This meditation is most effective when practiced in a room that you are familiar with,
Preferably in a space in which you feel you most likely won't be disturbed.
However,
If there is some noise or some distraction,
This is okay.
This will not pull your attention away from the meditation.
Any position or posture is okay for this meditation.
If you are lying down,
Try not to fall asleep.
Beginning by simply becoming aware of the present moment.
This can be done by simply focusing on the sensations of breathing as the breath rises and falls.
Simply observing the sensations of the breath as it rises and falls away.
We do not have to force the breath in nor to force the breath out.
Simply allowing the breath to come and go.
Becoming aware of the sensations in the body.
Any and all sensations can simply be observed without any judgment,
Without any opinion or label.
Just observing what is and allowing it to be as it is.
Simply allowing the breath to rise and fall.
Aware of the sensations in the body.
And opening awareness to the environment around us.
The sounds,
The temperature.
Simply becoming aware of this present moment.
Recognizing that you can only ever experience now.
There is no past.
It has been and gone.
Never to return.
The past can only arise in our mind as memory.
And memory is simply a thought that happens within the present.
So,
Quite easy now to simply not get involved with any thoughts of past.
So too,
The future simply does not exist.
There is no next moment.
The future can only exist in our mind as prediction,
Planning or worry.
And all of these thoughts can only arise within the present moment.
So just for our practice now,
No need to get involved with any thoughts of future.
Simply now.
Everything that is,
Is now.
So if there are busy thoughts or a noisy mind,
Simply do not get involved with any of this.
A sense of allowing thoughts to come and go.
Just as the breath is rising and falling,
So too thoughts and feelings can rise and then fall away.
Simply do not pay any attention to these.
Just allow them to go.
Very good.
Now,
Coming to a visualisation of the room that you are in.
And really bring the room to mind.
In quite vivid detail.
The colours,
The objects,
The light,
The sounds,
The temperature.
But just for this practice now,
Visualise the room without you in it.
As though you're not in currently.
What would this room be like if you were not here right now?
And really visualise this now.
Create a strong image in the mind.
Stay aware of the breath as it rises and falls.
And if we find that our mind has wandered from time to time,
Simply return attention back to the breath.
And again,
Reaffirming the image of the room.
But now,
Empty.
Nobody in here.
Very good.
Now staying aware of the breath and the present moment.
Calling to mind now a place that you are familiar with.
That you frequently visit.
This could be a public space that you often walk through.
Simply somewhere that you go quite often.
But not a workplace.
Perhaps a park.
Or a village square.
Perhaps a supermarket.
Simply somewhere that you often find yourself.
And now visualising this space as fully empty.
Nobody there.
Fully vacant.
Nature carrying on as it would.
Time continuing to flow as it would.
This space is not abandoned or deserted.
There is just nobody there.
Visualise the space.
The objects within the space.
The light within the space.
All there in perfect clarity.
But there is nobody around.
Very good.
Staying aware of the breath and the present moment.
The sensations in the body.
And if the mind has wandered somewhere else,
This is okay.
Simply return attention back to the breath and the present moment.
Now visualising your place of work currently.
Wherever that may be.
Visualise this space as completely empty.
Even during a time it would normally have people around.
But now,
Nobody.
Silent.
The objects are still there.
Time continues to flow.
Nature continues just as it would.
But there is nobody around.
No one anywhere.
Not even you.
Empty,
Empty,
Empty.
Nothing being done.
Nothing being said.
No events.
No communication.
Simply what is.
Very good.
Now,
Taking a moment to really centre yourself within this present moment.
Visualising all these spaces now as fully vacant and fully empty.
The room.
The public space.
The workplace.
Empty,
Empty,
Empty.
Silence.
Nobody around.
Nothing being said.
Nothing being done.
No emotions happening.
No ups and downs.
Just empty.
The world simply carrying on as it is.
Now.
Visualising the entire world in this state.
And realising it's quite easy actually to do this.
In fact,
A sense of relief.
Nobody anywhere.
There is no need to imagine why or how this happened.
Just visualise that nobody is around.
Nature carrying on as it would.
Time continuing to flow.
Everything is as it is.
But there is simply nobody anywhere.
Nobody in any of the buildings in any of the cities.
Nobody in any towns or villages.
Nobody in any country or continent.
There is nobody anywhere.
The world is empty.
Silent.
Just this.
And nothing more.
Very good.
Now.
Taking six deeper breaths.
And beginning to reopen our eyes if they have been closed.
And beginning to reorient yourself within the room.
A sense of grounding.
A sense of allowing.
A sense of peace.
Very good.
Thank you for practising this meditation.
Take care and be well.
