Mindfulness is being fully awake to the present moment,
Aware of what we are experiencing without judging it.
When we are in the moment,
We can bring an awareness and openness to all our activities.
When we are fully awake to the now,
We have the ability to make clear choices.
We are also mindful of our inner thoughts,
Feelings,
Experiences,
And sensations in the body as they arise.
A good place to begin is with the breath as it returns us to the present moment.
The only moment we have to live,
To enjoy,
To fully embrace is right now.
The essence of the breath is what connects us with everything,
With all beings.
So,
Coming now to experience the power of the breath,
Finding a comfortable,
Quiet place to sit where you will not be disturbed,
Either on a cushion on the floor or a straight back chair with legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor.
Spine should be erect yet relaxed.
Hands placed comfortably on your lap,
Assuming a posture that embodies dignity,
Wakefulness,
And stability.
In taking this time to nurture yourself,
You are allowing yourself to be who you truly are.
Coming to this time of sitting meditation practice on a regular basis at a place where you can comfortably be by yourself,
Being here with the intent to bring mindfulness and attention to each moment,
Recognizing that the body has its own wisdom,
Never mind controlling the breath,
Just feeling it,
Allowing the breath to flow into and out of the body naturally,
Letting the body be still,
Gently allowing your eyes to close,
And as the bells ring,
Allow the sound of the bells to merge with the flow of your own breath,
Settling into the stillness within and your body just sitting,
Feeling your body now,
Noticing the muscles in your face,
Allowing them to relax and soften.
How are your shoulders?
Is there tension?
Inviting the tension here to float away as if a gentle waterfall is washing away all this tension.
Noticing your posture and any areas of tension and allow the out-breath to wash away this tension,
Bringing your attention to settle on the breath as you feel it flowing in and out of the body.
What sensations do you feel as the breath moves in and out?
Focusing on the area of your body that feels the breath most vividly and allow your attention to reside here.
It may be the feeling of the air flowing past your nose,
Noticing cool air coming in and warmer air flowing out,
Or the feeling of the chest gently rising and falling,
Or the gentle movement of the belly expanding as you inhale and receding as you exhale.
No forcing the breath to be a certain way,
Allowing your body just to breathe naturally as you pay attention to the sensations of breathing as if you are riding the waves of your own breathing as a raft would ride the ocean waves at the shore.
Breath flowing in as the belly expands,
Breath flowing out as the belly recedes.
You will discover that the mind will wander to the past,
The future,
Whatever arises.
Note these thoughts and gently without judgment bring your attention back to the breath,
Returning to the breath with kindness.
So when thoughts arise as they will,
Imagine them as clouds in a breezy sky,
Noting them and allowing them to float right on by,
Returning your attention to the sensation of breathing.
This is a shift.
Mindfulness is a shift from the doing mode to the being mode.
The breath is a beautiful way to remind ourselves that we are really human beings,
Not human doings.
So each time the mind wanders,
Gently bring it back to the breath as many times as you need to.
The purpose of meditation is to wake up,
To be wakeful to life as it unfolds.
Breath by breath,
Moment by moment,
See if you can sustain the attention for the duration of just this one incoming breath,
Connecting again at the beginning of this out breath and sustaining your attention until the end,
Noting the stillness of this rhythmic movement,
Allowing the breath to remind you over and over again to be fully present,
Fully awake,
Moment to moment,
To be here,
Right here,
Right now.
Noting what is on your mind and practice the gentle letting go of distracting thoughts and come back to the sensation of the breath in your belly or nostrils.
Be with this breath.
No need to judge.
Practice the simple yet powerful act of always beginning again,
Staying fully in touch with this breath,
Breath coming in,
Breath flowing out,
Settling in to the breath once again,
Noticing the silence and stillness beneath the breath,
Using the breath as an anchor to keep your attention right here in the present moment,
Observing the breath deep down in the belly.
Simply being here with each breath as the breath flows in a never-ending cycle,
Just giving full care and full attention to each in breath and to each out breath as they follow one another.
Continue to let each out breath be an opportunity to be present from moment to moment,
A gentle observation of breathing.
When you become still,
You may notice a subtle pause at the end of your out breath before the next breath arises,
Or perhaps a slight pause at the end of your in breath before the next exhalation.
And of course,
You will begin to notice body sensations,
Possibly sensations of discomfort.
We have two ways of working with this.
One is to mindfully shift our position to one of more comfort,
Being very aware of the parts of the body we are moving and how it feels to shift position.
The other way is to bring your full awareness to this area of the body that is calling to you.
Go deeply there and allow the breath to flow in and out of this area,
Touching this area of discomfort with gentle awareness,
Allowing it to soften as you pay attention,
Perhaps reminding yourself that you are not trying to get anywhere or experience relaxation or something special,
Not forcing the breath in any way,
Just observing and accepting what is,
Giving full care to each moment,
Seeing and letting be,
Observing and letting go.
By focusing on your breath,
You stay in the present moment to help you tune in to the state of awareness and stillness,
This profound state of balance,
Breath moving into the body,
Breath moving out of the body.
From moment to moment,
Being fully present with yourself just as you are in this moment.
In the last few moments of this sitting meditation,
You may choose to recommit yourself to bringing mindfulness to the various situations that you will encounter today.
So you may respond consciously rather than automatically react in the same old way to the events of your life and possibly finding a way to live most of your moments with greater clarity and harmony,
Including those in which you are faced with challenges.
Congratulate yourself for the intention to nurture yourself in this way,
For taking time to be silent,
Of paying attention,
A time of being present with yourself as the bells ring,
Allowing yourself to bring wakefulness and awareness back with you to your daily life.
May you be blessed with peace.
