This practice develops the skill of shortening the period of mind-wandering by rewarding the mind whenever it remembers itself.
Settling into your practice posture,
Comfortable,
Curious and open.
Arriving by becoming curious about your present sensory experience,
Whatever it might be,
The sounds,
Sights,
Bodily sensations,
Mental phenomena,
Smells or tastes.
Becoming curious what is present.
Has your mind wandered?
Great.
Notice how it happened by itself,
Outside your control,
Only being a learned process.
Then updating those learned processes by enjoying how nice it feels to be aware again,
Softening into,
Smiling into this presence.
And now becoming curious about your bodily sensations,
Allowing the other sensory experiences to come and go,
To be in the background.
While your curiosity is now towards the body,
What is present within the body?
Has your mind wandered?
Great.
Notice how it happened by itself,
Autonomously,
Not being personal,
Just a learned habit.
Then updating this habit by enjoying,
Softening into the presence,
How nice it feels to be aware again.
Now becoming curious about the gentle stretch on every inhale,
As the belly,
Ribs,
Chest inflate,
The shoulders rise.
And the gentle relax on every out-breath,
As the shoulders gently sink,
Chest,
Ribs,
Belly deflate.
Continue tuning into this gentle stretch and relax,
Allowing the natural effortless breath to massage you.
Has your mind remembered?
Great.
Rewarding it for it,
By expressing gratitude towards it.
Thank you for gentle smile.
Thank you for remembering.
Enjoying that.
And then returning towards the gentle stretch and relax on every breath,
Further and further softening,
Relaxing.
Has your mind wandered?
Great.
Notice any resistance,
Such as frustration or harshness,
Arising towards yourself.
And remembering that by punishing,
You're teaching the mind that just remembered the present moment,
That it actually did something unbeneficial,
As well as increasing mental restlessness,
That then increases mind-wandering.
Rather,
Enjoy and reward the mind for remembering,
As it is actually good it has remembered the present moment,
Rather than continue being lost.
By gently smiling into,
Enjoying how nice it feels to be present again,
To remember.
And then returning to the softening breath,
A gentle stretch,
A gentle relax.
Letting go.
Has your mind remembered?
Wonderful.
Showing it the benefit of remembering.
By softening into,
Enjoying how good it feels to be present again.
Savoring this moment.
Continue practicing in this way,
Observing the gentle stretch and relax on every in- and out-breath.
At one point,
Naturally,
Your mind will forget the present moment you practice.
And at one point,
Your mind will naturally remember the present moment again.
Taking advantage of this opportunity to reward and chant the mind.
With this behavior of remembering,
By smiling into,
Feeling grateful,
Enjoying presence.
Savoring that,
And then returning to your softening breath.
And repeat at your rhythm.
Has your mind remembered?
Great.
A gladness,
Thank you mind.
How nice it is to remember.
Has your mind remembered?
Great.
Softening into,
How nice it feels to remember to be present.
Letting go of all non-softness that a thought might have brought.
As we transition out,
A reflection.
Is it a beneficial habit to wake up from mind-wandering to remember?
Is it worth rewarding,
Being grateful for?
Thank you for sharing this practice with me,
And a reminder that the skill of rewarding and enjoying remembering is available to you in daily life.
