Series 1 Guided Body Scan Meditation (This script has been slightly modified from the original Kabat-Zinn tape.) This tape is based on the practice of body scan meditation, developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Centre Stress Reduction Clinic, directed by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn. By using this tape regularly and just following the process you are taking on an active and powerful role in improving your health. Although the meditation will result in deep relaxation, I don’t want you to go to sleep, so don’t do it when you are very tired. Certainly don’t use it whilst you are driving a car. It is designed to help you enter and dwell in a state of very deep physical and mental relaxation. It is best to do this it in a place in which you feel comfortable and secure, and at a time when you will not be interrupted by anyone or by the telephone. Avoid excesses of heat or cold, and draughts. Dress in loose and comfortable clothing and particularly make sure your clothes do not feel tight around your waist, or restrict your breathing. It is useful to see this time now as a time that is totally set aside for you, as an opportunity to be by yourself and to be with yourself fully. See if you can allow it to be a nourishing time, a time you deserve to give yourself some positive energy and attention, a time in which to open to the sources of strength and healing within yourself. In doing work of this kind it is important to remember not to try too hard to relax. This will just create tension. What we will be doing is becoming aware in each passing moment, and just accepting what is happening in yourself, looking at it clearly and seeing it as it is because it is already here, it is part of your experience in the moment for better or for worse. Let go of the tendency at times that we all have to want things to be different from how they are right now and allow things to be exactly as you find them. If there are occasional background noises or distractions at times, accept them as the reality of the moment, and let go trying to change the reality by insisting that it be something different from how it is. Allow yourself to be exactly as you are, use the instructions for guidance as best you can watching your body and the activity of your mind as we go along. Letting go of judgmental and critical thoughts in particular, and just doing what it says to do as best you can and being aware of how you feel, of what is happening. Remember that there is no right to feel while you are doing this, the way you are feeling is the way you are feeling right now. Just accepting it, and giving yourself permission to feel what you are feeling and seeing that it’s okay. Do this meditation in whatever posture or position is comfortable, but preferably lying down on a bed or mat, but without a large pillow. If you are on a firm surface, you may wish to place a cushion under your knees to take some strain off your lower back. If lying on your back is not comfortable, make sure your chair is supportive. It’s really your sensitivity and level of attention and not the way you are positioned which is important. So now let’s arrange yourself now to lie down on our backs if possible, settle into a comfortable position, and allowing your eyes to close gently if this is comfortable with you. Letting the arms lie alongside your body, palms open towards the ceiling if that feels comfortable, and allowing the feet to fall away from each other and slowly bringing your attention to the fact that you are breathing. No manipulating your breath in anyway, but simply experiencing it as the air moves in and out of your body. And directing your attention in particular to your stomach and belly, your abdomen, and feeling the sensations in that region as the breath comes into your body and the abdomen expands gently, and as the breath moves out of your body and the belly deflates. And just following with you mind’s eye the rhythmic movements of your stomach with each breath. The rising of your stomach on the IN breath,
and the falling on the OUT breath. (P 5”)And on each OUT breath, just letting go. Letting your body become heavy as it sinks a little bit deeper into the floor or into your mat. (P 10”) Just give full attention in each moment to your breathing. The complete IN breath, and the complete OUT breath following rhythmically, one after the other. As the body sinks with every out breath into the bed or mat, as you let go. (P 10”) Now when you feel ready to let’s shift the focus of your attention to the toes of the left foot. Just taking your mind and moving it away from your belly, and down the left leg all the way to the foot and all the way out to your toes. And just becoming aware of whatever the feelings are in this region of your body. There may be sensations of tingling or moisture, or itching, or warmth. Whatever they are it is not important, but just feeling your toes, as they are. And if you find that you are registering a blank when you tune to this region, then just experiencing ‘not feeling’. Experiencing what is there, and just breathing with these sensations. Experiencing the big toe and if you can, the little toe. Not moving them, but just feeling them individually and perhaps the toes in between. And as you breathe in, just imagining that the breath is moving right down into and through the lungs and through the stomach and down the left leg and all the way to your toes, and as you breathe out imagine that the breath is just moving back up from your toes and ultimately out through your nose, so that you’re breathing in down to your toes and then breathing out from your toes. And when you’re ready just on the out breath, letting go of your toes completely, allowing this region of your body to just dissolve in your mind’s eye, and move your attention and bring it to focus on the bottom of your left foot. And whatever feelings there are in this particular region, breathing with it, feeling the bottom of your foot. And when you are ready breathing down the leg to the bottom of your foot, and on the out breath breathing out from the bottom of your foot and just letting it go. And coming to focus now on the heel and the place where your heel is making contact with the bed or mat or whatever, and feeling the sense of touch and pressure. And when you’re ready breathing into the heel and on the out breath just letting go of your heel. Becoming aware of the top of your left foot, and whatever feelings or lack of feelings there are from that particular region, not so much thinking about your foot as just being there with it, feeling it, letting it predominate in the field of your awareness at the moment. Breathing with your foot and letting that awareness spread to the ankle as well, and feeling your own left ankle, and breathing with it, and when you are ready, breathing, directing the IN breath down to the ankle and on the OUT breath just letting go of the ankle and the entirety of your left foot. As you relax into a deeper state of stillness and awareness. There is nothing else to do right now, nowhere to go, but just being aware of now. And become aware of the left lower leg, the shin in the front and the calf muscle in back, and any sensations, feelings in your lower left leg, not just on the surface but deep down as well, right down into the bones in the lower leg. Experiencing this region as it is, not trying to make it be any different. Just accepting the feelings that you feel, breathing with them, and when you are ready just letting go of this part of your body as well, as you relax and sink even deeper into the mat, into the floor, as you let go. Letting the focus now move up to your knee. Feeling your knee, the kneecap, and sides and back of the knee, and deep into the joint, and just experiencing your left knee, breathing with it, and on an out breath just letting it dissolve as well. And moving now into the region of the left thigh above the knee, the outside and deep inside, all the way up to the groin and the hip, and just experiencing your left thigh, as it touches the bed or mat, letting it be as soft and relaxed as possible, if there is any tension in the thigh or anywhere else when you come to it. Just allowing it to exit on each out breath. Allowing the thigh to be soft and relaxed,
