A Zen Inspired Meditation | 20 Minute Guided Meditation

21:46

21:46

A Zen Inspired Meditation | 20 Minute Guided Meditation

Rated

4.7

Type

guided

Activity

Meditation

Suitable for

Everyone

Plays

886

Welcome to this 20-minute guided meditation which draws influences from the seated meditation practice of Zazen found in the Zen Buddhist tradition. This guided meditation will start and end with a bell. Enjoy!

Meet your Teacher

Austin, TX, USA

Meet your Teacher

Austin, TX, USA

Transcript

Hello and welcome to this guided meditation that draws influences from Zen Buddhism. In this practice we'll focus on turning the light of our awareness inwards and we'll work on noticing whatever arises in our experience and we'll release any attachment to it and it is through the gradual letting go process that we experience a state of emptiness where we experience our true nature or Buddha nature which can't exactly be described in words but it is a peaceful and pure abiding that is free from the dualities and concepts of the mind. So to get started in this meditation find a comfortable upright posture sitting up keep your eyes open and keep a soft gaze looking 45 degrees downwards and with your hands you will take cosmic mudra this is where you will place your right palm facing upwards while your left hand will rest on top of the right palm your thumbs will lightly touch together at the navel area with your hands gently resting at your lap begin to notice your abdomen rise and fall as you inhale and exhale if you notice any tension in the lower abdomen please start to soften into this area by relaxing into the abdomen muscles and for now if you've lost your focus on your breath simply just observe that your attention has wandered and gently guide your focus back to the breath noticing your abdomen rise and fall as you inhale and exhale now we will begin the first part of this practice which is turning the light of our awareness inwards so just as your eyes see things in the room around you see if you can take this gaze of awareness and see if you can look inside yourself so allow your awareness to gently scan your inner landscape noticing anything that arises whether it be a sensation felt in the body or various thoughts or feelings simply just notice them arise without any judgment or evaluation paying more mindful attention the various thoughts and sensations being to arise notice whether these thoughts or sensations have a particular image or a color or a location within the body notice how these sensations and thoughts and feelings being to rise and being to also fade away revealing a deeper spacious quality that contains it as these various inner experiences being to emerge remind yourself that these are just transient sensations and feelings that arise similar to clouds that pass through a vast sky allow yourself to release any attachment to these inner workings not holding on to or pushing anything away simply observing the natural flow that arises within you continue to be mindful of your breath at the abdomen as you observe the various manifestations of your inner world as you continue to observe you may experience glimpses of your true nature or Buddha nature this may be felt as an underlying stillness that is always present beneath the fluctuations of our experiences gradually let yourself sink deeper into this space of pure awareness feeling the expansiveness serenity and deep rooted peace that resides here this peace is not separate from you but intrinsic to who you are you find that your attention has started to slip away and get lost in the contents of your mind simply return your focus back to the breath to concentrate yourself and then zoom your attention out back to this expansive space of being and notice your thoughts come and go sink deeper into this peaceful abiding by releasing any traces of tension in the body and mind by taking a relaxing long out breath as we conclude today's meditation just know that you can always return back to this feeling of true peace anytime throughout your day all you'll have to do simply turn the light of your awareness inwards and experience this deeper place of stillness that is already part of your true nature or essence in to blink your eyes a few times gently rest your hands at heart center in a prayer position and thank yourself for practicing meditation today thank you