- The journey begins so easily. Find a position that is both comfortable but lends itself to paying attention. This may mean that your back is a little bit straight and you are balanced in a way that you can remain upright but relaxed. You may also stand or lay down using something for support if you are having pain or discomfort while sitting.
- Without trying to manipulate it, bring some attention to the fact that you are breathing. Just notice the rise and fall of your abdomen as you breathe. Notice the tendency for your mind to manipulate the breath. Just notice without fixing anything or trying to avoid anything. Just sit.
- As you rest on the breath you may notice that thoughts and feelings and sensations of the body pull your attention away from the breath. That's ok, just notice that.
- Sometimes the thoughts will come and go simply coming into your awareness only to be replaced by something else. Sometimes the thought becomes very interesting and can even be so compelling that you perceive it as the actual event or subject matter rather than what it really is; thinking.
- As you see the truth… this is thinking, the thought becomes less interesting and falls away.
- And so it goes for feelings, and for sensations of the body. Just notice without trying to fix anything. This radical acceptance of what you see in yourself is the beginning of learning to understand the components that make up who we think we are. And just as we extend grace and loving kindness to others, we can learn to accept ourselves without judgment.
- As we sit and breathe, observing with acceptance, we learn and clearly see.
- Take a deep breath, notice the peace that arises with objective observation and acceptance. Wish yourself well. May I be peaceful and content and free.
- [Sound a bell if you have one]
- With the sound of the bell return to your day empowered by your capacity to notice thoughts as thoughts, feelings as feelings, and sensations as sensations without being carried away by them into illusion and suffering.
- Peace to you.
Keywords: Buddhist Meditation Basics, Guided Meditation, Mindfulness, Buddhism, Interfaith, Breath, Noting