breathing with your thigh. And when you are ready taking a deeper breath in down into the thigh, and as you breath out just letting it dissolve and relax and soften as you let go. Now let’s move over the right leg and become aware of the feelings in the right toes, the toes of the right foot. And is you can without wiggling them, just feeling the sensations of the big toe and the little toe and the others. Breathing, directing the in breaths down into the foot and right to the toes, and on the out breath just letting the breath come up from the toes and right out through your nose. Just registering the sensations that are in this region. Not judging them or worrying about what your toes should feel like, but just allowing them to be exactly as you’re experiencing them now. And when you are ready, taking a deeper breath in, down into the toes, and on the out breath just letting your toes dissolve in the field of your awareness, and letting the attention shift onto the bottom of the right foot. And this time including the heel and the place where the foot makes contact with the bed or mat, just tuning into any and all sensations. Breathing with them, and when you are ready just on an out breath, just letting go of the bottom of your foot as you relax, as you let go of this region. And let the attention gently move to the top of the foot and to the ankle. Breathing in and breathing out, experiencing this region of your body, and when you’re ready just letting it go. Letting it relax and soften and dissolving in your mind’s eye, and you become aware of the lower leg. We usually don’t pay too much attention to this part, and take for granted, but for now just feeling this extremely important part of your body as it is. Appreciating it perhaps, and when you are ready, breathing in to it, and when you breathe out just letting go of it as well. And become aware of your right knee. And breathing down into the knee, and on the out breath letting go of the knee as well. And now the right thigh, entire region of the upper leg between the hip and pelvis and groin, all the way to the knee. Feeling your right thigh, any sensations at all as it rests on the bed or mat. And being as precise as you can about experiencing and feeling these sensations whether they be of warmth or tingling or heaviness or lightness, blood flow, or whatever. And just sensing feeling your thigh as it is. And when you are ready breathing into the thigh, and as you breathe out just letting go of this region too. And becoming aware now of the pelvis, the entire region of your pelvis, from one hip to the other. Aware of the buttocks in contact with the mat or the floor, and the sensations of contact and of weight and perhaps of heaviness or whatever you are feeling. Becoming aware of the region of the genitals and whatever sensations or lack of sensations you are experiencing in this region, becoming aware of the hips themselves. And just breathing with the entirety of your pelvis, and when you are ready directing the breath on the in breath down into your pelvis, and as you breathe out just letting the pelvis soften and release any tension and let go with the breath as you sink even deeper into a state of relaxed awareness and stillness. Totally present in each moment. (P 10”)Content to just be, and to just be right here as you are, right now. There is nothing to do right now, nowhere to go right now, except being here, now. And direct your attention now to the lower back, to that region that connects up with the pelvis, that comes out of the pelvis, and just experiencing whatever sensations that are here. This is of course the region that is for many of us sometimes gives us problems. There may be sensations of some intensity, and just for the moment experiencing your back as it is. And letting the breath penetrate and really move into every region of your lower back on the in breath, and on the out breath just letting any tension and tightness, any holding on or any intensity, just be there and flow out with the out breath to the extent that it will. And as you breathe out just letting go of the lower back.
And moving up into the region of your upper back. And just feeling the sensations in this region. Breathing with them, and you may even feel your ribcage around your back as well as in your front, expand on each breath. Be aware of your ribs all the way round to your spine. And any tension or tightness, or reservoirs of fatigue or discomfort in the upper back region or central back region, just letting them dissolve and move out with the out breath as you let go and sink even deeper into stillness and relaxation. And allowing your attention to shift to the stomach again, and experiencing the rising and falling of your stomach as you breathe, and just allowing your awareness to expand from the belly in the front of your body to the chest as well. Feeling the movements of your diaphragm, that umbrella like muscle that separates your stomach from your chest, from your heart and your lungs, and just for a moment experiencing the chest as it expands on the in breath and contracts somewhat on the out breath. And if you can, tuning to the rhythmic beating of your heart within your chest. Feeling it if you can, as well as the lungs expanding on either side of your heart. Nourishing every region and every organ and every tissue of your body with oxygenated blood each time the heart pumps blood throughout the body. And as the blood returns to the heart from other parts of your body, giving off the waste products of metabolism and purifying the body in a rhythmic cycle of renewing energy and continuous cleansing on the out breath. Just experiencing your chest and your stomach as you lie here. And the muscles on the chest wall, breasts, the entirety of the front of your body, and when you are ready on an out breath, just letting this region dissolve into relaxation as well. And allowing your attention to move to your finger tips of both hands, just becoming aware of the sensations now in the tips of your fingers and thumbs. And you may feel some pulsations from the blood flow, you may feel a dampness or warmth or whatever. Just feeling your fingers, the sides of them and the backs of your fingers right up to the tips. And letting the field of your awareness expand to include the palms of your hands. And the backs of your hands, and the wrists and here again maybe picking up the pulse in your wrist as the blood flows to and from your hands. Becoming aware as well of the forearms, and the elbows. Any and all sensations, regardless of discomfort or problems with one region or another, just experiencing your body as it is and in particular now, your arms. And allowing the field of your awareness now to include the upper arms. Right up to the armpits and shoulders. (P5) And shoulders are reservoirs of tension for many of us. Stored up tension is often the cause of some pain and perhaps neck problems. During the day stresses often wind up, creating this tension in our shoulders, and neck, and at the moment just experiencing your shoulders. And if there is any tension, just on the in breath breathing into your shoulders and into your arms and on the out breath just letting that tension dissolve as you breathe out. Letting go of the tension and letting go of your arms all the way from the fingertips up through the shoulders themselves. And as you sink even deeper into a state of relaxed observation and awareness, just being present in each moment. Letting go of whatever thoughts come up or whatever impulses to move or to do something else and just experiencing yourself in this moment. And now let the focus of your attention move onto the neck. To the back of the neck and the spine in the neck region, and to the throat. And feeling the entirety of this region of your body, experiencing what it feels like perhaps when you swallow, and when you breathe, as the air goes from the head to the chest through the neck region. Breathing in down into the neck intentionally, and on the out breath just letting go of the neck as well. Letting it relax and dissolve in your mind’s eye.
