So just starting by finding your comfortable position seated or lying down.
Moving along these foundational practices of mindfulness,
This is exploring the fourth foundation of mindfulness,
Which is mindfulness of phenomena,
Mental objects.
So it's really inviting our entire experience into our practice.
And something that comes up with meditation is these five hindrances.
So these are desire,
Desire for sense pleasure,
Pleasant sights,
Sounds,
Smells,
Tastes,
Bodily sensations,
Mind states.
There's also anger and aversion,
Hatred,
Ill will,
Sloth and torpor.
This is dullness,
Lack of vitality,
Sleepiness,
The opposite of restlessness,
Restlessness and worry,
Anxiety.
And the final one is doubt.
So we'll start the way we always do and just having some awareness of these hindrances that might come up and instead of really needing to push them aside,
Allowing them to be part of the practice.
And just beginning by settling.
Taking a moment to check in with yourself and noticing how you feel.
Knowing that whatever you're bringing to the practice is welcome.
And as you're ready,
Bringing awareness to the space beneath you,
Sensing the weight,
The gravity,
The connection to the earth,
The sense of being held and supported by the earth,
Rooted to the earth.
And sensing the space above you,
The space between the body and the ceiling,
Up to the top of the building.
Now beyond sensing the vastness of open sky,
Cosmos.
Seeing a relationship with these energies of the sky above the earth below.
Seeing the back body,
The length of the spine from tailbone to head,
Strong back and soft,
Open front.
As you're ready,
Beginning to sense any physical tactile sensations all along the surfaces of the skin from head to toe.
Seeing the contact points,
The seat,
Feet,
Hands,
The weight and texture of clothing,
The air temperature on the skin,
Sensations of heat,
Coolness.
Maybe there's movement of air around you.
The passage of air through nostrils,
Parted lips,
Maybe feeling that on the upper lip.
The gentle curiosity tuning in all along the surfaces of the skin from head to toe.
As you're ready,
Beginning to sense deeper into anything you may feel.
Any internal perceptions,
Maybe digestion,
Pulsing,
Tingling,
Tightness,
Tension,
Numbness,
Aliveness.
Maybe finding the heartbeat.
Maybe not.
You may notice the mind wandering,
Thoughts or distractions arising.
That's really no problem.
Gently noticing that quality of distracted mind,
Celebrating that moment of mindfulness,
That moment of awareness.
And gently coming back,
Coming back to the body and sensations all along the surfaces of the skin as well as anything internally.
Staying with this mindfulness of body and sensations as best you can.
Gently bringing the awareness to the breath.
Noticing where's the breath most vivid for you?
Where is it easiest to sense and feel?
Maybe through the nostrils,
The parted lips,
The rise and fall of the chest,
Expansion in the ribcage,
The belly.
Maybe there's a broad sense of the entire body breathing as if in and out through the pores of the skin.
Wherever it is,
Allowing the awareness to rest there.
Noticing thoughts and distractions with a light touch,
Like a feather touching a bubble.
And gently coming back to this breath,
This moment,
Again and again.
And exploring this practice around hindrances.
Just noticing if there's any hindrance arising around sense pleasure,
Irritation,
Fear,
Boredom,
Restlessness,
Worry,
Anger,
Tiredness.
And just noticing when this state arises.
Realizing this to really be part of the practice,
Noticing how it begins,
What precedes it.
Noticing if there's a thought or image that might elicit this state.
Noticing how long it lasts,
When it ends,
What follows.
And gently observing this very softly.
Is it a whisper in the mind?
Noticing how loud and strong it may get.
Noticing if there's any physical or mental resistance to experiencing this state.
Opening and softening,
Receiving,
Even the resistance.
And taking some time,
Being aware of the breath.
Gently noticing when any of these hindrances arise.
Allowing them to come.
And observing them like an old friend.
And letting this exploration go.
Taking some time now to open to this sense of spaciousness,
This vastness like the open sky,
A body of water.
Sense of this vastness holding it all.
Really being a room for whatever your experience is,
Whatever is arising.
And taking some time now just resting,
Just being.
Letting go and just resting and being.
Giving yourself this rest.
Acknowledging,
Enjoying this unique moment of being.
Feeling Choice preparing you to be,
For yourURURURUHHH I'm beginning to close this practice.
Sensing the weight,
The gravity,
Connection to the earth,
Sense of being rooted to the earth,
Held and supported by the earth.
And taking some time to take in the good of this practice of your intention,
Being here,
Commitment to cultivating awareness and compassion,
Benefiting yourself and others through this practice.
Really allowing the goodness of that to drop in.
As you're ready,
Gently opening the eyes and lifting the gaze and taking in the space around
