I Am... A Meditation On Who We Are Without Our Stories

We tend to define ourselves by our narratives: I am Martin, I live in London, I am a teacher... but what happens when we let go of the stuff that we add after "I am..."? This guided meditation progressively peels back layers of story to see how it feels to simply be in the state of "I am..." with nothing added.

Transcript

Begin by sitting comfortably, Tall but relaxed through the spine, Not making any significant muscular effort to sit tall. Notice the verticality of your spine, Allowing the eyes to close if you're happy to do that, But if you'd prefer to meditate with open eyes, Taking a soft downward gaze. Let your hands rest comfortably in your lap. Any small movements you need to make as you settle into stillness, Allow and then settle. Bring your awareness to your face and notice if you're holding any tension there. If so, Maybe you can soften around the eyes a little, The jaw and bring your attention to your shoulders. You soften the shoulders, Down into the belly, The back. Is there any room to soften in your body anywhere? Feel your body weight relaxing down into your seat and let your awareness travel down through your legs to your feet. Notice the contact between your feet and the ground beneath you. Simply noticing. When meditating, We often find we're carried away by our thoughts. This is perfectly natural. It's what we meditate for, To notice when that happens and to practice bringing ourselves back to whatever it is we're meditating on. It's the simple practice of bringing awareness to an object of meditation, Noticing when our thoughts wander and coming back. This meditation will start by creating a small version of a story of our life. So something like this. I am Martin. I live in London. I'm a teacher. So form your own version of that story using your own name. Just say, I am, Followed by your name. I live in, Wherever it is you live. And I am, However you think of yourself. It's a very simple statement though. I'm Martin. I live in London. I'm a teacher. Your version of that story. Just bring it to mind. Repeat the phrases a few times to yourself. Notice how you feel as you do this. It's the simplest story of your life. As you repeat it to yourself, Can you notice anything physically? Is there an emotional feeling tone to this inquiry? Simply notice it. Just repeat the phrases a few times. I am, Your name. I live in, Where you live. I am, Whatever it is you do. Just notice how you feel. And rather than making it an analytical process, Simply trying to feel how you feel. Rather than describing it to yourself verbally or in the form of another story. Just feel how you feel. Let's release some of the story now. Let's release the last part. So the component where you say what it is that you do. So now we reduce the story to I am, Followed by your name. I live in, Wherever it is you live. I am Martin. I live in London. Your version of this. Just repeat it a few times to yourself. And notice how you feel as you do this. Sensations in the body. Emotional feeling tone. You're not trying to change anything or control anything. Simply noticing what's there. If you find yourself getting involved in rumination or carried off by thought in any way, This is a very good result to notice that. It gives you the chance to come back. To your object of meditation, Which in this case is this inquiry that we're conducting. I am, Your name. I live in, Where you live. We'll move further with this meditation by releasing the component of the story about where we live. So the story is now, I am followed by your name. And simply repeat that to yourself. Slowly, Just drop it in to your awareness. Notice how you feel. Repeat. I am followed by your name. And feel how you feel. For the next stage of this meditation, We release our name. So now we're simply saying to ourselves, I am. I am. I am. I am. And repeat this to yourself a few times. And once more, Really noticing, Paying close attention to how you feel. Is there a physical response? Some kind of emotional response? I'm trying to avoid narrative descriptions of this experience. Rather, Doing your best to feel how you feel. I am. How does this make you feel as you repeat it to yourself? For the last part of the meditation, We release I am. And simply sit there experiencing whatever you experience. Just noticing whatever comes and goes, Whether it's thoughts, Sensations in your body, Sounds. Just notice whatever comes and goes. Don't need to do anything about it. If you find yourself dragged off by thought, You simply come back, Receiving whatever presents itself to your awareness. And when you're ready, Bring some movement back into your body. Maybe wiggling your fingers or your toes or stretching. Just allow your body to move however you want it to move. Opening your eyes, Letting the light back in. And this takes us to the end of this meditation.