G'day,
My name is Rachel Grace.
Thanks for joining me for this practice.
I invite you to take a moment now to prepare for this practice by finding a posture that supports you to be both alert and relaxed.
Allowing your eyes to gently close or softening your gaze down to the floor if that feels right for you.
We'll start the practice with the ring of a gong.
Becoming aware of the sensations of breathing.
Breathing in.
Know you're breathing in.
Breathing out.
Know you're breathing out.
Bringing awareness to your body.
Noticing how your body feels in this moment.
Without judging what it feels like.
Just noticing what the body feels like.
What is the state of your heart and mind right now?
Holding whatever is there with a kind attention.
Wherever you are,
Whatever the state of your body or mind,
You are welcome to share in this practice from that place.
So I invite you to settle into this practice by bringing a relaxed and focused attention to your preferred anchor.
Whether that's paying attention to the sensations of the flow of breath.
Or awareness of sounds arising and passing.
Or feeling the different kinds of physical sensations in your feet and hands right now.
Whatever your preferred primary anchor is,
I invite you to settle your attention there now.
And each time you notice that your mind wanders,
Gently return your attention to your anchor.
You will use your anchor during this practice.
So use this next minute of silence to steady your attention and calm the mind by paying close attention to your preferred anchor,
Returning your mind each time it wanders.
After a time,
Become mindful of any emotions that call your attention.
You can bring the same close quality of attention and non-judgmental awareness as you've been bringing to your anchor to your emotions now.
Let your awareness be open to noticing whatever emotions are present for you in this moment.
When an emotion arises,
Let go of attention to the anchor and receive the emotion with a receptive and kind awareness.
Noticing any emotions that are present for you right now.
It can be helpful to silently name emotions in a gentle way.
It doesn't matter whether the name is exactly or technically the right word or not.
Naming emotions is simply a practice that helps us build awareness of emotions.
So try that now.
Naming whatever emotion or emotions arise in your awareness.
Sad,
Joy,
Bored,
Anxious or excited.
As you attend to the emotion,
Notice carefully where you feel it in your body.
See if you can locate where this emotion is felt most strongly as a physical sensation in the body.
Is this emotion felt in the chest?
The forehead?
In the hands?
Or the back?
Belly?
Perhaps the throat?
Or across large parts of the body?
Perhaps even the whole body?
Also notice how it feels as sensations.
See if you can feel what the physical sensations are like,
Where the emotion is being felt.
For example,
If the emotion present is sadness and you feel that in your chest,
Ask yourself what are the physical sensations like in the chest and notice them.
For example,
Perhaps it might be heat and heaviness.
Noticing sensations in your body now.
Heavy or light?
Warm or cool?
Tingly or tight?
Whatever it might be.
Just noticing the sensations.
Now check how you are relating to these sensations and this emotion.
Are you resisting it?
Clinging to it?
Or just being with it?
See if you can just be with the sensations and the emotion,
Accepting them as they are,
With a kind and gentle awareness.
How does it respond to kind awareness?
Does it dissolve or get stronger?
Does it change into another emotion?
Notice this too.
L aphrodisiac consciously responding to each emotion and the sensations associated with each emotion with a gentle and kind awareness,
Letting them come and letting them go.
.
When the emotion has dissolved,
Return your awareness back to your anchor for a time.
You can include emotions in your mindful awareness as well as attending to your anchor.
The emotions come and go and as you become the calm and steady witness,
Acknowledging them without getting caught by each one.
Remaining in mindful,
Kind awareness,
You gradually become more open,
More balanced and more free.
As we approach the end of the practice now,
I invite you to join me in taking a deep breath in,
Filling the lungs and then relaxing your body and your mind as you breathe out.
Allow the corners of the mouth to rise ever so slightly into a gentle half smile,
Savouring this moment.
And to conclude,
I'll ring the gong three times.
Allow your eyes to open,
Gently bringing your attention back up into the environment around you.
Take a moment now to stretch or perhaps sit back a little and just notice how you feel.
Do you feel the same right now as you did before the practice or has something changed?
Take a moment to notice and perhaps savour the impact of this practice on the state of your body and your mind.
You can also take a moment to appreciate yourself for the dedication to your own wellbeing that you've just demonstrated.
Each time you practice,
You are changing your brain for the better and building your capacity to handle life more skilfully,
So well done.
May mindfulness positively impact you,
What you do and all of those around you.
Thank you for practicing with me.
I hope you'll join me again.
