1- Relaxation, Stillness and Awareness; The Beginning

To Begin

Choose a quiet and safe place where you will feel comfortable. If necessary close the door and let others in your house or apartment know that you need a short bit of quiet time.

It is best to be sitting up when you do this meditation so sit in a comfortable position in a chair or sofa.

If you wish to use some music in the background choose some that is soft and that does not have any melody. You can also use some soft nature sounds like ocean waves if you wish.

Now close your eyes and take a deep breath and then release the breath as if you were blowing out a candle. Do this again 6 times. Pay close attention to your breathing. The inhalation and the exhalation.

This Moment

Sounds

Now pay close attention to the sounds around you. Judge nothing. No sound is good or bad, they are just sounds. Name them. Begin with the loudest ones and work your way down to those sounds that are just on the edge of silence. Listen closely. Do not let any of the sounds distract you. Just listen. Do not let any of the sounds affect you. Just listen.

You can end the meditation here or you can continue to the next exercise. If you choose to end the meditation here then take 6 deep breaths like you did at the beginning of this meditation and then open your eyes. Now take a few moments to re-adjust to your surroundings and proceed with your day.

Thoughts

Now pay close attention to all the thoughts in your mind. Judge nothing. No thought is good or bad, they are just thoughts. Name them. Begin with the thoughts on the surface of your mind and work your way down to those thoughts that are deep within you. Listen closely to them but do not let any of the thoughts distract you. Just listen, just watch. Do not let any of the thoughts affect you. Just listen to them as if they were not yours. They are just thoughts and images floating through your mind. If you begin to get attached to any one thought move on to another one with a deep breath.

Now imagine that all of these thoughts are outside of you. Let them take on form. Use your imagination. Each thought is an image. Be creative. What does each one look like. Examine each one in great detail. Try to remember every nuance and feature. Which thought does each image represent? Do your best to remember this. In the meantime, your mind is completely still. All thoughts are outside you looking at you or looking at each other. If there are thoughts that you no longer need you can tell each image, each thought that it is no longer welcome in you and that in must leave now. See it leave. Watch it leave until it is really gone. If it tries to come back you can do the same exercise again and again. Thoughts that you want you can allow back into your mind or leave them were they are so that you can reference them later. From now on you will be able to see and deal with thoughts at any time by taking 1 deep breath and letting it out as if you were blowing out a candle.

Now it is time to move on with your day or to go to sleep. Take 6 deep breaths like you did at the beginning of this meditation and then open your eyes. Take a few more deep breaths and take a few moments to re-adjust to your surroundings.

Meditation 1 and Meditation 2

Recommended meditation mp3’s. Meditation 1&2, Letting Go/Surrender
Recommended background music mp3’s. To Touch the Light, Tibetan Memories, Music from the Waves

 

 

plug in and meditate by Jon Shore2