This is a mindfulness meditation to help focus the mind,
The power of the mind.
The mind is a powerful tool.
In mindfulness practice,
We learn to train and work with this tool in an intentional,
Focused way.
This practice lets you play with the power of your mind,
Showing you how to gently coax it in different ways.
You'll also witness the mind's auditory and visual thinking patterns.
I invite you to bring some playfulness and curiosity to this practice today and try not to let yourself take it too seriously.
That will allow for some relaxation.
Now for this practice,
You will need to close the eyes.
Take this moment to find a comfortable posture.
Take this moment to notice how the body is resting.
Keep the spine as straight as possible and allow the muscles to relax.
Take a few slow,
Powerful,
Nourishing deep inhales.
As you exhale,
Drop down into your body and let go of all of the events of the day.
While meditating,
Sometimes we notice that the concentration is slowly leaking away.
Sometimes we lose ourselves in a long train of thought for several minutes before we realize that we've even done so.
When you lose thoughts,
The focus of the thoughts during any period of meditation,
Simply bring your attention back to the last thing you remember observing mindfully.
If that doesn't work,
Return to the breath.
The breath is always available as an anchor for the seat of your meditation.
Notice when the mind has wandered off and very gently redirected back to the breath.
We have the opportunity to train the mind to be present.
Come back to the breath as many times as necessary.
Again,
Take a slow deep inhale through nose,
Puff out belly,
Fill up chest,
Inhale all the way up.
Open the mouth,
Let it go.
Allow the body to soften a little around the edges.
With the eyes closed,
Try to bring to mind the room or space in which you are seated.
Can you picture where in the room your body is resting?
Try to visualize the room in your mind's eye.
Enter the floor,
The walls,
Any doors.
See what else you can bring up to piece together the space in your mind.
Visualize yourself sitting in the space.
And now let go of the room.
Picture yourself now somewhere peaceful.
This can be a real or imagined place.
It may be a beach,
A forest,
Or wherever your happy place is.
Somewhere that makes you feel relaxed and safe.
In the same way,
Picture the space around you.
Try to bring up as many details as possible.
Now,
Let go of any visualization and bring to mind a song or tune that you know very well.
Try to hear the words or melody in your head.
Now use the mind to change your experience of hearing the song.
Try to turn up the volume.
Turn up the volume.
And now turn the volume down,
Making the song quiet in your head.
Now turn the volume up a bit.
Write what it is like to slow the song down or speed it up.
Take this moment to bring the awareness and recognize the power of your own mind.
Your thoughts are powerful.
Your mind is powerful.
And with a small amount of effort,
You can conjure up visualizations.
You can play music.
And you can alter the experience in any way you choose.
And now bring the awareness back to yourself sitting in the room.
Visualize yourself sitting in the room.
Can you picture where in the room your body is resting?
Try to visualize the room again in your mind.
Picture the floor,
The walls,
And any doors.
Feel the contact that your body has with the earth.
And now bring the awareness to the breath.
Invite a fresh,
Nourishing,
Powerful deep breath into the belly,
Into the chest.
Fill up every little pocket in the lungs.
Open the mouth.
Let it go.
Very gently open your eyes.
May the entire universe be filled with peace and joy,
Love and light.
May the light of truth overcome all darkness.
Victory to that light.
Om.
Peace.
Peace.
Peace.
Thank you very much for practicing.