And becoming aware of your face, another region that often stores accumulated tension over the course of the day, and focus first on the jaw and the chin, just experiencing it as it is. Any sensations right up in the hinge region of the jaw, breathing with this region, and on the out breath, when you are ready, just letting it dissolve. Becoming aware of your lips and your mouth, the teeth and the gums, your tongue, and the roof of your mouth, and the back of the mouth and the throat, and just breathing with this region and the sensations and feelings of your mouth and lips and cheeks, and on an out breath just letting this region dissolve as well. And becoming aware of your nose, and now feeling the breath as it moves in and out at the nostrils, warmer moist air breathing out, cooler dryer air breathing in , just being aware of yourself as your breathing goes on, and be aware of your eyes. And the eyebrows, and the space between the eyebrows, and the entire region around your eyes, and the eyelids. And often there is tension in this region as well, and just if there is any tension, on the out breath just letting it leave as the breath leaves. Allowing your temples to relax and dissolve as you experience the sensations on the side of your head, and breathing to your ears, and breathing out from your ears and letting them go as well. And now the forehead, just breathing with your forehead and letting it soften, and if you sense any emotions associated with the tension or feelings in the muscles of your face, just being aware of that, and breathing in nourishing your face, asking it to relax and dissolve into relaxation and stillness. And now just coming up on the entirety of your face including forehead, breathing with the entirety of your face, and just letting the entirety of your face including the forehead, dissolve into neutral. Most of the time our faces are busy projecting one view or another, and for now just letting it be as it is , and not working overtime, just letting it be, letting it be still and neutral, your own face. Relaxed and at peace. And now becoming aware of the back of the head and the top of the head, the entire region of the upper region of the head and skull. And breathing in now to this whole region, and breathing out from this region. And focusing on a spot now at the very top of your head, about the size of a 20 cent piece, and just letting the breath move from your nose right up in your mind’s eye to this spot at the top of your head, the very crown of your head, and breathing out from this region right down through your nose again. And then just imagining that that spot can open up, like the blowhole of a whale, and that you can breathe right through the top of your head. Breathing in and out right through the top of your head, and letting the air and the energy right out of your head and right back down into it, so that you are imagining that you are breathing now from the top of the head right through the body and out the bottoms of the feet, and breathing now in through the bottom of the feet and right out the top of your head. And just watching and allowing your breath to move in this way, the entire length of your body, all of your muscles in a deep state of relaxation, and the mind simply aware of this flow of energy, of this flow of breath. Experiencing your entire body breathing. And when you are ready, just feeling your body as a whole, from the top of your head to the bottom of your feet. Lying here in a state of stillness and deep relaxation, and sinking deeper and deeper into a state of wellbeing. As we come in touch with feeling complete, feeling whole as we are in touch with our essential completeness, a realm in which our limitations are not confining. Open to things just as they are in each moment, and seeing that this attitude and this stillness itself is healing. And allowing and acknowledging the world to be as it is, beyond our personal fears and concerns, and beyond the tendencies of the mind to control, to want things to be a certain way, and just seeing ourselves as complete, right now, as we are. Looking and experiencing deeply the fullness of our life, and the limitless qualities of life, and experiencing the fullness of our ability to love and to care and experiencing being totally awake, right now. (45 second silence).
Now to conclude, bringing your awareness back to your body again and feeling it as a whole, and now you might want to wiggle your toes and fingers, stretch and flex your arms and hands, and allowing this calmness and this centredness to remain with you as you move now, and as you resume the activities of your life. Thank yourself for having taken the time and the energy to care for yourself in this way, and to remember, this state of relaxation and clarity is accessible to you by simply attending the in breath and the out breath in any moment, no matter what is happening at any time of the day, and letting it be a source of constant strength and energy for you and for others with whom you share your world. And letting it provide a deep personal reservoir of balance and wellbeing from which you may make conscious decisions and choices about how to live a more integrated and healthy and satisfying life.
Series 1. Guided Sitting Meditation (This script has been slightly modified from the original Kabat-Zinn tape.) This meditation can be used once your have developed some experience of the art of focused attention and being in the present moment of now, by using the Body Scan meditation of the other side of this tape. There are several longer periods of silence in this meditation. It will be useful if, during these periods of silence, you can draw on your ability to be mindful, so I would recommend that you not use this meditation until your have had two weeks of daily practice with the Body Scan meditation on the other side of this tape.. You may then like to alternate the meditations, or use others you may have been taught. Let’s arrange to spend this time doing this meditation on a regular basis in a place where you can comfortably still the body and at a time when you will not be interrupted. Allowing this to be the time in which we set aside the usual mode in which we operate, that of more or less constant doing, and switch to a mode of non doing. A mode of simply being, of allowing ourselves to be, of becoming aware of our being. This of course will tend to slow time down and is best accomplished by knowing that you will put aside the 45 minutes for yourself. Sit in an erect and upright position either on a straight back chair or on the floor on a cushion, and as we allow the body to become still, just bringing your attention to the fact that you are breathing. And becoming aware of the movement of the breath as it comes into your body, and as it leaves your body. Not manipulating the breathing in any way or trying to change it, simply being aware of it , and of the feelings associated with breathing. And if you feel comfortable with it observing your breathing deep down in your belly, feeling the abdominal wall as it expands gently on the in breath, as it falls back towards your spine on the out breath. And simply being totally here in each moment with each breath, not trying to do anything, not trying to get anyplace, simply being with your breathing. PAUSE Just giving full care and your full attention to each in breath and to each out breath, as they follow one after the other, in a never-ending cycle and flow. Now of course you will find that from time to time your mind will wander off into thoughts, fantasies, anticipations of the future, worrying thoughts of the past, memories, whatever. But when you notice that your attention is no longer here, no longer really on your breathing, and without giving yourself a hard time, just intentionally escorting your focus, your attention, back to the breathing, and picking up wherever it happens to be, on an in breath or an out breath, and just observing, moving up close to your breathing, and keeping the attention here as if you were riding the waves of your breathing, fully conscious of the duration of the in breath, and the duration of the out breath from moment to moment. PAUSE And simply remembering that everytime you find that your mind has wandered off the breath, to just be aware of it as soon as you can be, and gently bringing it back to your belly, and back to the present, back to the moment to moment observing of the flow of your breathing. PAUSE
