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 in front of you if that feels right for you.
We'll start the practice with the ring of a gong.
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 it feels like.
And 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're welcome to share in this practice from that place.
I invite you to settle into this practice by bringing a relaxed and focused attention to your preferred anchor.
Whether that be paying attention to the sensations of the flow of breath.
Or awareness of sounds arising and fading away.
Or feeling the physical sensations in your feet and hands.
Whatever your preferred primary anchor is,
Focusing your attention there now.
And each time your mind wanders away from that place,
Gently returning your attention to your anchor and starting again.
I'll give you a few moments now to set your anchor in silence.
If your attention has drifted from your anchor,
Gently returning your attention to your anchor.
If your attention has drifted from your anchor,
Gently returning your attention to your anchor now.
Now I invite you to become mindful of any emotions that might be calling 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 right now.
It can be helpful to silently name emotions in a gentle way.
It doesn't matter whether the name is technically correct for that emotion.
Naming emotions is simply a tool for building awareness of emotions.
So try that now.
Some examples are sad,
Bored,
Anxious,
Happy.
Whatever the emotion might be,
Just noticing it from moment to moment,
Naming it as you notice it.
As you notice and name the emotions that you find arising from moment to moment,
See if you can notice too where you feel that emotion in your body.
Where does it register as a physical experience?
Noticing that now.
And then noticing what those physical sensations are like where the emotion is being felt.
Does it feel heavy or light?
Warm or cool?
Tingly or tight?
Whatever it might be,
Notice the sensations associated with each emotion as it arises.
Pause Now notice your relationship to each emotion too.
Are you reacting by resisting it or clinging to it?
Or are you being with it,
Just the experience of it,
As it is?
See if you can just be with the emotion and its physical sensations,
Accepting it all just as it is,
With a gentle and kind awareness.
How does the emotion respond to this kind awareness?
Does it dissolve or get stronger?
Does it change into another emotion?
Notice this too.
Being mindful of each emotion as it arises,
Naming it,
Locating it,
Feeling it,
Responding to it with kindness,
Letting it be.
How does the emotion respond to this kind of awareness?
How does the emotion respond to this kind of awareness?
As we approach the end of our practice now,
I invite you to join me by taking a deep breath in,
Filling the lungs right up,
And then relaxing your body and your mind as you breathe out,
Releasing all the air from your lungs.
We'll end our practice with the gong.
Allowing your eyes to open,
Gently bringing your attention back up into the environment around you.
Take a moment now to appreciate yourself for the dedication to your own well-being that you've just demonstrated.
Each time you practice,
You are changing your brain for the better,
And you're building your capacity to handle life more skillfully.
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.
