[audio:MM-Settling-the-Body-Mind-Audio.mp3]

Adapted from “Minding Closely: The Four Applications of Mindfulness”~ B. Alan Wallace

This exercise’s primary purpose is to help us relax and settle the body & mind. The body rests in comfort and ease- still as a mountain. The mind rests in non-conceptual awareness as still as space. As is customary in our formal meditation exercises, we will need find a comfortable, grounded, and stable position, either seated or supine, in a quiet space that will allow us to remain uninterrupted. When ready, let’s gently and slowly bring our attention to our breath… just breathing here and now with present moment awareness for a minute or so, and noticing the breath with each inhalation and exhalation as the abdomen rises and falls naturally and effortlessly.

As best you can, now bringing your present moment awareness within the field of tactile sensations in the body- with the feet, legs, torso, arms, neck, and head. Resting here and now with this mindful attention- and allowing our awareness to settle into the field of the body…

In our moment to moment awareness, we are simply witnessing and noticing with “bare attention”- non-judgmentally and non-conceptually, the tactile sensations experienced here and now in the body- whether solid, fluid, hot, cold, tingly, prickly, etc., as they arise & fall in awareness. Here and now maintaining this continuous awareness of bodily sensations- relaxed, still and vigilant.

As we continue to breathe here and notice the body, we are willfully relaxed loosening further with each out-breath. We can almost feel here a “melting-merging” sensation as we surrender all excess muscular tension to gravity… releasing tightness in the shoulders… softening the muscles of the face, jaw, and mouth… opening the forehead, particularly between the eyebrows… and relaxing the muscles around the eyes.

Let you body here and now be still as it settles into progressively deeper comfort and ease.  Apart from the natural movement of the breath, try to remain as motionless as possible, with relaxed alertness to whatever tactile sensations the body is revealing. Continue relaxing more deeply with each exhalation- the muscles in the abdomen soft and loose. Involuntary thoughts and/or “mental chatter” of our tenacious and habitual “monkey mind” may arise here, but rather than becoming caught up in them or trying to stop them forcefully, simply release them with each out-breath. Let them go as a sigh of relief… and let the mind settle effortlessly and gently into this calming silence and stillness.

Again, we are here and now immersed in our present moment awareness, non-conceptually and non-judgmentally witnessing the sensations of the body. We are attending closely to whatever tactile events arise in this field. We are observing them nakedly from moment to moment, without thinking, cogitating, or ruminating. Each moment of experience is fresh, unprecedented, and unique as the body breathes itself without any influence of desires, expectations, or preferences. Here and now, we are embodied mindfully with this… relaxed and resting in this open, present moment awareness. Let us continue here for a couple of more minutes just breathing with whatever tactile sensations of body may be present….

When ready, let’s slowly and gently come back into our normal activities- and allowing ourselves a moment or two to rejoice in this timeless space and freedom of mindfulness practice… I leave you now in peace with the energy & light of mindfulness.

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