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*ding!*
Begin by giving yourself a comfortable posture. If you’re seated in a chair,
sit upright, without leaning into the back of the seat. You may find it
helpful to sit near the front of the seat, on your “sits bones”. Whatever
your posture is, you want to be alert, but relaxed.
Take a few deep, clearing breaths, breathing out nice and loud, getting
some of the tension out of the body.
Allow your spine to be upright, and your chin neatly tucked. Your head
should feel as though it’s pressing up against the ceiling.
Your chest is nice and open, your belly, soft and full, like a big buddha belly.
Don’t worry, I won’t judge.
If you’re in a chair, notice that your feet are squarely on the floor,
grounded. If you’re sitting on a cushion, you can cross your legs in lotus if
you’re really flexible, or half-lotus with just one leg tucked in, or if you’re
like me, quarter-lotus with neither leg tucked. Your knees and rear end
form a “tripod of support,” which is very stable.
Your hands can be placed on your knees, or in your lap.
Notice if there are any feelings of tension or holding in the body. It’s
common to hold tension in the shoulders, or in the forehead. It’s alright to
just let them go and relax for a little while.
For a few minutes, just allow yourself to rest in the body for awhile,
noticing how it feels.
or a lightness.
Tension
or sleepiness.
And as you breathe, you may start to notice that thoughts arise. They could
be anything.
plans
fantasies
even ideas…
Whenever you notice the mind just doing its thing, for now, see if you can
gently, with as much kindness as you can, guide your attention back to the
breath.
These small moments, moments of kindness, are moments of awakening.
To guide your awareness back, through kindness, is the entire practice. No
achievement, no goal, no enlightenment to find here.
coming back to the breath.
And as you breathe, you may start to notice the fullness of each breath.
You may notice that you’re breathing in, or that you’re breathing out. Your
attention may go more strongly to one, or the other.
Your attention may go to the strong pull of the in-breath, or the soft release
of the out-breath. One may be longer than the other. They may be about
the same. They may be fast or slow. You may even notice pauses in between
where there is no breath at all.
As the sounds arise, it’s perfectly natural to get distracted, or to even label
them. You may notice yourself saying, “That sound is a plane,” or “That
sound is a dog.”
As you notice yourself catching on to these thoughts, see if you can kindly,
gently bring your attention back to the breath, the full breath, the sound of
breathing in, the feeling of breathing out.
And as you breathe, you may start to find your breath calming down. It may
start to get softer, more quiet.
You may not even be able to hear it.
Just notice how it feels to have a softer, quiet breath. Where do you feel it
the most?
Some people feel it at the tip of their nose.
or the throat.
or in the lungs.
or in the stomach.
Just placing your attention where you feel it the most.
You may start to notice other thoughts arise.
And you may start to notice, as you’ve been sitting for awhile, an
anticipation for it all to end.
What does this anticipation feel like?
*ding*
*ding*
Congratulations, you made it through! Now you can go make yourself a cup
of tea and enjoy.