Mindfulness Exercise – Assignment Week 7
Heather Beamish
Settling the Mind in Its Natural State (Daily Rhythms) and Mindfulness of Breathing (Abdomen).
For this meditation we’re going to focus our attention on the sensory experiences of the time of the day that we’re practicing. Whether you’re inside or outdoors, focus your attention on something in your surroundings, and then allow all of your senses to perceive it; observing the processes of your mind while doing so, allow your body to relax into a calm and peaceful state. Sit comfortably, or lay down on your back, with your head in a relaxed position, and tongue gently pressed to the palate of your mouth. Soften your gaze onto something in your environment that is calming for you. When you’re relaxed you may wish to move your focused attention to other aspects of the environment that you wish to observe (Alan Wallace, 2014).
Following your breath, let your attention explore your surroundings, while bringing to mind the five physical senses, in partnership with the 6th sense of the Mind – For a few minutes, calmly observe the things that you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste in your environment. Observe your Mind and how it perceives those things. Are there any thoughts, or emotions that come up in relation to your environment? They may be blissful, luminous, or happy, or they may be anxious, angry, or sad. Continue your practice with an intention of loving compassion and kindness to yourself and your surroundings, without judgement or grasping (Alan Wallace, 2014).
Allow your thoughts to come and go with your breath and notice if your mind is starting to wander. Perhaps it is going to past or future thoughts; observe your mind again; is it dull, hyperactive, or chaotic? Without judgement, turn your attention back to the setting of your original focus for the meditation and be guided by your breathing to a calm relaxed state (Alan Wallace, 2014).
Now, silently repeat the following 2 x ‘Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Breathing in, I know I am alive. Breathing out, I smile’ (Thich Nhat Hahn). If there are feelings that are difficult, this is normal, and you may choose to focus your attention again solely to the breath to assist you to move through your experience with awareness and loving kindness (Plum Village). We will close this Meditation with an extended Mindfulness of Breathing Exercise.
Deep Breathing into the Abdomen
For this part of the Meditation we are going to focus more inwardly. We take 24 self paced deep breaths into the Abdomen. Closing your eyes, place your hands on your abdomen so that you can feel the rise and fall of your breath. On the exhale of each breath count silently until you reach 24. Allow your mind to be free from expectation or demand. You may wish to focus on loving kindness, or just to observe your Minds patterns without judgement. This is called – awareness of awareness (Alan Wallace, 2014).
When you have finished your rounds of breath, ask yourself what has been meaningful to you in this practice. Listen to the Bell at the end of this Meditation until you can’t hear it ringing anymore (Smiling Mind).
References
Contemplative Consciousness (n.d.). Settling the Mind in its Natural State Podcast (1). Retrieved from https://contemplative-consciousness.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/3.- Settling-the-Mind-in-its-Natural-State-1.mp3
Plum Village App. (n.d.). Breathing in, I Know I’m Breathing in | Thich Nhat Hanh (short teaching video). Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://youtu.be/fOkphTWkY1Q
Plum Village, Brother Phap Lai. (2020, November 4). Five Practices to Cultivate the Miracle of Mindfulness. Retrieved May 3, 2022, from https://plumvillage.app/five-practices-to-cultivate-the-miracle-of-mindfulness/
Smiling Mind. (2022). Retrieved from. https://www.smilingmind.com.au
Wallace, A. (2005). Genuine Happiness, Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Wallace, A. PhD. (2014). Settling the Mind in its Natural State – Discovering the Innate Bliss, Luminosity, and Nonconceptuality of Unmodified Awareness. Retrieved may 3, 2022, from https://www.upaya.org/program/?id=116