And in the practice of your meditation using the awareness of your breathing, and using your breath as an anchor to refocus your attention, to bring you back into the present whenever you notice that the mind is moving out of the present, or becoming unbalanced, or absorbed or preoccupied or reactive. The breath can function as an anchor to keep you in the present and to help you tune to the state of relaxed awareness and stillness, which is itself a profound state of balance. Now as you observe your breathing you may be finding that from time to time sensations from your body come into the field of your awareness, from discomfort or agitation, which may be quite intense from time to time. And as you maintain the awareness of your breathing see if it is possible now to just expand the field of your awareness around your breathing so that it includes a sense of your body as a whole, as you sit here. And feeling your breath if you will from head to toe, as you become aware of all the sensations in your body. The sensation in particular of touch, of contact with the chair or with the floor, contact made by the feet, by the buttocks and the legs, as you sit in a straight posture with the back erect and the head balanced and dignified. So that now we are allowing the observation to include not only the flow of breathing, but a sense of your body as a whole with whatever feelings and sensations come up in any moment, and being here with whatever does come up without judging it, without reacting to it, just being fully here, fully aware, totally present, with whatever your feelings are, and with your breath and a sense of your body as a complete, dignified whole. PAUSE And again, whenever you notice that your mind may have wandered off, just bringing it back to your breathing and to a sense of your body as you sit here, and not going anywhere, not doing anything, just simply being, simply sitting. PAUSE From moment to moment, being fully present, fully with yourself. Just as you are in this moment. PAUSE Of course, and it happens with all of us, there may be times when the sensations in one part of your body really become overwhelming, and dominate the field of your awareness, to the point where it becomes very difficult to stay focused and concentrated and if this happens you have two alternatives. One is to mindfully shift to a more comfortable position to relieve some of the intensity and if you choose to move, to just be aware of the intention to do it before you actually move. But another way to work with this intensity is to try simply stay here with it, without moving, and restricting the attention in these periods of intensity, and just zeroing right in on that region of the body that is experiencing it. Putting the mind right there in the knee or in the small of your back, or wherever it maybe, and just going right into the sensation in each moment, and breathing into it, and breathing out with it, and totally experiencing what your body is saying to you right now, right here, and responding to it by opening and softening rather than tensing and bracing and resisting, so that even within the intensity you may find stillness and acceptance. And even if this is difficult, simply being aware of your reactions, observing them as well as the sensations, and when the intensity subsides, just re-establishing your awareness at the level of your body as a whole, and of the breath as it moves in and out of your body. Coming back to a sense of fullness with each in breath, and the fullness of each out breath. PAUSE And as you sit here, if you feel comfortable with it, once again allowing the field of your awareness to expand and this time we will let the focus move towards hearing, towards sounds that we may be of
aware of it in the environment, or perhaps from within your body. And just shifting the focus of one’s attention from the breath, and from the sense of your body as a whole, and now just moving it towards the ears and letting your consciousness be particularly the consciousness of hearing. Not going out searching for things to hear, but simply receptive to whatever it is enters your consciousness as sound. Full awareness of hearing from one moment to the next, as you sit here and as you breathe. And if you do hear something, not judging it or deciding whether you like it or dislike it, or whether it annoys or is beautiful, but simply residing in the moment to moment being with hearing. PAUSE Aware of sitting in stillness, aware of sound, and aware of the space between sounds, aware of silence, moment by moment by moment. And again if at any point you notice that your mind is distracted just bringing it back either to your breathing to anchor you, or to directly to your ears, to right now, and to whatever is here as you sit. PAUSE And again as we sit here, once again allowing the field of your awareness to expand. We began with the breathing, and then we expanded the awareness to include the body as a whole and any particularly intense regions of sensation. And then we expanded to include sound as well. Developing the capacity to both concentrate deeply on one particular object of attention and also to become flexible so that one can be mindful of various aspects of perception and of one’s life experience. This time we will expand the awareness to include thinking, to include thoughts as they move through your mind, so that rather being distractions or breaks in your concentration, we will now focus and open to the observation of the thinking process itself. So letting your breathing and sense of the body and sounds and so forth will be in the background, and allowing the thinking process itself to become centre stage for the moment. And rather than following individual thoughts or getting involved in the content and going from one thought to the next to the next, simply be seeing each thought as it comes up in the mind as a thought, as an observable event, just as a sound would be an observable event. In letting the thoughts just come and go as you sit and dwell in stillness, witnessing them, observing them. Our thoughts of course could be about anything. The future, the past, your body, thoughts about thoughts, thoughts about feelings, and whatever they are, thoughts about food, thoughts about sleep, thoughts about time, whatever they are, just observing them as events in the field of your consciousness, as they come into your awareness, as they linger, and as they dissolve, as they will. And just sitting with this awareness of thoughts coming and going, as you dwell in the present, observing. PAUSE If you find yourself at any point drawn into the stream of thinking, into the current of thoughts, and when you notice that you are no longer observing them or being with them but you’re off some place else, just coming back to the observation of the missed events, and using your breathing and a sense of your body to anchor you and stabilise you in the present. PAUSE And of course the thoughts can take any form, they can have any content, and they can be either neutral or very highly charged. And in particular, if thoughts come up that have fear in them, then just be aware of being here, just being aware of fear, and letting these thoughts come and go, the same for worries, preoccupations of one kind or another, pressures in the mind, the thought of deadlines or obligations, and again regardless of the charge that the thought has for you, just observing it as a discreet thought, and let it just be here, without pursing it, and without rejecting it. And noticing that of course, from moment to moment, new thoughts will come and go.
PAUSE Now for the remaining time just letting go of all objects of attention. Your breathing, your body, hearing, observing, thinking, and instead of focusing on any one, just allowing yourself to just sit here and be, fully aware in each moment, and aware of whatever there is within this sphere of your being. If thoughts come, observing thoughts, if sounds then sounds, if pain then pain, and if it is the breath that is most predominate, then just being with your breathing from moment to moment, just sitting in stillness, looking for nothing, and being sensitive and present with it all, just as it is, just as it unfolds. PAUSE If you will experiencing the ground of being, experiencing the ground of awareness out of which all perceptions arise. And just being right here with it, complete, as you are, human, whole. PAUSE And as the tape finishes, recognising that you have spent this time intentionally nourishing yourself by dwelling in this state of non-doing, in this state of being, intentionally making time for yourself to be who you are, and you might want to just congratulate yourself for taking the time and the energy to do this, and to allow yourself the occasion to do it on a regular basis, and to nourish yourself in a deep way, and to allow the benefits of this practice to expand into the active expression of your life in every domain as it continues to unfold.
