Appreciating the Quiet

To settle into a quiet space, to sit undisturbed, is one of the most precious things in life. Cherish this time, savor each moment as though it were the last. So for most of us, our lives are very busy. Our minds tend to be very busy as well. So having the opportunity to be still in the body, to observe thoughts coming and going, that's a rare thing. And it's tempting to think that we need to do it. We have to do it. It's something that's good for our health and almost, it's like eating a very healthy food that we don't really especially like the taste of or something. But if we can instead turn that around and think of meditation more as a treat. This is the one moment in the day when there is nothing to do, there's no pressure, there's no responsibility. We don't have to think about anything. We don't have to try and solve anything. We don't have to make any decisions. We don't have to try and fix anything, in that moment, we are completely free with nothing to do. So just when you do sit to meditate, just reminding yourself of that rare opportunity, appreciating each and every passing moment. So take a moment to make sure that you're comfortable and you're not gonna be disturbed by anything. We're gonna begin with some big deep breaths. Remember eyes open, soft focus. And then when you're ready, in through the nose and out through the mouth. With the next out breath, closing the eyes, allowing the breath to return to its natural rhythm. As you just feel the weight of the body pressing down as the mind just takes a moment to acknowledge those different points of contact. Just noticing any sounds instead of resisting them, just allowing them to come and go. And just bringing the attention back to the body now, noticing how the body feels. Any sense of restlessness or of stillness. Any particularly strong feelings of comfort or discomfort. And then just to get a clearer picture, starting at the top of the head, just scanning down through the body. All the way down to the toes. Shifting the focus to the breath now as you begin to notice where in the body you feel that rising and falling sensation. Remember if you can't feel anything, just gently placing your hand on the stomach. Starting to be more aware of each breath, noticing how long, how short, how deep or shallow, each in breath and each out breath is. So just to help maintain that focus, just starting to count the breaths as they pass and any time the mind wanders off, and you realize you've been distracted, just letting go of that. Coming back to the breath and just picking up the counting from where you left off. Allowing thoughts to come and go, no real effort required. Just watching, following the natural rhythm of the...