Hello and welcome.
Thank you for being here today and most importantly thank yourself for being here today.
My name is Jasmine.
I am a mindfulness meditation teacher and this is Mindfulness in Challenging Times Part 2.
Everything in the mind is workable.
Let's face it,
Life can get chaotic.
Even more painfully,
Life can feel chaotic.
We can feel pulled in a thousand different directions mentally and emotionally.
Sometimes our mind can become so muddled with hurt,
Pain,
And confusion and it feels like our suffering may never end or that we just don't know how to find our way out.
I've most certainly been there.
But what if we didn't run away from our own confusion?
We are constantly trying to avoid our own discomfort.
What if we tried to relate to it?
What if we got inquisitive about this unknown territory?
What if we decided to look under the hood of now-ness?
To squirm in the present moment?
And rather than think or criticize,
How did I get here?
We take a fresh look at the canvas of our own mind and begin to notice the space in between each and every thought which is always available to us even when we feel completely off course.
Somewhere in that awkward and ambiguous moment,
Somewhere in the uncertainty of everyday chaos,
Is our own wisdom mind.
You might need to encourage yourself a bit.
It's quite daring to pull apart the puzzle pieces of our own mind and notice the spaces in between,
But that's really the point.
We can simply notice and work with our mind and there is absolutely nothing to lose.
It doesn't even have to be a big deal.
We can just try.
Try to experiment or play with not getting wrapped in right or wrong or our own power struggles and learning to relax with groundlessness.
Every time you take your seat and let go of what no longer serves you,
It's an opportunity to release what you're thinking and return to the present.
And the truth is,
Everything in the mind is workable.
I know it sounds annoyingly simple,
But for many of us it's a lifelong journey and most importantly,
It's a practice.
Every moment and every feeling that we have starts with a thought or belief.
Those that keep us up at night.
The ones that cause us to hurt those that we love or to feel slighted or resentful towards others.
That story that tells us we're not good enough,
But we need to do more,
Be better,
Smarter,
More likable.
If we can find it within ourselves to understand those stories or even to simply notice them without judgment,
We just may find some clarity.
A break between the noise and endless mind chatter.
And maybe even some peace.
Now let's take our seat.
Step one,
Take your seat.
As you take your seat,
Find a comfortable position,
Either seated on a cushion or a chair.
If you are on a cushion,
Cross-legged is perfectly fine.
Hip bones raise slightly and palms face down.
Rest it either on your knees or the middle of your thighs,
Whichever is most comfortable.
If you are seated in a chair,
Make sure both feet are firmly planted on the ground.
Your spine tall and dignified,
Ideally not resting on the back of your chair.
Shoulders relaxed and anywhere else you have tension in your body,
Let it go.
No matter the seat you've chosen,
Take it with the knowing that there is no bad meditation,
Only the one you did or didn't do.
Begin to settle into your seated position with a strong back and a soft front.
And as you adjust,
Add in an open heart.
Relax your jaw and your mouth,
Letting your tongue rest comfortably wherever it may.
Not too tight,
Not too loose.
Step two,
Place your attention on your breath.
You are breathing all day long and now you are simply placing your attention here.
A light touch on the breath.
Whether you place your attention on the tip of your nose,
Noticing the in-breath and the out-breath or the base of your belly,
Filling up with air and then emptying.
Either is fine,
It's no big deal.
Throughout this practice,
We keep our eyes open.
This practice is not intended to shut anything out,
But rather to be present right where we are,
Wakeful and grounded.
Maintain a soft downward diffused gaze about four to six feet in front of you,
Seeing but not looking at anything in particular.
Step three,
When you notice your mind start to wander,
Gently label your thoughts as thinking and place your attention back on the breath.
This may be easier said than done,
Especially if you're feeling exhausted like many of us,
Feeling drained,
Broken,
Sad or tired.
The key is to speak to yourself with compassion.
Direct any bit of love and kindness you may have left towards your being.
You are deserving of this.
You are worthy of this.
You are here now and that is everything,
Even when nothing else makes sense.
Now that you have your seat,
You will hear a bell to mark the beginning of our practice and another bell to mark the end of our practice.
Let's begin.
You As you practice in this very moment,
Notice where you're being harsh.
The most difficult times for many of us are the ones that we give ourselves.
Notice the places you avoid,
Notice any negativity or obsessive unhelpful thoughts and upon noticing,
Let it all go.
It has no hold on right now.
Your only job is to come back to the breath,
Your lighthouse to the present.
Everything in the mind is workable.
You you you it's okay that you're having thoughts you're human we all have them the goal is not to get rid of thoughts but to turn down the volume of our own neurosis and invite spaciousness into the very fabric of our existence it's already there your only job is to notice it everything is workable is workable is workable everything is workable Ooh,
Ooh,
Ooh Ooh,
Ooh,
Ooh Here's where I go Ooh,
Ooh,
Ooh,
Ooh