Series 2 – Tape 1, Side A Bells When practising sitting meditation it is helpful to bring to the sitting posture itself a sense of dignity with the head, neck and back erect but not rigid, with the shoulders relaxed and the hands comfortably placed in your lap or on your knees. Follow along with my instructions as best you can and then use the stretch of silence to practice on your own. It is fine to sit on a chair or on the floor. As best you can commit yourself to simply being fully awake, fully present for these moments. If you feel comfortable with it, allowing your eyes to gently close, otherwise letting your gaze fall and focus on the floor or on a wall, and just tuning into the feeling of the breath moving in and out of your body. Focusing on the sensation of the breath moving past the nostrils or alternatively on the feeling of your belly expanding on each in breath and receding gently with each out breath. And allowing yourself to just dwell here moment by moment, following the breath as it comes in and as it goes out. And bringing your attention back to the nostrils or to your belly, or anywhere else you have decided to focus on each time that you notice that your mind has gone off somewhere else, wherever that may be. And if the mind wanders off a thousand times, you simply bring it back a thousand times. Intentionally cultivating an attitude of patience and gentleness towards yourself. This mean choosing as best you can not to react to or judge any of your thoughts or feelings, impulses or perceptions. Reminding yourself instead that in this work of mindfulness, absolutely anything that comes into the field of awareness is okay, we simply sit with it and breathe with it, and observe it, staying open and awake in the present moment, right here, right now, a continual process of seeing and letting be, seeing and letting go, rejecting nothing, pursuing nothing, dwelling in stillness and in calmness, as the breath moves in and out. Pause 2 mins Just riding the waves of your own breathing, moment by moment, breath by breath. Pause 2 mins 50 And as the tape comes to an end, staying centred for a moment or two more in the sitting posture as the sound of the bells recedes. Experiencing the sound and the wakefulness it invites. And before getting up you might find it of value to commit yourself right here and now to carrying this wakefulness with you throughout your day. Remembering that you can touch base with your breathing in any moment and thereby bring the mindfulness and calmness and clarity into that moment of your life, when and wherever it is as it is unfolding, and affirming as well, the importance of regular formal practice if possible every day, either using a tape for guidance or simply practising on your own. Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 1, Side B Bells Since this tape is only ten minutes long you might want to make a commitment to yourself from the very outset to be in your body and in the present moment for the next ten minutes as completely as possible, remembering that by truly being in the present moment you are stepping out of time altogether into a time beyond time, so as you settle into a comfortable position, lying on your back, allowing yourself to be here with full awareness right now, as each moment unfolds into the next. Feeling your body as a whole as it lies here breathing, capturing if you can the feeling of this very breath as it comes into your body, and the feeling of this very breath as it leaves your body. Feeling the breath moment by moment, inviting yourself over and over again to be fully awake, fully here, right now in this moment with this breath. Pause. 30 seconds. And every time you find your mind wandering off into thoughts of one kind or another, or into reverie, sleepiness or anything else, as it so easily does, when you become aware of it, noting what is on your mind, and how your body is feeling, and then gently letting go of it, whatever it is, and without judging or evaluating yourself or anything else, simply bringing your attention back to the breath, back to your body lying here, breathing. Perceiving any thoughts that come up whether they be thoughts of the past or the future, whether they have strong feelings associated with them or not, as passing events in the field of your consciousness, and without either pushing them away or pursuing them, dwelling behind them or beyond them, allowing yourself to be transparent to them, observing them together with the breath as they come and go, as you dwell here in stillness and calmness, giving full care and attention to each moment. Beyond my words, simply here, riding the waves of your own breathing, moment by moment, breath by breath, and just sustaining mindfulness in this way now on your own, in silence. Pause. 5 mins. And as the tape comes to an end, gracefully and mindfully making the transition back into the world of activity and doing. Perhaps lingering a little before you get up. Honouring the stillness and the peacefulness of this moment, and knowing that this inner sense of stillness and calmness is always available to you by simply bringing your awareness to your breathing at any time as your day continues to unfold. Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 2, Side A Coming to this period of sitting meditation practice with the firm intention to bring mindfulness and discernment to each moment. Sitting in a posture which for you in this moment embodies feelings of dignity and self reliance and wakefulness, stillness and stability and when you are ready, bringing your attention to settle on the breath as you feel it flowing in and out of your body, focusing on feeling your belly as it expands gently on the in breath and recedes gently on the out breath, or on the feeling of the air flowing past your nostrils, or on being in touch with your breathing wherever you find it most vivid. Pause 30 seconds. And just keeping your attention on the breath for the full duration of each in breath and the full duration of each out breath, riding the waves of your own breathing as a raft would ride up and down on the waves of the seashore. Fully in touch with the sensations in the belly or at the nostrils or wherever else you are following it, breath by breath, moment by moment, allowing the breath to remind you over and over again to be fully present, to be right here, right now. Pause. 1 min. If at any time you find that your attention has waned or has wandered off the breath entirely, noting where your mind has gone and what it is preoccupied with once you come to notice it, and then gently and without condemning yourself for it, and without either clinging to the content of your thoughts or feelings or rejecting and suppressing it, just letting go and bringing your attention back to the breath. And doing this over and over again each time the mind loses its focus momentarily, and moves away from the breath. Pause. 2 mins. Staying fully in touch, just this breath coming in, just this breath going out. Using the breath as an anchor to keep your attention right here in the present moment. Pause. 2:30 mins And if you feel comfortable with it, at a certain point expanding the field of your awareness around the breath until it includes a sense of the body as a whole, sitting here, breathing, opening to the full spectrum of feelings associated with your body as you sit here, awareness filling the body. Allowing whatever sensations arise to be held in awareness moment by moment, watching them come and go, without reacting to them, as best you can just observing the play of any and all perceptions, sensations, thoughts and feelings, along with your breath, as you sit here, fully in touch with this moment. Pause.1 min. And here too, continually bringing your focus back to the body as a whole, sitting and breathing, each time it fades or is carried off by the stream of thoughts or feelings or sensations that run through the mind. Pause. 2:45 min Perhaps reminding yourself from time to time that you are not trying to get anywhere or feel anything special, even relaxation. You are simply allowing yourself to be where you already are, and to feel whatever is here to be felt in this moment. Observing and accepting whatever is here, simply because it
is already here, a part of your experience in this moment, regardless of whether it feels pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Pause. 2 mins Giving full care and attention to each moment. A continual feeling of letting be, seeing and letting go. Pause. 2mins. And in the last few moments of the sitting, recommitting yourself to being fully awake and focused. Fully in your body, sitting with the majesty, the beauty, the stability of a mountain. And also perhaps committing yourself to bringing mindfulness to the various situations and activities you will encounter today. So you can respond consciously rather than automatically to the various events and occurrences in your life, and perhaps find a way to live all your moments with greater harmony and effectiveness, including those in which you are faced with obstacles, and challenges. And as the tape comes to an end, you might also want to congratulate yourself for the discipline and the effort it takes to practice in this way. And for your commitment to devote some time each day to nourishing your own being, for non doing and wakeful stillness. Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 2, Side B Bells. As you settle into a comfortable position lying on your back, bringing your attention to the present moment, and in particular to the feeling of your body just lying here, breathing. Pause 15 secs. And when you feel ready perhaps focusing in on your belly, feeling it as it rises with each in breath and falls back with each out breath. And allowing this movement of your belly, rising and falling with the breath, to become a trusted anchor for your attention if and when it wanders off, continually bringing your mind back to this moment, to this breath, to your belly. Pause. 1 min. Riding the waves of your breath at your belly, in touch with each one as best you can for the full duration of the in breath, for the full duration of the out breath. Letting your breathing flow naturally by itself, just witnessing it, feeling it. And checking in from time to time just to make sure you know where your mind is. Is it on your breath right now? If not, where is it? And letting this inquiry itself bring you back into the present moment, and back to your breathing. Pause. 4:30 mins And if you feel comfortable with it, allowing the field of your awareness to expand around your belly and around your breathing, until it contains a sense of the whole body lying here, breathing. Connecting up with the entire body, from the bottoms of the feet to the top of the head. Feeling the entire boundary of it which we call the skin, and in touch with any and all sensations which might be present in one region or another, at one moment or another, and within it all, opening to a larger sense of your body as complete in this moment as it is. Fully alive, whole, right now, in this moment. Pause. 1 min. Just holding the entire body in awareness from moment to moment, and as best you can, not reacting to or withdrawing from any feelings such as discomfort or boredom, or agitation or impatience, if and when they arise. Nor pursuing pleasant images, or feelings of relaxation and joy and wellbeing, if and when they arise, simply and continually cultivating a non judgmental, non reactive presence of mind. Anchored in the breath and in a sense of the body as a whole, lying here, cradled in awareness, moment by moment. Pause. 2:30 mins. Committing yourself over and over again to an awareness which steps out of time into a timeless present, in which there is just this moment, just this breath, as you let go of the past, as you let go of the future. Pause. 30 seconds. Perhaps too, noticing how each out breath is itself a letting go, and then as the breath lets go, the muscles in your body can also let go a little more too, and you may find yourself sinking a little deeper into the floor or into the mattress or mat, on each out breath. Your arms, your legs, your head, everything, and letting it be as well a letting to into a deeper sense of stillness, and silence, and
wakefulness. Behind the usual tumultuous activity of mind and body, of your day and of your obligations and concerns, in this moment just letting them be. Pause. 30 seconds. Just riding the waves of the breath. And anytime something carries your attention off the breath, being aware of it as best you can, just seeing it and letting it be. Seeing it and letting it go. Breath by breath, moment by moment. Over and over again. Perceiving that each moment is precious, every moment another occasion for mindfulness, a moment of your life unfolding, here and now, a moment not to be missed. Pause. 3 mins. And as the tape comes to an end, just affirming for a moment or two the possibility of bringing this kind of attentiveness and clarity to the events and occurrences of your daily life, as you continue to cultivate mindfulness from moment to moment, throughout the day, and as you encounter whatever needs attending to with clarity and purpose.
Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 3, Side A Bells On this tape we will be sitting for 30 minutes. It’s best to give your full care and attention to each moment and let go completely of the question of time. Letting the sound of the bells at the end tell you when it is time to end the sitting. Until then, making the commitment to yourself to simply bring the same quality of moment to moment attention to each moment you encounter, honouring it as the only moment you are alive, the only moment you can embrace, and so embracing each and every moment in mindfulness, as best you can, no matter what thoughts or feelings, sensations or impulses, or perceptions you might encounter along the way. And also as best you can, establishing and maintaining throughout the sitting, an erect and dignified posture, with the elevated on the neck and shoulders, the chin tucked slightly down, letting the posture you adopt embody a wakeful and calm receptivity, and the penetrative discerning awareness, whether you are sitting in a chair or on the floor. Sitting so that your posture itself embodies taking a stand, and affirms an ongoing commitment to wakefulness and presence, sitting with the stillness and presence of a mountain, moment by moment, breath by breath. Pause. 30 seconds. And so, simply giving care and attention to your breathing. To the full duration of the in breath and the full duration of the out breath, moment to moment, breath by breath. Not looking for anything to happen, or for any special state or experience, just cultivating a willingness to hold the present moment in awareness. To ride the waves of the breath. Opening to each new moment without expectations, a continual letting go of the past, as each new moment emerges into the present. Pause. 2 min. Putting your body on the line here, not simply sitting, but sitting knowing that you’re sitting, completely in your body, fully with this in breath, fully with this out breath. Pause. 1 min. It’s not unusual to experience some pain or discomfort the longer you sit in stillness like this, or you may experience feelings of boredom or annoyance, or of impatience and agitation. Or you might run into fantasies or memories or other moods or feelings, such as sadness or fear, or anger. These and other mind states can easily carry you away from your resolve to simply observe the unfolding of all your present moments, no matter what they bring. When this happens, as an experiment, see if you can expand the field of your awareness, making it more inclusive, so that it is capable of holding, containing any experiences of any kind that arise at any time. Cradling them all in awareness, as if you were putting them into a big pot of mindfulness, and letting them just cook here over the fire of moment to moment awareness. Breathing with them and remembering above all, that you don’t have to do anything with them. The practice is just to observe what is present, to look deeply into what is happening in any moment, to reside in the stillness of being, moment by moment, and especially right in those moments when some strong current in the mind and body such as fear or anger, regret or impatience, stirs the underlying calmness and in doing so, may carry your attention away from the present and off someplace else. Pause. 1 min. And so for now, just staying predominantly with the breath at the belly, with the feeling of the air passing by the nostrils if you prefer. If your focus is the belly, feeling it expand gently on the in breaths, and recede gently on the out breaths, and returning to the belly and its movements whenever the mind is
carried away when you have noted where it went. And similarly with the breath at the nostrils, and using the stretches of silence to carry on the practice on your own. Pause. 3 min. Checking to see if your mind is on your breath right now. Pause. 2 min. If and when you feel like it, you might try expanding the field of awareness around your belly and around your breathing, to include a sense of your body as a whole, sitting. As well as the universe of individual sensations in the body, as you move in close on stillness, sitting without moving, allowing the silence to hold everything gently, caringly, in awareness, moment by moment. Pause. 5 min. Fully here in your body. Adjusting your posture if necessary, to reflect a sense of wakefulness and dignity. Pause. 2 min. And at this point you might explore letting go of your breath and your body altogether, and simply residing in awareness with no one anchor for your attention, present with whatever comes up moment to moment, holding it in awareness, watching it change, letting it all cook in the pot of mindfulness, reminding yourself if necessary to be compassionate and generous with yourself, to let go of judging and pursuing, and rejecting. To let go of thinking, and simply dwell in stillness and wakefulness and timelessness, holding everything, holding onto nothing. Pause. 5 min. And in the final moments of this sitting, perhaps coming back to the breath as the primary object of your attention, and to the body as a whole, simply sitting, simply present, simply here, now, awake, alive, still. And perhaps affirming the possibility of bringing mindfulness to the everyday events and occurrences of your life as well. Beyond formal sitting meditation practice. For it is in the conduct of our daily lives that the deeper practice and challenges of mindfulness reside. Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 3, Side B Bells. Making yourself as comfortable as possible, lying on your back, in a place and at a time where you can feel safe and relaxed, and where you are not likely to be disturbed by anyone or by the telephone. Lying on the floor on a thick mat or pad, or on a bed. Propping yourself up with pillows if you like, and finding a position that works best for you if lying flat on your back is a problem. And covering yourself with a blanket for warmth if necessary, and as we go along, using my voice and my suggestions to guide you as best you can, all the while zeroing in on your own experience as you lie here. And using the stretches of silence to carry on the practice on your own, remembering that we are working on maintaining wakefulness from moment to moment, rather than getting so comfortable that we just go off into sleep. And so, when you are ready, gently bringing your mind to focus in on your belly and on your breathing. Feeling the belly rising with each in breath and falling back with each out breath. Pause. 15 seconds. And as you lie here, perhaps reminding yourself that the practice of mindfulness means above all the willingness to be available in this present moment, to be in touch with things as they are, moment to moment, without limiting and colouring our experience through our likes and dislikes, or through mental activities such as planning, remembering, denying, rejecting, promoting - all of which are the play of thinking and all of which you will run into during meditation. So reminding yourself from time to time to let go of the tendency to want things to be different from how they are right now, and allow them to be exactly as you find them in each moment. Giving yourself permission to be exactly where you are right now, and exactly as you find yourself. Being aware of what is on your mind, and what’s on your body, and how you are feeling, and remembering that there is no one right way to feel when you are practicing mindfulness. That what you are encountering in each moment is simply what you are encountering. And what you are feeling is simply what you are feeling. Above all, it is your awareness and your openness to the present moment that counts. Mindfulness is practiced through cultivating a non judgmental, non reactive, moment to moment awareness, using the sensations of breathing and a sense of our body as anchors for our attention, in the face of the inevitable thoughts and feelings, perceptions and impulses and the like, which impinge almost continually on our consciousness, and usually prevent us from being fully in touch with the present moment, and centred in where we are. Pause. 