Welcome.
This is the sitting meditation guidance for the mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
For this practice,
We're most typically taking a sitting position in a chair or perhaps a cushion on the floor.
And if these postures are not possible for you,
Then selecting another position that will support the body and mind in being at ease and alert.
In sitting meditation,
We're encouraging the body in a sense of stillness.
And that stillness can really help to support the mind to see more clearly what's happening in our experience in every moment.
So coming into your posture for the practice,
And if you are sitting,
Then adopting a posture where the spine is relatively straight,
The head is balanced and level,
The arms are supported either in your lap or perhaps in a small pillow,
A posture that is stable,
Dignified,
And supports the body in being at ease.
So allowing your eyes to close or using a soft downwards gaze.
And checking in with this body and this mind,
Noticing how they are in this moment.
Checking in with the overall emotional tone.
Is there a sense of anxiety or restlessness,
Dullness,
Joy,
Ease,
Wondering?
Not favoring one or the other or trying to change anything.
Just noticing.
How is it now?
What's the mood in the mind in this moment?
And noticing thinking.
Perhaps there are a lot of thoughts coming quickly,
Demanding the attention,
Or perhaps there's relatively few thoughts and the mind seems quiet.
Or there may be fuzziness,
A lack of clarity,
And a sense of being unsure of what really is going on in the mind right now.
Noticing that that too can be known.
And becoming aware of the body.
How is it in the body right now?
Settling in,
Perhaps aware of the pull of gravity.
Noticing whether the body feels at ease,
Feels restless in some way.
Just becoming aware of what it's like in the body right now.
And now beginning to direct your attention to the sensations of breathing.
So noticing where in the body you feel the breath most clearly right now.
So perhaps that might be at the tips of the nostrils,
Or the falling and rising of the chest or abdomen.
For this sitting,
Choosing one of those areas,
Directing the attention,
Noticing the actual physical sensations of the breath in this one area of the body.
Noticing the beginning,
The middle,
And the end of each in-breath.
The beginning,
The middle,
And the end of each out-breath.
Noticing if there is a pause at the end of the in-breath or the end of the out-breath.
Staying present with each breath.
Encouraging a sense of interest and curiosity in the mind.
What is the breath like right now?
What is this sensory experience?
What is the breath like right now?
Not needing to change the breath in any way.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
Aware of just this breath right now.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
And now broadening this field of awareness.
Becoming aware of sensations throughout the entire body.
Allowing the sensations of the breath to recede a bit into the background.
Becoming one of just many sensations throughout the body.
Open and receptive to whatever sensations can be known throughout the body right now.
Present with this body just as it is.
Allowing it to be just as it is.
There may be a perception of a broad global awareness.
Present with the entire body all at once.
Or perhaps you may notice from time to time particular sensations coming into the foreground,
Calling to the attention.
And either is fine.
Allowing sensations to come and go as they will.
Noticing how in this broad field of awareness,
Sensations begin,
Have a life,
Change and eventually fade away.
Recognizing the changing nature of sensations.
Allowing sensations to be just as they are.
There may be times when some sensations become intense,
Perhaps painful.
And with mindfulness there is a choice.
If the sensation seems truly overwhelming,
Then it can be skillful to turn the attention towards a neutral sensation for time,
Such as the sensations of the breath.
Or if the mind feels ready and interested,
Turning the attention towards the actual sensations,
Whether painful or intense in some other way.
Becoming curious about the sensory experience.
Noticing how it may shift subtly or in more obvious ways.
Noticing its characteristics,
Whether sharp or dull,
Broad or focused.
Aware of the physical sensations,
Distinct from thoughts or emotions about the sensation.
And when you're ready,
Broadening the awareness once again,
Being present with sensations throughout the entire body.
And now allowing sensations in the body to fade into the background somewhat.
And bringing into the foreground an awareness of sound.
Using sound as the object of meditation.
Not needing to label the sound or reach out to it.
Noticing that sounds are known,
Is no effort required.
Perhaps becoming aware that there may be a sense of wanting to push away certain sounds that are perceived as unpleasant.
Or investigate or hold on to or extend sounds that are perceived as pleasant.
And setting an intention to just know sounds as sounds,
Allowing them to come and go as they will.
Arising,
Staying for a time,
Shifting and changing,
Fading away.
No need to push away any sounds or seek out any sounds.
Arising,
Staying for a time,
Shifting and changing,
Fading away.
No need to push away any sounds or seek out any sounds.
Arising,
Staying for a time,
Shifting and changing,
Fading away.
No need to push away any sounds or seek out any sounds.
Arising,
Staying for a time,
Shifting and changing,
Fading away.
No need to push away any sounds or seek out any sounds.
And when you're ready,
Once again shifting the object of awareness,
Allowing sounds to move into the background.
And bringing into the foreground awareness of thoughts.
Noticing thoughts as events that come and go just as sounds or sensations in the body.
Events that can be known,
That have a beginning,
A middle and an end.
Not diving into the content or the story.
Observing the thoughts.
Not diving into the content or the story.
Not diving into the content or the story.
You may notice some thoughts seem light and pass through relatively easily.
And other thoughts may be more compelling,
Drawing the attention into the content,
Into the story.
Frequently these compelling thoughts will have a stronger emotional content.
So including this emotional tone also as an object of meditation.
Becoming aware of whatever emotional tone is here.
Whether clearly associated with a thought or perhaps seeming to exist on its own.
Noticing whatever emotion is here.
Boredom,
Restlessness,
Worry,
Joy,
Happiness,
Ease.
What's here right now?
Perhaps checking in where the emotion may be felt in the body.
So perhaps there's sensations in the face or the chest or heart area or the gut.
Noticing how internal body sensations may be part of the emotional tone.
Present with thoughts and emotions.
Allowing them to flow through.
Noticing when there may be an intention to push away thoughts or emotions,
Indulge or grip onto others.
And to the extent possible,
Just letting them be.
Noticing where the emotion may be felt in the body.
Perhaps checking in where the emotion may be felt in the body.
And now broadening this field of awareness further.
Opening to all experience that's here in this moment.
Knowing thoughts and emotions,
Body sensations including the breath.
Aware of sound in the environment around you.
Opening to all experience in this moment.
So not directing the attention to any particular sensation or object.
Noticing perhaps if there's a broad awareness encompassing all experience at one time.
Or perhaps individual sensations,
Sounds,
Thoughts,
Emotions.
Any individual experience may come into the foreground and draw the attention.
Noticing how experience is constantly changing.
Not trying to control experience.
Resting in awareness,
Knowing how it is right now.
Noticing how experience is constantly changing.
Noticing how experience is constantly changing.
Noticing how experience is constantly changing.
Noticing how experience is constantly changing.
Noticing how experience is constantly changing.
And now when you're ready,
Once again collecting the attention.
Directing it to the sensations of the breath.
Settling in an awareness in this one part of the body.
Bringing that sense of interest and curiosity.
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
How is the breath right now?
So in these last couple of minutes,
Perhaps noting to yourself with a sense of gratitude that you've taken this opportunity to understand yourself better.
Develop your health and well-being for your own benefit and the benefit of all those you come in contact with.
Thank you.
Thank you.
