If your mind has been replaying conversations,
Planning tomorrow,
Solving things that cannot be solved right now.
You don't need to force any of that away.
For the next few minutes,
We are simply going to practice noticing when the mind moves and gently returning.
Find a position you can remain in comfortably for the next few minutes.
See if the body can become slightly less involved in holding the day together.
Become aware of the whole body sitting comfortably.
Take your awareness to your face.
Your neck.
Your shoulders.
Arms.
Hands.
Your entire spinal column.
Velvet.
Your legs.
Your feet.
Awareness of your whole body as one unit.
Become aware of all the experiences of the body,
All the little sensations that are coming through.
Sensation of an itch,
Of a scratch somewhere.
Willingness to make some movement.
Your whole posture.
Little adjustments that you're making here and there.
Awareness of little tensions at different points.
Now make whatever small adjustments you need to make at this point.
And now as you get comfortable,
Allow the body to become completely still.
You don't need to make the body rigid.
Or you don't need to force the feeling.
Let it be relaxed,
But still at the same time.
You may want to take your awareness to your natural breathing at this point.
There is no breath control.
Or any alteration of the breadth that is required.
Just simply observing and becoming aware of your natural breath,
The natural flow of your breath.
The pattern of your own breath.
Your breath is deep or it's shallow.
It's light or it's heavy.
It's smooth or it's slightly broken.
Simply watching.
Watching the breath as its natural self.
Feel one breath is coming in.
Feel one breath is leaving.
Just simply watching.
Breath is coming in as you inhale.
And breath is leaving as you exhale.
At this point,
You may consider to notice the breath at your nostrils.
Or if it is clearer for you,
You may feel the movement of your abdomen or the movement of your chest.
Please choose as per your comfort.
Just noticing the breath.
At the point of your comfort.
The body now has become still.
And now,
You may be ready to meet the mind.
For a few moments,
You may want to allow the mind to do what it is already doing.
Just simply notice a thought appearing,
Perhaps a conversation playing or a plan.
Or a memory or an unfinished task,
Something that you had to get back to you.
If a thought comes,
Let it come.
If a memory comes or appears,
Allow it to be there.
If there is planning,
Might want to just notice the planning.
If you are remembering something,
Then just continue with that.
You don't need to complete the thought or solve it.
Just a simple principle.
Just see that the thought has or a thought arises.
Knowing that the thought has arisen.
Try not to participate in the movement of the mind,
In the modifications of the mind.
Just simply recognize thinking.
And as you recognize it,
Simply come back to your breath.
Your effortlessly,
Naturally flowing breath.
You might be able to notice the difference between a thought appearing and you continuing the thought.
If you are ready,
Then this is the right time to begin and notice that thoughts appear within awareness.
Let the mind move.
You may remain aware.
Now try to begin to hear the breath mentally.
The same breath that you were watching,
The natural breath,
The rhythm of your breath.
Now try to Begin and hear the natural sound,
The natural rhythm of your own breath.
As the breath comes in,
Silently here,
Soon.
As the breath goes out,
Silently hear HUM.
Inhale Sol Exhale HAM SOL Hum.
And heal.
Exhale.
SUM Home.
Soul.
Hum.
The breath and the mantra all together.
With the inhalation.
SOL And as you exhale,
HUM.
Soul.
Hum.
You may now let the words so and hum become softer and quieter.
For a few breaths now,
Perhaps you don't even need to repeat them deliberately.
Just simply notice the breath.
And try to enjoy the bliss of spontaneous mental silent repetitions than the deliberate ones.
The breath continues.
The awareness of the sound of your breath.
Awareness of the words SO and HUM.
They continue to remain as the breath continues.
There is nothing to push away.
Nothing to follow.
Just.
And the breath continues.
Now,
Slowly,
Become aware once again of the whole physical body.
Make gentle,
Subtle movements,
Keeping your eyes closed at this stage.
Gentle movements of your hands.
Wriggle your fingers,
Your feet.
And with a long,
Deep breath.
Slowly.
Very slowly,
With a few gentle blinks,
Slowly open your eyes.
The practice was never to have no thoughts or to stop the mind or to empty the mind.
You practiced to notice that you don't have to follow every thought.
Rather,
Just be aware while it moves,
While it is creating continuous changes.
Continuous modifications.
You would just become aware.
