Hello friends,
I'm Yunshan.
Today we will have guided meditation focused on the concept of breathing and well-of-mindfulness,
Followed by silence practice toward the end.
Let's begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
Take a moment to settle in and allow yourself to become fully present in this moment.
As we begin,
I invite you to bring your attention to your breath.
Simply notice the sensation of the breath as it follows in and out of your body,
Without trying to change or control it in any way.
Allow yourself to simply be with your breath in this moment.
Now let's bring our attention to the concept of the well-of-mindfulness.
You might be familiar with this practice if you have ever visited a meditation center or a monastery.
It is the practice of using the sound of a bell to bring us back to the present moment,
To help us find peace and calm.
But the bell of mindfulness is not just a physical bell.
We can also use any sound as a bell of mindfulness.
The ringing of a phone,
The sound of a burn chirping outside,
The laughter of a child.
For example,
As I work,
I often set a bell timer to remind me to pause and take a few deep breaths every 45 minutes.
This helps me to recharge and stay present in the moment throughout the day.
When we hear those sounds,
We can pause,
Take a deep breath and bring our attention back to the present moment.
Let's take a moment now to listen to the sounds around us.
Notice any sound you might have been ignoring before.
Allow the sounds to become your bells of mindfulness,
Calling you back to this present moment.
As we listen to these sounds,
Let's remember to bring our attention back to our breath.
With each inhale,
Imagine you are breathing in calm and peace.
With each exhale,
Imagine you are releasing any tension or stress in your body and mind.
Let's practice this for a few moments,
Using the sounds around us as our bells of mindfulness and our breath as our anchor.
When we hear a sound,
Let's take a deep breath and allow yourself to become fully present in this moment.
We do this naturally,
With enjoyment and without solemnity or physical rigidity.
By stopping to breathe and to restore our calm and peace,
We become free,
Our work becomes more enjoyable and the friend in front of us becomes more real.
In everyday life we can use the ringing of our cell phone,
Local church bells,
Cry of a baby or even the sound of fire engine and ambulances as our bells of mindfulness.
With just three conscious breaths,
We can release the tensions in our body and mind and return to a cool and clear state of being.
Now gently rest your attention with kindness and care on the inflow and outflow of your breath.
As you hear the sound of the bell,
Bring your attention back to your breath,
Focusing on each inhale and exhale.
We will continue with the silent practice for the next 5 minutes.
When you are ready,
Slowly bring your attention back.
As we bring this practice to a close,
Remember just a few conscious breaths can help us find peace and calm and bring us back to our true home.
May this practice of mindfulness stay with us throughout our day and may we always remember to pause and breathe when we need to find our way back to the present moment.
Thank you for practicing together.
YoYan
