Welcome to Rise to Realize Guided Meditations.
I'm your host,
Arda Azdemir.
The following self-observation meditation is designed to train your focus and sharpen your concentration so that you can create a mental space to consciously respond to life's challenges.
You'll see that doing this practice three minutes a day,
That's all it takes,
Will bring you mental clarity and emotional balance just within a few weeks.
So let's begin our practice.
Get comfortable wherever you are sitting.
Place your feet flat on the floor shoulder width apart.
In a degree angle at the knees.
Back,
Neck and head are all in straight line upright position.
Relax your shoulders and relax your arms.
Now place your hands on your lap,
One on top of the other palms facing up,
Fingers are aligned on top of each other.
One resting on the other without interlocking.
It's very important without interlocking.
Pointing in opposite directions.
It's like a cradle.
It doesn't matter whether it's left or right hand holding the other.
But it's a cradle position.
And then you bring your thumbs together,
Creating a circle with that cradle that you created with your hands.
And then let your thumbs softly softly touch each other on their meaty tips.
Try not to press too hard.
Don't force them.
And keep your arms relaxed.
Now take a deep breath in and as you exhale close your eyes and bring your focus to that light touch your thumbs create.
That is going to be your anchor throughout this practice of self-observation.
Can you notice can you notice the physical sensation of this touch?
As you anchor your focus on this sensation try to keep your attention as long as you can on your thumbs.
You may have already noticed that your thoughts interrupt your focus even a few seconds after you put your focus on that sensation.
Your thoughts take your concentration away from your thumbs.
You may have found yourself all of a sudden lost in your thoughts.
You may find yourself daydreaming jumping from one image to another.
Whatever is happening to you right now it's okay.
Self-observation is finding yourself,
Observing yourself,
Swimming in your mind chatter.
That is the practice.
Observe the thoughts that interrupted your focus.
Observe the images that took your concentration away from your thumbs.
Simply take a step back from your thinking mind and observe it as an outside witness.
As an objective observer of your thoughts,
Of those images that flow through,
That go through your mind.
Simply observe your mind's activity.
What's happening there?
What's going on?
Simply notice your thoughts.
Try not to push them away.
Try to stay with them and then come back to the sensation your thumbs create.
Bring your focus back to your thumbs right now.
And try to keep your focus on your thumbs as long as you can.
Where is your attention right now?
Are you lost in your thoughts?
What is that image you just saw?
What is that thought you just thought?
What are you daydreaming about?
Notice and acknowledge all of them.
Then get hold of your attention.
As soon as you notice that you are thinking,
As soon as you see you are thinking,
Get hold of your attention and redirect it to the physical sensation that your thumbs create.
You are doing fantastic.
It's okay to feel that tug of war between your attention and your thoughts.
Between your mind activity and your focus.
You just need to manage,
Learn to manage that tug of war.
And whenever you find yourself getting lost in your thoughts,
Whenever you find yourself thinking get hold of your attention and come back to your thumbs.
And sharpen your focus.
Renew your focus on your thumbs and stay there.
Stay with that sensation as long as you can.
This time stay with this physical sensation a little longer.
Try to focus or keep your focus a little longer.
Eyes closed,
Body relaxed.
What are you thinking right now?
Notice it,
Acknowledge it.
Every time you realize that you are thinking a thought,
Seeing an image,
Feeling a sensation notice it and gently bring your attention back to your thumbs.
This time try a little harder to keep your focus on your thumbs.
Stay there a little longer than before.
Feel it with your body,
Feel that sensation that your thumbs create with your body and anchor anchor yourself on that sensation that your thumbs create.
Now take a deep breath in and when you're exhaling slowly release your thumbs and hands put them on your lap,
Palms facing down.
Slowly open your eyes and come back to full consciousness.
Feeling relaxed,
And relaxed.
Feeling relaxed,
Awake,
Attentive and refreshed.
Thank you so much for practicing the self-observation meditation with me.
As I said before,
Try to do this practice three minutes right after you wake up.
And if you are going for bonus credits,
Three minutes right before you go to bed.
You will feel the difference.
Yes,
You will feel the difference in your mental space and emotional balance within a few weeks.
And you will respond to life's triggers differently than before.
Until next time,
Be well.
