In this meditation,
We're going to explore contentment.
What it is,
How it feels,
And how to live your life being more content.
Find a comfortable seated position.
Close your eyes and we'll begin by bringing some awareness into your body,
Bringing a sense of relaxation and space.
Softening your face,
Letting go of any tension in your neck,
Your shoulders,
Feeling your arms,
Your hands,
Your upper back,
Your lower back,
Your chest,
Your abdomen,
Your hips,
Your legs,
Your feet,
And now bringing your attention to your breath at your chest,
Feeling the gentle rise and fall of your chest,
Feeling the easy rhythm of your breath,
Noticing there's no rush in the breath,
Nowhere to get to,
Nowhere to be,
Simply here,
Feeling the peace and stillness of each breath.
And now bringing your awareness of your breath to your ribcage,
Feeling your ribcage gently expanding and relaxing with each breath,
Noticing how the breath moves your ribcage,
Opening on the inhale,
Softening on the exhale,
Feeling the spaciousness in each breath,
Your muscles relaxed,
At ease,
Your heart beating softly,
Gently,
Body and mind in harmony,
At peace,
There's no reaching out to add anything on to this moment,
No pushing anything away,
Resting comfortably,
Peacefully,
Content in this moment.
This is what contentment feels like,
It's not dependent on anything outside of you,
It's a feeling of spaciousness,
Of ease,
Of ease,
Acceptance,
Of non-resistance,
And it feels wonderful.
Contentment is the highest form of happiness.
Feel your breath,
Gentle and steady,
Each inhale creating space and ease,
Each exhale sweet surrender.
Know this feeling of contentment intimately.
So as you go about your day,
Be mindful of any tension in your body,
A sign that the grasping mind has arisen,
Trying to convince you your happiness is somewhere other than where you are right now.
And instead of believing this lie,
You breathe into the tension,
You create space,
Relaxing into each breath as you notice the grasping mind falling away and in its absence,
Contentment.
And any accomplishments or successes that you're moving towards in life,
You'll still enjoy them,
You'll appreciate them,
But you will always know that contentment,
The most stable kind of happiness,
Is not dependent on anything outside of you.
This is why it's the highest form of happiness.
And for the last few minutes of our meditation,
Just continue softly resting your attention on your breath,
Feeling the space around your ribcage as it expands and relaxes,
Feeling the warmth and comfort of each breath,
Feeling whole and complete.
This is contentment.
Namaste.
