Hey and welcome to today's meditation.
You know,
We live in a world full of information,
Sights and sounds and textures and feelings,
But most of the time we only catch a tiny slice of what's going on.
And that's where this practice comes in.
It's one of my favorites.
Puzzle meditation is all about becoming an investigator of the present moment.
You'll gather clues with each of your senses,
Tuning in to the little pieces that make up the full picture of right now.
It's one of those sneaky,
Beautiful ways to wake up to your life while you're still living it.
You can do it anywhere,
Whether you're sitting on the couch or riding the bus or somewhere unfamiliar and new.
Puzzle meditation can turn any ordinary moment into something really extraordinary.
Let's give it a try.
Settle in.
Find a comfortable position.
Your eyes can be closed for now or open with a soft gaze.
And we're going to take a slow breath in and a long breath out.
And we're going to start with the sense of touch.
Your physical body.
What do you feel right now?
Maybe it's the pressure of the seat beneath you,
Or the temperature of the air on your skin,
The weight of your hands resting gently in your lap.
Each of these sensations is a puzzle piece and you're not trying to change anything,
You're just noticing.
So just take a few moments to let your attention drift slowly over your body like a flashlight,
Revealing any areas of tension or ease or warmth or coolness.
Really take your time here.
And if you notice that your mind's distracted,
That's okay.
The mind's going to do that.
Take a deep breath and then just keep scanning your body.
Now we're going to dim the music a little bit and I'd like you to gently shift your attention to sound.
What can you hear?
We're letting each sound be another puzzle piece and it could be anything,
The low hum of something mechanical,
Or a voice in the distance.
It could be the rhythm of your own breath or even your heartbeat.
Letting go of the need to label it,
Or label any sounds,
Just let them arrive and be placed gently into your awareness.
We're collecting,
Not analyzing.
Just notice for several moments.
Now if your eyes are still closed,
You can open them slowly,
Letting your gaze rest lightly on your surroundings.
And you're not searching for anything in particular,
You're just noticing what you see.
Maybe the way light filters across the floor or the ground,
Pattern of shadows,
Any colors or textures or motion or stillness.
These are your visual puzzle pieces.
Just see if you can stay soft in your gaze.
You're not focused,
You're just open.
Let the scene come to you.
Okay,
So now let's pause for a moment and step back.
And in your mind,
Just gently gather all these pieces,
The sensations in your body,
The sounds around you,
The visuals in your environment.
And like assembling a jigsaw puzzle,
Sense how they all fit together to form this one rich,
Vivid moment.
This is your life,
Happening right now.
Not in the past,
Not in the future,
Just here,
Just this.
Breathe into that awareness,
Really savor it.
And stay here for several moments.
Take another nice,
Deep,
Calming breath.
In and out.
This is the practice,
This is the gift of puzzle meditation.
By gently collecting and appreciating each piece,
You've assembled this full picture of right now.
Something that most of us walk right past without really even noticing.
As the author Mary Oliver once wrote,
To pay attention,
This is our endless and proper work.
Really process that.
You don't have to force presence,
You just have to notice it.
And you can notice it one puzzle piece at a time.
Alright,
So when you're ready,
Just come back to your surroundings.
You can maybe sway a little bit side to side,
Move your body gently,
Slowly.
Wiggle your fingers and toes.
And as you move through the rest of your day,
Just see if you can stay curious.
Pick up the little pieces of the moment here and there throughout your day.
And let them remind you that life is always unfolding.
It's right here in front of you.
And you,
My dear detective,
Now know exactly how to find it.
May you be happy,
May you be healthy,
And may you be at peace.
Thank you so much for joining me.
