Explore The Basics Of Meditation

Hi everyone,

It's Anne.

Today's practice is perfect for those of you new to the practice of meditation,

As well as for seasoned practitioners who are looking for a little refresher.

One of the core skills cultivated through a meditation practice is mindfulness.

The ability to be aware of what's happening in the moment,

Rather than constantly in the future,

In the past,

Or completely lost in rumination.

Mindfulness helps us enjoy more moments of presence,

More moments where we aren't trying to be anywhere else,

Attempting to fix something,

Or going in mental circles in an attempt to figure something out.

Don't get me wrong,

Being present isn't all rainbows and unicorns.

When you cultivate mindfulness,

You're not only learning to say yes to being present with happy feelings,

But you're also learning to say yes to being with difficult experiences,

Rather than drowning your feelings in ice cream or Netflix,

Or ice cream and Netflix.

But it's worth it,

Because the more you can be present with and allow all emotions,

Feelings,

People,

And experiences,

The more life you can live.

So in this meditation,

You'll get a taste of what it's like to be present.

We'll be using the body as a guide,

Because unlike the mind,

Which can be in a million different places at once,

The body is always present.

I like to think of the body posture mirroring the mental state that you're aiming for.

So find a posture that feels both calm and alert.

You can start by sitting up in a comfortable seated posture,

Where you can find a sense of relaxation and uprightness.

You're welcome to sit on a chair,

Preferably a chair where the soles of your feet can touch the ground.

You can also sit on the ground,

Just make sure your hips are propped up so your spine can be nice and long.

Wherever you're sitting,

Sit like royalty with a tall and relaxed spine.

Soften the muscles of the face,

Scalp,

Shoulders,

And belly.

Close your eyes,

Or feel free to gaze down at the ground several feet in front of you,

Keeping your gaze steady on one point.

Take a big breath in through the nose,

Feeling the belly,

Ribcage,

And chest expand upwards and outwards.

And then exhale,

Also through the nose,

Feeling the whole body sigh.

Once more,

Just like that.

Inhale,

Feel everything expand in a relaxed,

Regal way.

And exhale,

Feel a wave of relaxation wash over your body.

Now,

Let the breath relax into its normal pace of breathing,

In and out,

Naturally,

With as little control as possible.

Check in with what's going on for you right now.

What's present?

Is there calmness?

Fatigue with a pinch of irritation about it?

Excitement?

Boredom,

Already?

You may notice how the mind is quick to judge itself for what's going on,

Particularly for inner experiences we don't care for,

Like sleepiness,

Boredom,

Or anger.

But see if you can take a metaphorical step back and turn down the volume on the part of your mind,

Or the part of all of our minds,

And see if you can take a step back and turn down the volume on the part of your mind,

Or the part of all of our minds,

That judges what's present in this moment.

For another 30 seconds or so,

Just notice what you notice,

Allowing it all to be there.

Continue to come back to your experience as it is,

Setting the commentary of the judging mind,

However well-intentioned,

To the side.

We'll continue this exploration of being with unedited experience by getting the body involved.

We'll be playing around with a variety of different anchors on the body,

Or points of focus,

So you can get a sense of what works best for you.

The first technique we'll work with to strengthen presence and mindfulness is one that is particularly helpful at the beginning of practice,

Or for practices when your mind is really thinky and restless.

We'll be giving the mind something to do.

Label the in-breaths and the out-breaths.

Keeping the natural rhythm of your breath,

Bring your attention to the rising and falling of your belly and chest.

Label,

In your mind's eye,

Every time you inhale,

And every time you exhale,

Adding the count of each breath as well.

Let's try it together first.

Inhale.

Exhale.

One.

Inhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Two.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Three.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Four.

Inhale.

Exhale.

Five.

Continue on your own,

Counting backwards from five,

And then back up to five.

If at any point you lose track,

Just start back at one.

Now,

Let go of the counting practice and notice the effects of it.

Next,

Shift your attention to the air coming in and out of your nostrils.

More specifically,

Focus on the space between your upper lip and your nostrils while keeping a natural pace of breath.

Become aware of what you feel,

As if it was the first time you were ever aware of this part of your body.

Maybe it is.

Like a child,

Get curious.

Get curious about the sensation of air tickling those little hairs inside your nose.

Get curious about the temperature of the air coming in and out.

Get curious about how the inhale feels vastly different from the exhale.

Anchor your attention here,

Without using the mental tool of counting this time.

Just paying attention to sensations.

How has your experience been catching the judging mind?

The part that's bored of this,

Doubtful this is going to help in any way,

Or totally engrossed in thoughts that have no meaning whatsoever?

How has your experience been catching the judging mind?

Try not to judge the judging mind.

Remember,

This is a normal and natural part of your psyche.

The goal is to simply not pay as much attention to it.

To pay so much attention to the sensation of breath at the nostrils that the judging mind doesn't stand a chance.

You're strengthening your ability to be present.

You're strengthening your ability to be present.

You're strengthening your ability to be present.

Let's move on to a different anchoring technique now,

To continue our exploration.

This time,

Bring your attention to the palms of your hands.

Same idea here,

Same goal of returning to raw experience,

Just a different anchor.

No need to move your hands or do anything special with them.

Just tune into the sensations there,

Just as we did with breath at the nostrils.

What would stand out to you if you had never felt sensations in your palms before?

When the judging mind inevitably pops in and says hello,

Catch it as quickly as you can.

Label it for what it is,

Thinking,

Planning,

Judging,

And then use your discipline to return to the focus on the palms of your hands.

Now let go of this anchor.

Let go of all anchors.

Breathe,

Relax,

And feel your entire body from head to toe.

What was the effect of trying out these different anchors for meditation?

Notice how the practice affected your body,

Your mind,

And your mood.

Was there one particular anchor or meditation technique that felt particularly helpful?

Labeling the inhales and exhales while counting the breaths,

Paying attention to the sensations of breath at the nostrils,

Or noticing the sensations of the palms of your hands?

All of our minds are well trained in jutting in and getting us to focus on anything but the present moment.

The mind does this to keep us alive,

But it's a lousy design for well-being and contentment.

Thankfully,

There are simple things we can do every day to alter this design just a little bit,

Whether it's a formal meditation or practicing mindfulness during the day by coming back again and again to the act of washing dishes,

Talking with your partner,

Or studying for an exam.

Consider if there's a specific way you'd like to bring this practice into your day-to-day.

Think of something specific that you can do.

When you're ready,

Begin to close your meditation.

Take a deeper breath and then open your eyes,

Reorienting to the space around you.

Thanks so much for tuning in today.