Transcription
[The beginning of this talk was not recorded.]
... actually working with the attention in a much more focused way. So in a way, narrowing the attentiveness to this area here, kind of above the upper lip or just below the nostrils, or just inside the nostrils, the tip of the nose -- that sort of area. And bringing a very delicate, sensitive kind of attention there. As the breath goes in and out, it moves over the skin there, either on the outside or just inside the nose. And just attending to that, the basic, simple sensations there as breath comes in and out. So there's a very light, delicate, sensitive attention. But it's much more narrowly focused. And of course, as many of you will know anyway, the mind wanders, and one just brings it back over and over again. It's part of the practice -- very much so. So that's the second possibility, is working in this area.
The third possibility is working down somewhere in the abdomen. And as the breath comes in, the abdomen rises. And as the breath goes out, the abdomen falls. And again, just bringing to bear a delicate sensitivity of attention to those simple sensations as the abdomen rises and falls.
So those are three possibilities. Some of you already know what works best for you, and just go for that. Others, especially if you're new, you might want to just experiment a little bit and see what feels the most helpful for you, and then stick with that. Okay?
[1:46, guided meditation begins]
If you want establish yourself in your meditation posture -- so, the posture reflecting this balance that we're aspiring to with the mind, the heart, uprightness, wakefulness, but also gentleness, softness, openness. Checking in, particularly in the chest area. Is it possible there can be some sense of softness and openness there? And just letting yourself settle into your posture, letting the body settle down. Drawing the awareness into the body, to inhabit the body. And if you want, you can scan down the body again, and relax any obvious areas of tension. Just really connecting with the body, the life of the body, through awareness.
And when you feel ready, beginning to turn the attentiveness in a very wholehearted way, a very full and bright way, to connect with the breathing. And working in any one of the ways I've outlined, any one of the three ways, whichever way is most helpful for you. And if you're new, by all means, using this sitting as a bit of an experimentation period, and just playing with each one, and seeing if you can find what works best for you, what feels the best, and settling on that.
[05:13, guided meditation / recording ends]
