Sitting practice,
All stages.
So settling into a comfortable sitting position.
Allowing the spine to be upright but not tense.
The shoulders relaxed.
The chest open.
And the head balanced comfortably.
Perhaps choosing an intention for these few minutes.
Maybe to simply be as present as you can.
Just to bring some kindness to your experience.
Beginning by noticing sensations that feel steady or grounding for you.
Perhaps the feet on the floor.
Weight of the hands.
Contact with the chair.
And when you're ready,
Bringing attention to sensations of breathing.
Just noticing where the breath is clearest.
Perhaps at the nostrils,
In the chest or in the belly.
And throughout this practice,
Whenever the mind wanders.
Maybe smiling to yourself.
Feeling pleased that you've noticed that it's wandered.
And check me noticing where it's gone.
And returning your attention.
Now allowing your attention to expand to include the whole of the body,
Maybe feeling the contact of clothing against the skin.
Air moving against the body.
Movements of breathing.
While you do this,
Just perhaps noticing anything that's pleasant.
Anything that's unpleasant.
Simply receiving whatever is here.
Being with and inhabiting this body.
This body of the moment.
And if there's discomfort,
Remembering that you have choices.
You might adjust your position.
Or gently explore the sensations with kindness and curiosity.
And then returning again to sense the whole of the body sitting here,
Breathing.
Inviting you now to keep the body somewhere in the background.
But allowing your attention to open to sounds.
No need to search for sounds,
Just simply receiving sounds as they arrive.
Sounds nearby,
Sounds further away.
Quiet sounds and louder sounds.
Just noticing their pitch and their rhythm and their texture.
Maybe noticing silences between sounds.
If you notice the mind beginning to label or explain them.
Just seeing if you can simply return to just hearing them.
Sounds are rising.
Staying for a while.
And then passing away.
And now allowing sounds to move into the background.
And bringing a gentle awareness to thinking itself.
What thoughts are here?
Perhaps memories,
Worries,
Plans,
Images,
Or something else.
Seeing if you can notice thoughts simply as thoughts,
As mental events.
You might imagine them like clouds moving across the sky or leaves floating past along a stream.
If you become caught up or carried away in thinking,
Simply recognising that.
Before turning your attention back to thoughts.
Thoughts arising.
Changing.
Pass it.
Any feelings come with the thoughts,
Seeing if these two can be held with a gentle,
Kind awareness.
And just being open to whatever's here.
And for these final moments bringing attention back to the breath or another chosen anchor.
Feeling the full in-breath.
The full out breath.
Or just simply sensing this body here.
And allowing the next moments of your day to arrive with this helpful awareness of thoughts as mental events.
Simply arising.
And passing the way.
