BELL We adjust the position of the body,
Make sure our position is stable,
And comfortable enough for us to spend some minutes meditating in.
And if we so wish,
We close our eyes and allow our awareness to descend into the body,
Becoming aware of the wide array of tactile sensations arising,
Abiding and dissolving.
Allowing our body to breathe naturally,
Without any control from our side,
And without any attempts to make the breathing deeper,
Slower,
Faster,
More shallow,
Just letting be.
Then briefly reminding ourselves of our motivation for this practice,
Which is deeply personal,
And probably has to do with whatever mental states we want to adjust,
Letting go of negative mental habits,
Developing positive ones,
Whatever it is that we want to do with our mind in the long-term perspective.
And with that as our basis,
Bringing our awareness back into our body,
And more specifically,
The movement of our breath as tactile sensations that arise and cease with each in-breath and out-breath.
All the somatic experiences in our body that change with our breath,
In and out.
Simple,
Mindful observation of these sensations allows us to let go of tension,
And at the same time to bring in greater awareness and clarity.
And in letting go of agitation and laxity,
We are recognizing the movement of our breath as waves,
Rocking back and forth with each in-breath and out-breath,
Soothing ourselves by simply following these waves of breathing.
If our body or mind are still in the state of deep meditation,
If our body or mind are still a little bit tense,
We notice that tension,
And gently let it go as we're rocking back and forth with the waves,
Gradually letting go and letting be,
While experiencing contentment,
Satisfaction with the present moment.
In this way,
We're seeing that the movement of the breath in our body is like an ocean,
Coming up and down with each in-breath and out-breath,
Soothing and healing us,
And allowing our nervous system to let go of tension and gradually unwind.
In order to develop greater stability and feel a greater sense of support,
We bring part of our awareness to the earth,
The planet underneath us,
Simply noticing its presence and the contact we have with the earth through our body right now.
There are already body parts that touch the surface underneath us,
For example our feet or our back,
Wherever it is that our body is touching the ground,
And that already allows us to feel certain stability,
Firmness.
But because the planet is a living being in itself,
A complex system of movement in life,
We can imagine that as we are breathing in and out,
So does the earth.
And just like there is a tiny ocean inside our body,
The earth itself is similarly a giant breathing space,
Synchronized with ours,
Embracing us with the same movement,
Support and presence.
So once again we are simply attending to our breath,
Noticing these waves,
But subliminally we also know that the earth is breathing with us,
Breathing into us,
Supporting us,
In and out,
Over and over again,
In a very natural and gentle rhythm.
Our field of being is breathing with the giant field that is earth.
And we can even imagine that all the other beings on the planet,
Especially the beings that also need soothing and healing,
Are similarly breathing together with us,
Expanding and contracting,
Or rocking back and forth like the waves on an ocean.
So we can temporarily let go of our personal stories,
And for a couple of minutes just rock back and forth with this feeling of being held,
Soothed,
Supported and protected.
Thank you.
Thank you.
And then gradually bringing our awareness back into our own personal body,
Once again perceiving its form,
Its position,
The state that it is in,
Noticing whether it is relaxed or tense,
Whether there are any pleasant sensations or something unpleasant or neutral.
And simply rejoicing in the fact that we have just spent a few minutes taking good care of ourselves,
Of our body and mind,
And mentally dedicating all of this effort,
So that we may be able to develop the mental qualities that we see as beneficial,
And gradually let go of mental habits that make ourselves and other beings miserable.
So as we are concluding the meditation,
We are coming out of it with a strong wish for the happiness and well-being of ourselves and all others.
Thank you.