15 seconds. So we practice mindfulness simply by letting go of the past and of the future on purpose, over and over again if necessary, and opening over and over again, to this very moment, focusing in on the breath moving in and out of the body, and on the movements and sensations that go along with it, in the belly or at the nostrils. Not trying to control the breath in any way, but simply experiencing it as the air moves in and out of your body. Approaching each moment and every breath as a new beginning, a fresh moment of now in which to reside with calmness and acceptance, in touch with simple things such as being alive, being fully awake. So just feeling the breath now as it flows in and out of your body, giving yourself up to the waves of the breath, riding them here with your awareness, as you might ride the waves on a lake or at the ocean, if you were floating on a rubber raft, and you could feel the waves gently lifting you up and lowering you as you lie on the raft. Feeling the waves of the breath with your entire body as if your whole body were breathing, which it is. Pause. 1 min. And every time you find that your mind has wandered off someplace, just noting where it has gone and what is pulling at your mind, noticing its energy and any emotional charge it might be carrying. And
then just releasing yourself from it, intentionally letting go it, and returning to the breath and to the body lying here breathing. And remembering that the noting and the gentle letting go and the returning to the breath are all an intimate part of mindfulness practice. Not remedial corrections because the wandering of the mind is bad, or wrong, or isn’t supposed to happen. If you have a mind it’s going to wander. Sometimes more than others. Clarity and insight reside right here in these moments in seeing the mind go off and bringing it back too, as well as in moments of deep unwavering concentration. The key is to cultivate a willingness to be present with whatever appears in any moment, including feelings of pain or discomfort, impatience, even boredom or anxiety, sadness, grief, anything, just putting it into the pot of mindfulness and holding it here, where it cooks all by itself. Stirring it perhaps every once in awhile by looking even more deeply into it when it comes back strongly into the field of awareness. Experimenting with moving in close in this way when potential obstacles or challenges arise in your practice. Pause. 5 min. Fully in touch with your body lying here, and of the breath in this moment, and this one, and this one. Pause. 2 min. Watching your mind as well as your breathing, knowing where your mind is right now, and continually bringing it back to your body, back to this breath. Pause. 2:10 mins. And if you care to, perhaps at this point, scanning the body briefly, say from the feet all the way up to the top of your head. Breathing with every zone and region, just letting each in turn come into awareness, feeling whatever sensations are present, or for that matter, the absence of sensation in a particular region if that is the case, and breathing with each region in turn. Then letting go of it on an out breath. And as you do, perhaps feeling yourself softening, thinking, melting a little more into the surface you are lying on, and also, sinking a little deeper into stillness in a refined, discerning , open awareness. And then, moving on. So tuning in now to the feet, and then the lower legs, the knees, the upper legs and hips, and the entire pelvic region, the lower back and the belly, the solar plexus right below the ribcage, the upper back and the ribcage itself, the chest and the shoulder blades, and the shoulders, and when you are ready, moving down into the hands and the fingers and thumbs. The wrists and the forearms, the elbows, the upper arms, and the shoulders again. And then the neck and the throat, and the face and the head. Then finally, letting go of the body altogether, and just allowing awareness to reside without any location, simply wakeful as the breath moves freely also without location or boundary, as the boundaries between body and mind and world blur and dissolve into a sense of stillness and wholeness and belonging, at home right here, at peace right now. Pause. 4:30 min. And as the tape comes to an end re-establishing contact with your body. Maybe wiggling your toes and fingers, stretching and moving a little. Perhaps massaging your face and your head with your hands and fingers, and when you feel comfortable with it, allowing your eyes to open and resting here as long as you like before getting up. And as you lie here, affirming that it is possible to bring mindfulness into every aspect of your life, from taking out the garbage to doing the dishes, from cooking dinner to fixing the car to cleaning the house. From going to sleep, to waking up in the morning, from hugging to talking to listening. Thereby nourishing your life and turning it into an ongoing adventure in awareness, moment by moment, day by day. Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 4, Side A Mountain Meditation Bells. For this meditation if it is possible for you, sitting on the floor, on a firm cushion that raises the buttocks off the floor, and allows the knees to be in contact with the floor itself, slightly below the hips, so that the bottom half of your body makes a stable base out of which the upper half rises with a straight back, but not stiff, and the head held erect on the neck and shoulders, allowing the shoulders be fully relaxed. You might try lifting them up towards the ears and just letting them drop, and placing your hands either on your knees or together in a comfortable way in your lap, and of course it is fine to use a chair if sitting on the floor is a strain. And when you feel comfortable with it, allowing your eyes to close gently as you bring your attention to the flow of your breathing, feeling each in breath and each out breath. Just observing your breathing, without trying to change it or regulate it in any way. Allowing the body to be still, and sitting with a sense of dignity, a sense of resolve, a sense of being complete, whole, in this very moment, with your posture reflecting this sense of wholeness. Pause. 1 min. And as you sit here, picturing in your mind’s eye as best you can, the most beautiful mountain that you know, or have seen, or can imagine. Just holding the image and the feeling of this mountain in your mind’s eye, letting it gradually come into greater focus, observing its’ overall shape, its’ lofty peak high in the sky, the large base rooted in the rock of the earth’s crust, its’ deep or gently sloping sides. Noticing how massive it is, how solid, how unmoving, how beautiful both from afar and up close. Pause. 