Hi,
I'm Leigh Bridges.
Thank you for joining me on this guided meditation.
You can do this meditation using any food or drink you like,
But I thought a glass of red wine would be the best example right now.
And of course,
There were practice runs for this recording.
We're going to explore how drinking a glass of wine can be used to experience life more mindfully.
Let's start by pouring yourself a big glass of wine.
I'm using red wine,
But you could use white wine or even a nice rosé.
I'd advise against champagne.
It's really for the more advanced practitioner because of the tiny bubbles.
So you should save that one for another session.
Take the glass of wine and hold it in your hand.
Notice how you hold the glass.
Are you holding the stem between your thumb and index finger?
Or are you holding the bowl in the palm of your hand?
Can you feel the weight of it in your hand?
Is it casting a shadow on your palm?
Can you sense a different temperature in the glass?
Take the time to really see the wine in the glass.
Imagine you've never seen it before.
Look at it with great care and full attention.
Let your eyes explore every part of it.
Examine the highlights where the light shines through and any shadows.
Is the color uniform?
Now,
Holding the glass beneath your nose,
See what you notice with each in-breath.
What sense can you detect?
Let it fill your awareness.
Look,
You're meditating.
Now,
Close your eyes.
Slowly raise the glass to your mouth and notice how your hand and arm know exactly where to put it.
And then gently place it on your lips,
Noticing the temperature of the liquid as it passes your lips and what your tongue does to receive it.
Without swallowing,
Simply explore the sensations of having it on your tongue.
Gradually begin to explore the wine with your tongue.
Consciously,
Slowly swish the wine around in your mouth and feel the effects on and within your mouth.
Notice any tastes that it releases.
Feel the temperature change as you roll it around.
Continue to swish,
But do not swallow it just yet.
Notice what's happening in your mouth.
See if you can detect the first intention to swallow it as it arises in your mind.
Experience it with full awareness before you actually swallow.
Notice what the tongue does to prepare it for swallowing.
See if you can follow the sensations of swallowing the liquid.
If you can,
Consciously sense it as it moves down your throat and into your stomach.
Notice what the tongue does after you've swallowed.
Finally,
Spend a few moments registering the aftermath of this sip.
Is there an aftertaste?
What does the absence of wine feel like in your mouth?
Is there an automatic tendency to take another sip?
Great job!
You just meditated mindfully.
By adding mindful experiences to your life,
You begin to live more consciously and you're training your brain to put attention where you want it to be.
With regular meditation practices,
You develop better concentration and focus and better control over your thoughts and emotions.
Thank you for joining me on this mindful meditation.
