Namaste.
Welcome to this 15-minute Vipassana meditation,
A traditional mindfulness meditation practice.
I'm Anitra and I'm honored to be your guide today.
Let's begin.
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated or lying down on your back.
We'll begin by getting really grounded in the present moment by taking a deep breath in.
So when you're ready,
Inhale deeply through your nose if you can,
And exhale through your mouth with a sigh.
As you're ready,
Arriving in this moment,
Bring your attention to the sensations of breathing.
You might notice the coolness of air at your nostrils as you breathe in,
Or the warmth as you breathe out.
Or maybe you feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest or your belly.
Choose whatever feels most natural to observe.
And when you notice you've drifted into thoughts,
Memories,
Plans,
Worries,
Simply acknowledge this with kindness.
You can silently note,
This is my mind thinking,
And then gently guide your attention back to your breath.
Each time you notice your mind has wandered,
And then you return to your breath,
That's actually a moment of awakening,
A small success in mindfulness.
Continue observing your breath.
If you can,
Notice how each breath is slightly different.
Some are deep,
Some are shallow,
Some are smooth.
You're not trying to change your breath.
You're just witnessing what is.
And now begin to expand your awareness beyond your breath and notice any sensations in your body.
Maybe you notice warmth or coolness somewhere in your body.
Or maybe you sense tension in your shoulders or tingling in your hands.
Whatever you notice in your body,
Simply observe it.
You're not judging these sensations as good or bad.
Just watch with the same gentle attention that you brought to your breath.
And if you notice discomfort in your body,
An ache,
An itch,
See if you can observe it without immediately reacting to it.
Sometimes sensations intensify when we first notice them,
But then they gradually shift or even dissolve.
And every time your mind wanders,
Which it will because that's its job,
Gently bring it back to the sensations that you feel in your body.
Now broaden your attention even more and notice any sounds around you.
Notice sounds that are near and notice sounds that are far away.
You don't need to label every sound.
Simply let the sounds be what they are,
Like clouds moving across the sky of your awareness.
And notice any emotions that may be present.
Maybe restlessness,
Boredom,
Maybe calmness.
Whatever you find,
Meet those emotions with the same gentle,
Non-judgmental awareness.
Emotions are like the weather.
They arise,
They exist for a time,
And then they change and pass.
And now notice your thoughts.
And rather than getting caught up in the content of your thoughts,
The stories,
The planning,
The ruminating,
See if you can observe your thoughts from a distance.
Notice how your thoughts appear in your mind,
How they might trigger sensations or emotions,
And how they eventually fade,
Replaced by other thoughts.
You are not your thoughts.
You are the awareness that notices your thoughts.
And rest in this open,
Spacious awareness.
Awareness of your breath,
Awareness of your body,
Awareness of sounds,
Awareness of emotions,
And awareness of thoughts.
All rising and passing in the field of your attention.
Nothing to fix.
Simply observing what is,
Moment by moment.
This is the practice of vipassana,
Seeing clearly,
Observing reality as it unfolds.
Without judgment.
Bring your attention back to your breath.
Bring your awareness to your body on the surface beneath you.
And when you're ready,
Rub the palms of your hands together,
Creating warmth in your hands.
And place your warm hands over your eyes,
Anchoring in this present moment awareness.
Thank you for meditating with me today.
Namaste.
