Stillness, Simplicity And Contentment

A 25 minute meditation that starts with some imagery to help us find a well balanced posture. We then move onto a breath based body scan which help us in stilling the body and mind before resting our attention on the simplicity of the breath. Once the body is settled and we are in contact with the sensations of the breathing body we turn towards ease and contentment, before finishing our meditation by radiating our compassion to those who are ill at ease, suffering and discontent.

Transcript

Meditation on stillness simplicity and contentment.

So start by finding a comfortable position and place to sit.

This could be on a chair or on the floor but a place where you can be upright yet relaxed.

If you're sitting on a chair please come towards the front of the chair so that your feet can be flat on the floor.

We're going to start just by finding an upright posture.

I'm going to give you an image right at the bottom of your tailbone.

I want you to imagine the shape of a large Japanese calligraphy brush.

In order to find the right position for our pelvis we're going to curl the tailbone under as if we're brushing forwards and then brush backwards with the lower tailbone.

We begin to feel the pelvis rocking backwards and forwards and we keep repeating this movement brushing,

Curling the tailbone under and then brushing backwards.

We feel the pelvis rocking backwards and forwards.

We notice the slumping of our spine,

The compression of the front of the body and then the arching of our spine,

Chest coming forward,

Tailbone going back.

I want you to begin to make this movement a little smaller each time so that gradually we begin to find what is our balance point on our sit bones where the tailbone is neither curled under nor is it arching backwards.

Just resting in the center.

We feel the weight of the body dropping down through the sit bones.

We can become aware if the weight of the body feels heavier on one sit bone or the other and we begin to bring the weight of the body center to a sense of equilibrium or balance.

Then we move up to the point of our solar plexus,

The bottom of our sternum.

Here the image is that of a pendulum.

And again we're going to swing the pendulum forward,

Feeling the ribs protrude forward,

Swing the pendulum back,

Feeling the ribs and the body slump.

Swinging the pendulum forwards and backwards.

And just like before we're beginning to make this movement smaller each time.

And you may notice that this movement of the pendulum swinging focusing on the solar plexus ripples down again towards the pelvis,

All connected.

And as we make that movement smaller and smaller again we find that point of equilibrium where this image of the pendulum can just drop right down between the sit bones so that the ribs are neither slumping nor protruding forwards.

And we're balanced.

And then we take our attention to the roof of our mouth.

And the image I'd like to give you here is that of an umbrella.

And just like before we're going to rock the head backwards as if we're trying to show someone in front of us the underneath of the umbrella of the roof of our mouth.

And then drop the chin down so we're showing somebody the top of the umbrella of the roof of our mouth.

The movement is small and gentle.

We continue with this rocking motion forwards and backwards until we reach a point where the umbrella,

The roof of our mouth is perfectly balanced and is free to float upwards.

And we feel a connection between the roof of our mouth,

The pendulum of the solar plexus and the tailbone.

And then we take our awareness to the top of our head.

And with the next out breath we scan down through the face and the head,

Softening the eyes around the mouth,

Breathing out until we reach the throat.

And we breathe in around the throat area.

And as we breathe out we scan down the throat,

The shoulders,

The chest,

The upper back towards the heart centre.

And at the end of the out breath resting in the heart centre we take an in breath into the heart centre,

Breathing out scanning down from the heart centre through the chest towards the solar plexus.

Breathing in around the solar plexus,

Scanning down through the body,

Down towards the navel.

We breathe in around the navel and as we breathe out we scan down again through the body,

Down to the lower belly,

Deep in the lower belly.

Breathing in deep into the lower belly.

And then finally scanning down through the legs,

All the way down the shins to the feet.

And we bring our awareness back to the top of the head and we repeat.

On the next out breath scanning down through the scalp,

The forehead,

The eyes,

Cheeks,

Jaw,

Down to the throat.

Breathing in around the throat,

Softening releasing down through the throat,

The shoulders,

Chest and upper back towards the heart centre.

Breathing in around the heart centre and as we breathe out we soften and we release through the chest,

Upper torso,

Down towards the sternum.

Breathing in to the sternum,

Solar plexus.

Breathing out,

Scanning down again through the torso,

Down towards the belly,

The centre of the belly.

Breathing in around the centre of the belly and then breathing out,

Scanning down,

Lower back,

Lower belly,

All the way down deep inside the pelvis.

Breathing in deep inside the lower belly and the pelvis,

Breathing out scanning down through the legs,

All the way down knees and shins to the feet,

To the ground,

To the earth.

Let the weight of the body settle down into the pelvis,

Down into the earth.

And we repeat this cycle in our own time,

A few more times through.

Scanning and stilling the body slowly with the out breath.

Each in breath we bring an awareness of that part of the body.

Each out breath we are softening,

Releasing,

Scanning,

Gently bringing an awareness to any tension and releasing it.

Letting our mind rest deep in the tissues of the body.

Everything settling,

Everything stilling,

A little by little.

And then we are going to rest in the body,

The body is just resting in the body,

The body is just resting in the body.

And then we are going to rest in the body,

The body is just resting in the body,

A little by little.

Letting go of any holding.

Stilling.

Coming into direct contact with the body and our direct experience.

We can begin stilling and calming,

Body and mind.

And then the next time that you reach the end of this cycle of stilling the body,

Just beginning to rest the awareness gently on the breath,

As lightly as a butterfly.

Sensing the breathing body.

Aware of the simplicity of the breath.

No need to change anything,

Bringing our awareness to the ebb and flow of the breathing body.

Welcoming the in-breath,

Freeing the out-breath.

Releasing the in-breath,

Releasing the out-breath.

And if the butterfly of the mind begins to flit away into thoughts,

Feelings,

Just noticing that.

And see if we can just gently reconnect with the breathing body.

Welcoming the simplicity of the breath,

However and wherever we sense it.

Being aware of how the breath subtly moves the body,

As if the body is floating in water.

It sways with the breath,

It responds to the breath.

And then,

Moving our attention to our eyes,

Softening around the eyes,

As if we're about to smile.

Maybe this has a response in the lips,

The lips gently touching the eyes,

Gently touching.

Maybe the corners of the mouth begin to respond also,

As if the mouth is about to smile.

And what do we notice in the body,

As the body respond to this gentle smiling,

With a sense of ease and contentment.

This still,

Simple breathing body,

Bathed in a sense of contentment and peace.

And we may discover contentment and joy,

Just in the simple practice of being present,

Of noticing.

And we may notice the body at ease,

The weight of the body released to the ground,

The warmth of the hands,

The softness of the face,

Dwelling in contentment.

And as we rest in this space of stillness,

Simplicity and contentment,

We may become aware of someone in our life or others who are discontent,

Who are struggling,

Who are suffering in some way.

And we can allow our feelings of contentment to turn to compassion,

And for that sense of compassion to flow towards those who are struggling,

Who are suffering,

Who cannot find peace.

And we let our compassion radiate towards them.

And we wish them well and wish for them to know a sense of stillness,

Simplicity and contentment in their lives.

And then slowly we bring our awareness back to the weight of our own body,

Here seated.

A sense of our body breathing.

And we begin to expand our senses outwards to the sounds around us and the environment we're in.

And slowly,

In our own time,

We can open our eyes.