Okay,
So it's really very simple.
As Munindraji,
My first teacher,
Would say,
It's simple but not easy because of the conditioning of our mind.
But it is very simple and that's why,
As you say,
It's the practice of it which is so important.
So,
If everyone could just sit in a comfortable,
Relaxed posture,
In this tradition we generally close our eyes in a soft,
Relaxed way,
Simply settle into the awareness of the body sitting.
It's acknowledging there is a body.
You might even use that phrase,
There is a body,
Simply as a way of settling into the felt experience of the body sitting.
There is a body.
And within this very simple,
Basic frame,
There is a body.
You might become aware of your body breathing.
No need to zero in on it or to make the breath a certain way.
You stay settled into the frame,
The experience,
There is a body.
And then within that,
Simply become aware of your body breathing.
As you breathe in,
Know you're breathing in.
As you breathe out,
Know you're breathing out.
It's that simple.
You can repeat the phrase occasionally,
There is a body,
There is a way of staying connected to the felt sense of yourself sitting.
And within that,
Becoming aware of your body breathing.
You might become aware of other sensations in the body,
Points of tightness,
Attention,
Of vibration,
Of heaviness,
Of warmth,
Coolness.
If they call your attention,
Open to the awareness of those sensations and notice how they change.
These sensations are no longer predominant.
We connect with there is a body.
Breathing in,
Know you're breathing in.
Breathing out,
Know you're breathing out.
And be particularly aware of the arising of thought or image in the mind.
As soon as you become aware of a thought or image,
You might make a soft mental acknowledgement thinking or seeing if it's an image.
And notice what happens to it as you become aware.
Does it disappear?
Does it stay?
And pay particular attention to the difference in your experience between being lost in a thought and being aware that you're thinking.
That's the difference between being lost in a thought and being aware of it.
Coming back again and again to the felt sense that is a body.
And simply being mindful of whatever arises within that frame.
Breath,
Sensations,
Thoughts and images.
When you're ready,
You can slowly open your eyes,
Re-engaging with the world around you.
