[audio:MM-A-3-Minute-Mindful-Pause.mp3]

Adapted from “Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief”~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Introduction– This is a wonderfully simple meditation that will allow you to reconnect with yourself whenever necessary- especially in the midst of turmoil or difficulty. It’s a mobile meditation practice that you can have at your disposal wherever you may be, and whenever you may need to restore some degree of balance, resilience, and self-compassion.

In preparing for this exercise, it is best to adopt a sitting posture that will sustain your comfort, stability, and wakefulness.

Practice– When ready, let’s first allow ourselves to connect with the present moment simply as it is- and holding it in awareness as best we can… allowing ourselves to feel however it is we are already feeling, whether it be pressed for time, stressed, agitated, or even joyful and content, etc… whatever it might be that is calling out for our caring and compassionate attention… and let’s just bring our full awareness to this pattern of feelings and circumstances… simply being with what’s here and now- not judging or changing it… openly inviting whatever is arising in this moment-to-moment awareness… anchoring ourselves in our breathing as we hold it all in awareness- in the timeliness of the “here and now”.

As you are sitting here with your breathing- allowing something in particular that you are presently experiencing to take center stage in your field of awareness… and focusing your mindsight here on this object of attention… illuminating its presence. It could be anything you would like to focus upon. Perhaps it may be an intense bodily sensation… or a story you are telling yourself about it at the moment… or it could be a mild feeling… or a thought… something disturbing, distressing… or joyful. Simply breathing with it- in and out… in and out… just holding it in awareness as best you can with gentleness and kindness as a mother might cradle her small child in full acceptance, with great love and understanding for this attention… and simply recognizing and accepting any sensation that arises as a sensation- any thought as a thought- any emotion as an emotion.

And now just letting go of this focus and resting at best you can here in awareness itself… simply allowing any sensations, thoughts, or emotions to come and go like riding on water as you dwell in the spaciousness of your own heart… allowing yourself to feel whatever is to be felt… and to know whatever is to be known… because it is already here-already as it is. Here and now, experiencing this spaciousness of awareness itself, and how this awareness feels in your body and in your heart in this moment.

And then as we begin to close this brief meditation- inviting yourself to bring this boundless, spacious, openhearted awareness as best you can, even in the briefest of moments now and again, with the lightest of touches to all aspects of your life as you resume the activities of your day…

Comments