in mind,

Bring the awareness to your head.

Become aware of the top of your head,

The forehead,

And the back of the head.

See if you can let the skin at the corners of the eyes start to soften.

Feel or imagine the eyes begin to get heavy in their sockets.

Notice the cheeks,

The skin around the mouth,

The lips,

The chin,

The tongue,

And the jaw.

Imagine the whole face,

The whole head,

Soft and heavy.

Then wander your awareness down to the neck and throat,

Then down into your shoulders,

Tops of shoulders,

Front of shoulders,

Shoulder blades,

The whole of both shoulders beginning to drop and to melt,

And move to the upper arms,

Elbows,

Forearms,

Hands,

Even the fingers,

Hands.

See if you can allow both the arms and hands to get soft.

Then wander your awareness back up the arms into the chest.

Notice the chest,

Upper belly,

Lower belly,

The skin around the back.

Drop your attention into the hips.

Feel or imagine the hips begin to melt,

Soften,

And drop.

Move your awareness down into your thighs,

Knees,

Calves,

And shins,

Feet,

Even the toes,

And knees.

Imagine the whole of both legs are soft,

Heavy,

And dropping down.

Then wander the awareness gently back up the body to the belly and the chest,

Again to connect with your breath.

Simply notice the inhale and exhale of the body.

Imagine to use the awareness of your breath and body as an anchor.

If you notice new thoughts arise,

Gently noticing them and returning the awareness back to the anchor,

Back to the breath,

Back to the body,

Back to the senses,

Here in the present.

Now begin to externalize your awareness.

Become aware of any sounds happening around you.

My voice,

Your breath,

Sounds in the room,

The next room over,

Outside,

Off in the distance.

The sounds might be near or far.

They may be loud or very soft.

Listen to a sound for a brief moment,

But try to be a witness of the sound.

So hear it at your ear without labeling it,

And move on and find another sound,

Sending your awareness out in all directions,

Near and far.

Seeing the sensation of sound as an anchor,

Keeping you here in the present moment.

Keep listening to sounds for a few more moments,

Just observing,

Rotating your awareness from sound to sound to sound.

Just being witness to any sounds you can hear.

And now letting go of any sounds you can hear,

Return to the body and the breath just for a moment.

Take a nice deep,

Full breath in through the nose,

Breathe right down into the belly,

Let the chest fill up,

And then hold the breath,

Hold it,

Open the mouth,

And sigh it out.

Take another just like that.

As you breathe in,

Feel yourself breathing in a sense of calm,

And breathing out any remaining tensions or worries.

Now make any final adjustments to the body in order to get as comfortable as you can.

If you can adjust your position or posture to get 5 or 10% more comfortable,

Go ahead and do that.

And then try to remain still for the remainder.

Tell yourself,

I will move at the end.

Now is the time we make our intention.

Remember to make it a short,

Positive statement in present tense language,

Something you want to happen,

Saying it as if it's already true.

Think of your intention and repeat it three times to yourself,

With feeling and conviction,

Trusting that it will work.

Now let go of your resolve and leave the seed of your intention planted in the fertile soil of your mind.

And begin to build your inner resource,

The place inside you that is calm,

Peaceful,

Serene,

An image of somewhere you've been before or from your imagination.

Maybe it's a place with others who you love or who love you unconditionally.

Maybe it's with animals,

In nature,

Maybe a musical instrument.

There aren't many rules as long as it's an image in your mind that can evoke comfort,

Ease,

And peace.

Notice how this place is free of all harm,

Where everything is okay,

Just as it is,

Without judgment.

Notice the different sensory details of this place,

The sights,

Colors,

Textures,

Sounds,

Smells,

Other sensations.

Notice how it feels inside your body to be in this place.

Experiencing your inner resource as a physical sensation,

Mapping all the areas in your body where you feel well,

Making note of it,

And affirming to yourself that you can return to this place of peace and comfort at any time.

We will now become aware of our body,

Remembering to use the awareness of our body as an anchor,

Anchoring us here in the present moment.

I'm going to travel through each body part quite quickly so no parts become too attached.

Just simply say the name of each body part in your mind and simultaneously try to become aware of it.

Welcome all sensation,

Just as it is,

Without judgment.

Please bring to mind your right hand thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

And shoulder,

Right shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Hip,

Right thigh,

Knee,

And left shoulder.

Knee,

Calf,

And shin,

Ankle,

Right heel,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

Right big toe,

Right toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

The whole right foot.

Now become aware of the left side of your body,

The left thumb,

Index finger,

Middle finger,

Ring finger,

Little finger,

Palm of the hand,

Back of the hand,

Wrist,

Forearm,

Elbow,

Upper arm,

Left shoulder,

Armpit,

Waist,

Left hip,

Right thigh,

Left thigh,

Left thigh,

The whole pelvis,

Left thigh,

Knee,

Calf,

And shin,

Ankle,

Heel,

Right knee,

Left knee,

Sole of the foot,

Top of the foot,

The left big toe,

Second toe,

Third toe,

Fourth toe,

Fifth toe,

The whole left foot.

Now bring the awareness to the back of the body.

