Welcome.
My name is Nick Diggins and in what follows you'll find a selection of mindfulness meditation practices.
So firstly,
A few words about mindfulness.
Mindfulness is a particular way of paying attention to our moment-to-moment experience.
It involves a close attentiveness to our actual direct experience in this very moment.
Our experience of sensations,
Sounds,
Thoughts,
Emotions and the world around us.
Anything in fact that's happening right now.
This is actually quite different from spending our days being caught up in our thoughts and ideas,
Our busy minds,
Which can sometimes leave us feeling pressured and endlessly striving to get through our to-do list.
Mindfulness also involves a natural sense of open-mindedness and curiosity.
A willingness to give even the things that seem unpleasant the benefit of the doubt,
At least temporarily.
It brings with it a feeling of absorption and interest,
Something you may have experienced when immersed in your favourite hobby or work task.
Mindfulness can help us wake up more to the positive things in life that are so easily missed and appreciate them so much more.
It can also help us deal with the difficult experiences that life throws at us,
Putting us in touch with our own inner resources for healing and for managing life's challenges.
Now mindfulness is natural to all of us,
But it is also very easily lost under the weight of our preoccupations and worries.
The mindfulness practices contained here can help us nurture and cultivate our natural mindfulness so that we can bring it more fully into our lives.
Track 2 is a short sitting meditation practice.
Track 3 is a roughly 20 minute mindfulness sitting meditation focused on breath and body sensations.
Track 4 is a mindfulness practice focusing on sounds and then thoughts,
And is intended to be used as a continuation from Track 3,
Though it can be used on its own.
Track 5 is a body scan practice.
Firstly,
A few practical points.
It's crucial that you don't use these tracks while driving or operating machinery,
Because then your attention needs to be on what you're doing.
For the sitting practices,
Find a posture that works for you.
It's best if your spine can be straight rather than slumped.
You may find that having a blanket on your lap to rest your hands on helps,
And if you do need to lean back,
Perhaps just having something supporting the base of your spine.
The body scan is intended to be done lying down,
But if this isn't comfortable for you,
Using whatever posture works best.
Now strange as it may sound,
The aim of these practices is simply to bring a curious attentiveness to whatever is happening,
Rather than to accomplish a particular state,
Like relaxation for example.
We're temporarily suspending the attempt to get somewhere and to improve ourselves or our lives,
And seeing what effect this has.
So simply follow the instructions as best you can,
Knowing that you can't get this wrong.
Even if your mind wanders repeatedly and you find yourself thinking,
I can't do this,
Just notice that and return to listening to the CD.
Finally,
A word of caution.
You may find these practices delightful,
And you may find them calming and replenishing.
Mindfulness can certainly put us more in touch with the fullness of our lives,
And this can be tremendously enriching.
However,
It can sometimes put us in touch with difficult emotions,
Thoughts and sensations that we may have been holding at arm's length,
Or even blocking out of our awareness.
If you do happen to find the practices a bit challenging,
Then I'd invite you,
To the extent that feels right for you,
To suspend judgement for a while and give the practices a chance,
And look to see what effect the practices have in the longer term.
However,
Keep in mind that you always have a choice as to how much you engage with this kind of practice,
And know that sometimes it can be a very mindful and wise choice if you do feel a bit overwhelmed,
To stop doing the practices for a while and do something else that's nourishing,
Perhaps coming back to them later or another day.
If you want to find out more about the courses and classes I teach,
Please visit my website,
Which is www.
Mindfulnessforwellbeing.
Co.
Uk.
I really wish you well with your own journey exploring mindfulness.
