This meditation is a 30-minute daytime mindfulness meditation.
It begins with three bells and ends with one bell.
I'll simply guide you initially and then we'll move into a period of stillness.
The stillness begins with a bell and then there is one more bell to bring your awareness back to the present moment and then there is the final bell.
Taking up your position now.
Sitting with your back straight.
A sense of sitting in a clear and open position.
As you're sitting your body position is symmetrical.
Your feet flat on the floor or if you're sitting on your cushion just comfortably placed.
With your back straight there's a sense that you are sitting in a clear open posture.
A sense that your chest and your heart are open.
Open and receptive to the experience of the session.
So beginning to prepare now for the meditation.
Just take two or three long deep breaths and as you exhale each breath feel yourself really settling.
Feel yourself relaxing a little and settling.
Really arriving in your physical body.
However the early part of the day has been that's over now.
You're really arriving in your physical body.
A sense of physical.
For a moment take your awareness down to your feet and then simply bring your awareness up through your body.
A sense of scanning through your body.
As you move your awareness in this way scanning simply through your body just simply notice if there's a part of your body that feels tense or tight just simply notice and then consciously relax that part.
As if you're giving permission to the muscles of that area to simply relax.
Yet still you maintain your upright clear posture.
I remind you of a beautiful saying sit like a mountain flow like a river and your strong posture is like a mountain still and strong and settled clear flow like a river refers to the sense of grace and ease of your natural body rhythms as you simply sit in your meditation and knowing that there's nowhere else you have to be at this moment there's nothing else you need to be doing for this particular 30 minutes you've put time aside in your day to meditate with me so take a moment now to simply reflect on the reason for your practice today setting the intention for your meditation and now come to your breath give your awareness to your breathing just allowing your body to find its own natural rhythm of breath a sense of allowing the body to simply be in an easy rhythm of breathing give your awareness now to the field of darkness that exists in front of your closed eyes like a soft screen of darkness there as if you're resting your awareness and now take your awareness outside this room notice the sounds beyond and any sounds that are there it's as if they're simply coming and going you have an awareness of the sounds and non-judgmental awareness of sound there is no need to label or judge it just simply hear the sound and then bring your awareness into this room whatever sounds are present now you hear those sounds you notice them and you simply notice your breathing breath coming and breath going and now give your awareness to the sound of your own breathing just simply notice the subtle sound of your own breath coming and going the quiet sound of body and then feel into the breath now feel the sensations of your body feel the expansion of your chest and your diaphragm as you inhale feel the release as you exhale making way for the next breath breath arriving and breath leaving and you feel your physical self in breath then take your awareness down to your feet simply notice your feet as if for a moment you are exploring your feet notice the feelings there without judgment just a noticing and all the while feel the flow of your breathing bring your awareness now to your hands noticing whatever sensations you feel in your hands and you stay with your hands you give your awareness to your hands and all the while you feel the flow of your breathing then bring your awareness up into your shoulders now simply moving your awareness across your shoulders noticing how your shoulders feel the feelings in this moment in your shoulders and as you notice just feel the flow of your breathing and then bring your awareness now to the space around your eyes and at this time you notice the openness of that spaciousness that is around your eyes an open expansive spaciousness there as if you are resting your awareness there in the open spaciousness just noticing and all the while feel the flow of your breathing breath arriving breath leaving the next breath arriving and then open and expand your awareness to take in the sense of your whole body whole body sitting whole body breathing whole body in a moment we will move into the stillness beyond the bell as you sit in stillness when your mind becomes active simply notice your thinking simply notice the activity of your mind and bring your awareness back to the body once more as if you are returning back each time back to your physical self each time that you begin to think simply notice and bring your awareness back each time as if you are continually coming back home as you come back to your physical body you may give your awareness to your breath or to your feet or your hands your shoulders the spaciousness around the eyes but each time simply return back as if you are coming back home settling into the stillness just noticing you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you