15 seconds. Perhaps your mountain has snow at the top and trees on the lower slopes. Perhaps it has one prominent peak, perhaps a series of peaks or a high plateau, whatever its shape or appearance, just sitting and breathing with the image of this mountain. Observing it; noting its’ qualities, and when you feel ready to, seeing if you can bring the mountain into your own body, so that your body sitting here and the mountain in your mind’s eye become one. So that as you sit here you share in the massiveness and the stillness and the majesty of the mountain, you become the mountain, rooted in the sitting posture. Your head becomes the lofty peak, supported by the rest of the body, and affording a panoramic vista. Your shoulders and arms the sides of the mountain, your buttocks and legs the solid base rooted to your cushion or to your chair. Experiencing in your body a sense of uplift from deep within your pelvis and spine, with each breath as you continue sitting becoming a little more a breathing mountain, unwavering in your stillness, completely what you are, beyond words or thought, a centred, rooted, unmoving presence. Now as you sit here, becoming aware of the fact that as the sun travels across the sky, the light and shadows and colours are changing virtually moment by moment in the mountain’s granite stillness. Night follows day and day follows night, the canopy of stars, the moon and then the sun, through it all the mountain just sits, experiencing change in each moment, constantly changing, yet always just being itself. It remains still as the seasons flow into one another, and as the weather changes moment by moment, and day by day. Calmness abiding all change. In summer there is no snow on the mountain except perhaps for the very peaks and crags shielded from direct sunlight. In the fall the mountain may wear a coat of brilliant fire colours, in winter a blanket of snow and ice. In any season it may find itself at times enshrouded in clouds or fog or pelted by freezing rain. People may come to see the mountain and comment on how beautiful it is, or how it is not a good day to see the mountain if it is too cloudy, or rainy or foggy or dark. None of this matters to the mountain, which remains at all times its essential self. Clouds may come and clouds may go, tourists may like it or not, the mountain’s
magnificence and beauty are not changed one bit by whether people see it or not, or by the weather. Seen or unseen, in sun or clouds, boiling or frigid, day or night, it just sits, being itself. At times visited by violent storms, buffeted by snow and rain and winds of unthinkable magnitude. Through it all the mountain sits. Spring comes, the birds sing in the trees once again, leaves return, flowers bloom in the high meadows and on the slopes, streams overflow with the waters of melting snow, through it all, the mountain continues to sit, unmoved by the weather, by what happens on the surface, by the world of appearances. And in the same way, as we sit in meditation, we can learn to experience the mountain, we can embody the same unwavering stillness and rootedness, in the face of everything that changes in our own lives, over seconds, over hours, over years. In our lives and in our meditation practice we experience constantly the changing nature of mind and body, and of the outer world. We have our own periods of light and darkness, our moments of colour, and our moments of drabness. Certainly we experience storms of varying intensity and violence in the outer world, and in our own minds and bodies, buffeted by high winds, by cold and rain, we endure periods of darkness and pain, as well as the moments of joy and uplift. Even our appearance changes constantly, experiencing a weather of its own. By becoming the mountain in our meditation practice we can link up with its strength and stability and adopt them for our own. We can use its energies to support our energy, to encounter each moment with mindfulness, and equanimity, and clarity. It may help us to see that our thoughts and feelings are preoccupations, our emotional storms and crises, even the things that happen to us, are very much like the weather on the mountain. We tend to take it all personally, but it’s strongest characteristic is impersonal, the weather of our own lives is not to be ignored or denied. It is to be encountered, honoured, felt, known for what it is, and held in awareness, and in holding it in this way, we come to know a deeper silence and stillness and wisdom. Mountains have this to teach us and much more if we can come to listen. So if you find you resonate in some way with the strength and stability of the mountain in your sitting, it may be helpful to use it from time to time in your meditation practice to remind you of what it means to sit mindfully, with resolve and wakefulness in true stillness. And so in the time that remains, continuing to sustain the mountain meditation on your own, in silence, moment by moment, until you hear the sound of the bells. Pause. 5 min.
Bells.
Series 2 – Tape 4, Side B Lake Meditation Bells. Let’s take a few moments to lie down in a comfortable place where we can feel supported and undisturbed. And touch base with the flow of our own breathing, and with a sense of the body as a whole, lying here. And when you feel ready, picturing in your mind’s eye a lake, a body of water, large or small, held in a receptive basin by the earth itself, noting in the mind’s eye and in your own heart, that water likes to pool in low places. It seeks it’s own level, asks to be held, contained. The lake you are invoking may be deep or shallow, blue or green, muddy or clear. With no wind the surface will be flat, mirror-like. It reflects trees, rocks, sky and clouds, holds everything in itself momentarily. Wind stirs up waves, reflections distort and disappear, but sunlight may still sparkle in the ripples and dance on the waves in a play of shimmering diamonds, and when night comes it’s the moon’s turn to dance on the lake or when the surface is still, to be reflected in it along with the outline of trees, and shadows. In winter, the lake may freeze over and yet be teeming with movement and life below. As you lie here breathing, as you establish this image of a lake in your mind’s eye, allowing yourself when you feel ready to bring it inside yourself completely, so that your being merges with the lake, becomes one with it, so that all your energies in this moment are held in awareness, with openness and compassion for yourself, in the same was as the lake’s waters are held by the receptive and accepting basin of the earth herself. Breathing as the lake, feeling its body as your body, allowing your mind and your heart to be open and receptive, moment by moment, to reflect whatever comes in or to be clear all the way to the bottom. Experiencing moments of complete stillness when both reflection and water are completely clear, and other moments perhaps when the surface is disturbed, choppy, stirred up, reflections and depth lost for a time. And through it all as you lie here, simply observing the play of the various energies of your own mind and heart, the fleeting thoughts and feelings, impulses and reactions which come and go as ripples and waves, noting their effects in contact with them, just as you are in contact with and feel the various changing energies that play on the lake. The wind, the waves, the light, the shadows, the reflections, the colours, the smells. Noticing the effects of your thoughts and feelings, do they disturb the surface and clarity of the mind’s lake? Do they muddy the waters? Is that okay with you? Isn’t having a rippling or a wavy surface part of being a lake? Might it be possible to identify not only with the surface of your lake, but with the entire body of water, so that you become the stillness below the surface as well, which at most experiences only gentle undulations even when the surface is whipped to frothing. In the same way, in your meditation practice and in your daily life, can you be in touch not only with the changing content and intensity of your thoughts and feelings, but also with the vast unwavering reservoir of awareness itself, residing below the surface of your mind. The lake can teach us this, remind us of the lake within ourselves. If you find this image to be of value you might want to use it from time to time to deepen and enrich your meditation practice. You might also invite this lake image to empower you and guide your actions in the world as you move through the unfolding of each day. Carrying a vast reservoir of mindfulness within your heart. Dwelling here in the stillness of this moment, we can be the lake in silence now for the remaining time, signalled by the sound of the bells, affirming our ability to hold in awareness, and in acceptance right now, all our qualities of mind and body, just as the lake sits held, cradled, contained by the earth, reflecting sun, moon ,stars, trees, rocks, clouds, sky, birds, light. Caressed by the air and the wind, which bring out and highlight its’ sparkle, its’ vitality, its’ potential, moment by moment. Pause. 5 min. Bells.