Become aware of the right heel,

Left heel,

Right calf,

Left calf,

Back of the right thigh,

Back of the left thigh,

Right buttock,

Left buttock,

Lower back,

Middle back,

Upper back,

Entire spine,

Right shoulder blade,

Left shoulder blade,

Back of the neck,

Back of the head,

Top of the head,

Forehead,

Right temple,

Left temple,

Right eyebrow,

Left eyebrow,

Right eye,

The space between the eyebrows,

Right eye,

Left eye,

Right ear,

The inner and outer structure,

Left ear,

The inner and outer structure,

Right cheek,

Left cheek,

The nose,

Right nostril,

Left nostril,

Upper lip,

Lower lip,

Both lips together,

The chin,

The jaw,

Tongue,

Left throat,

Right collarbone,

Left collarbone,

Right side of the chest,

Left side of the chest,

The stomach,

Lower abdomen,

The whole pelvis,

The whole right arm,

The whole left arm,

Both arms together,

The whole face,

The whole head,

The whole torso,

The whole right leg,

The whole left leg,

Both legs together,

Both arms,

Both legs,

The whole head,

Face,

The whole body,

The entire body together as a whole,

Keeping aware of the entire body together as a whole,

Invite into that awareness the breath,

Begin to feel or imagine the entire body breathing together as one,

The entire body gently expanding on the in-breath and relaxing on the out-breath,

Taking a few breaths this way with the entire body breathing together at the same time.

And now bring your whole awareness to the space you see in front of your closed eyes,

Let your awareness rest there and try to bring to mind the following images,

Visualize the images on the level of feeling,

Awareness,

And emotion,

Let each image appear like a slide on a mental screen,

Make the screen high and wide as the eyes can see,

Gently focus on this mind screen and observe anything that comes up,

Notice your thoughts,

Feelings,

Emotions,

Physical sensations,

Noticing how you experience each image without judgment,

Try to visualize the image of a candle flame,

A candle flame,

Flickering flames of a fire,

Flickering flames of a fire,

A starlit night,

A starlit night,

Still deep water,

Still deep water,

Fish swimming in the water,

Fish swimming in the water,

A red rose,

A red rose,

A desert,

A desert,

Tall trees,

Tall trees,

Green grass,

Green grass,

A garden of flowers,

A garden of flowers,

Ocean waves crashing on the beach,

Ocean waves crashing on the beach,

Torrential rain,

Torrential rain,

A dark forest,

A dark forest,

A deer running in the forest,

A deer running in the forest,

A foggy morning,

A foggy morning,

Black horse galloping,

Black horse galloping,

A cat stretching,

A cat stretching,

White clouds in a blue sky,

White clouds in a blue sky,

An eagle flying in the sky,

An eagle flying in the sky,

A sun rising over a lake,

A sun rising over a lake,

Snow capped mountains,

Snow capped mountains,

Sunset over the mountains,

Sunset over the mountains,

A warm embrace,

A warm embrace,

Laughing with friends,

Laughing with friends,

A beautiful garden path,

A beautiful garden path,

Your body seated or lying in its cushion,

Your body seated or lying in its cushion.

Now letting go of these images,

Become the witness of your awareness,

Not the body,

Not the senses,

Not the mind,

Detached awareness.

Do not become involved,

Simply watch,

Observe like watching clouds pass through the sky or leaves float by on a stream,

This space of awareness as a mirror reflecting back at whichever comes across it,

But the mirror itself unchanged.

Be conscious of anything that might manifest in this space,

Letting it arise,

Then dissolving it into awareness.

Your awareness,

Open and spacious,

Where everything is invited,

Nothing turned away,

Awareness in which everything can come and go,

As a vibratory sensation,

Feel back into awareness itself.

Spacious,

Free,

Calm,

Connected,

Present.

Notice how awareness feels throughout the body,

Perhaps similar to the feeling of your inner resource.

Become aware that you are observing yourself and try to remain a witness,

The one looking at your body,

Seated or lying where it's at.

Now once again,

Repeat your intention from the beginning,

Repeat it in the same words three times,

Experiencing it as if it's already happened.

Now let go of your resolve and start to become aware of your whole body,

The whole physical body relaxed in a state of rest.

Notice the heaviness of your head,

Arms,

Torso,

Legs,

And feet.

Recognize in all the points of the body that are contacting a surface.

Now start to externalize your mind and body,

Becoming aware of your surroundings,

Where you are in immediate environment.

So visualize the immediate environment and where you are in it.

The walls,

The ceiling,

The floor,

The porch,

The yard,

The car,

Wherever your body is located within its immediate environment.

Visualize the shape and position of your body,

Your clothes,

Hair,

Face.

Then expand your awareness out,

You know where you are located in relation to the city or town you live near,

Or the larger region of the continent you live on,

Or the small speck you're located on this vast,

Beautiful planet.

And return the awareness to your body,

Become aware again of your senses,

Become aware of any sounds you can hear around you.

Remain quiet for a few moments longer with your eyes closed,

Becoming more alert,

More aware of your surroundings.

Notice any smells.

Notice the feeling of the clothes on your body and the air against your skin.

And then notice any thoughts you're having or the absence thereof,

Not judging,

Just noticing.

Now notice any emotions you're experiencing,

Again not judging whether they are good or bad,

Just noticing,

Observing.

Notice any physical sensations in the body without judgment as an observer.

And now start to slowly awaken the body.

Take a few deep breaths right down into the belly,

Opening the mouth,

Sighing them out.

Wiggle your fingers and toes,

Stretch out your arms and legs,

Becoming more awake,

More alert,

Making note of where you are,

What you plan to be doing next today,

Noticing the level of awareness you've achieved,

Making the goal to bring that awareness with you into the next moments of your day.

Clean your eyes as you are ready.

Reviews

Great content. Consider how the tone might be modified to be more focusing as I found myself drifting more than some other guides. I will consider that part of the exercise and challenge to stay focused. I would recommend this session.

Really wonderful practice, the pacing was superb. I achieved a wonderfully deep awareness and resting in that awareness enjoying the freedom of my own being. Thank you

Most excellent. Very nicely led. Good pace, not too fast. Love all the different elements including a lovely Yoga Nidra. Saving this one. Thank you. ☮💖🙏