Relaxation

Whether we achieve deep levels of relaxation in our meditation is not so important. Sometimes it comes and sometimes it doesn't. Our only concern is to be present with the mind as it is. So it's really tempting to confuse meditation and relaxation because meditation is training in awareness and compassion, learning to be present. The more present we are the more we understand our own mind, the more we understand our own mind, the more we start to understand what everybody is going through, this idea of a shared human condition. So there's training and awareness and compassion is fundamentally different from simply relaxing. But of course, when we meditate very often we experience some relaxation. It's not a bad thing. This is just a very positive sort of side effect if you like, but it won't always be present in our meditation. And that's okay. In fact, it's even a good thing. We need to be able to apply that awareness and compassion even to those moments in life when the mind is very busy, even when the emotions are very difficult. So meditation provides us with that opportunity even when the mind is busy, even when we're not experiencing any relaxation to learn how to be present with that sense of understanding and openness which then allows us to apply to everyday life. So just taking a moment or two to settle the body, making sure you're sat comfortably, that you're not going to be disturbed. We'll begin with the eyes open. Aware of the space around you. And some big deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. With the next out breath closing the eyes and just feeling weight of the body, the weight of gravity pressing down. Noticing how the weight falls. It falls evenly. Noticing where else you feel those points of contact. And as you begin to notice any sounds, rather than resisting the sounds, allowing them to come and go, just beginning to notice all the different sounds around you. Having taken a moment just to settle the body, just starting to notice how the body feels right now, if there's this sense of heaviness or lightness in the body. Any sense of stillness, restlessness. And then as you begin at the top of the body, top of the head, just scanning down, noticing any particular sensations, just building up a picture of how the body feels. And if you haven't done already to notice the breath, it's in a very general way to begin with. Just noticing maybe feeling more in the chest, the stomach, diaphragm. Not breathing in any special way and just noticing where you feel that movement. And just starting to notice the length of each breath. Each in breath, each out breath. Just following it from the beginning to the end. And as you continue to follow that movement, just counting the breaths as they pass. Remember just up to a count...