﻿A Guided Meditation on the Body, Space & Awareness Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Welcome!
I’m very happy to share with you
some meditation instructions.
It is very simple:
Please keep your spine straight.
Just straight, but don't worry too much about perfection.
I have to stay there, perfectly!
Just keep straight.
And please close your eyes.
Just close your eyes like you’re sleeping.
You don’t have to close them too tightly, or in any special way.
And relax your muscles in your body.
Relax the muscles in your head,
forehead, face, ears, cheeks,
throat, upper body,
arms and hands,
lower body, legs and feet.
Just totally relax,
yet with your spine straight.
And bend your neck forward a little bit.
It's almost like the weight of your head rests on your neck.
You can effortlessly rest.
Each part of the body rests on the one below.
And in this way,
you feel like you’re resting
but there’s also some strength,
so you can find balance.
All the parts of your body are resting,
one on top of the other.
But, at the same time,
there’s a strength within you.
Your spine is straight.
Sometimes you feel a little bit of gravity.
And sometimes you feel some sensations.
Just let it be.
Whatever feeling is in your body,
just be aware and let it be.
When I was young,
my father used to tell me,
"Let your body be on the cushion,
and let your mind be in the body."
This way, you join body and mind together.
Your mind comes into the body.
Just be aware of your body,
and be aware of any sensation or feelings in your body.
Pleasant feelings,
joy,
bliss,
or unpleasant feelings,
tightness,
pain,
or neutral feelings,
maybe tingling,
or no feeling.
So, with any type of feeling,
just be aware
and let it be.
OK, for a few seconds,
just be aware
and relaxed.
OK.
Now, you can expand your awareness
beyond your body,
to what surrounds you.
Maybe there are some sounds,
or some smells,
or some sensations,
like your room temperature is a little bit too hot or cold,
or some noise,
like people chatting,
or a car, a train, or airplanes
moving around,
or your neighbors making noise.
Anything.
Just be aware.
Just know.
Just recognize there are sounds.
And your awareness becomes
more open,
and vaster.
Stay there
and be aware of any phenomena
for a few seconds.
Now,
you can expand your awareness
beyond your immediate surrounding.
Feel the space around you,
above you,
and be aware of that space.
Further,
deeper.
All the phenomena
are occurring in the space,
changing in the space,
dissolving back into the space.
Like clouds,
they come into the space,
remain in the space,
and dissolve into the space.
And, now, you can expand your awareness even more.
Go beyond the clouds,
into space, which is boundless.
Space, which is open in all directions,
everywhere.
Be there.
Don’t worry, you’re not going to get lost.
Stay there for few seconds.
OK, now,
please slowly open your eyes,
and be present
here.
And rest your mind, also — not only the body.
How do you rest your mind?
For example:
If you like to do physical exercise,
like jogging in the garden or park,
or hiking in the hills or mountains,
maybe for a few minutes or hours...
let’s say one hour...
After you finish your jog,
you may use a nice seat
or a rock, or a grass field.
Sit on the grass field
and, with a big sigh,
“Ahh,”
just rest.
You don’t have to meditate,
just let your mind rest as it is
and the body, also.
Just rest...
for a few seconds.
Maybe you feel like,
“Oh, there are so many thoughts,
so many emotions occurring in my mind.
What should I do with those emotions,
those thoughts?”
Same.
Same as before, you just be aware.
If there are thoughts and emotions,
you’re just aware of thoughts and emotions,
what I call “blah blah blah,”
just look at the “blah blah blah,”
be aware, and let it be.
Same as when you’re aware of your body,
aware of sounds and sensations,
now it’s the same: Just be aware of thoughts and emotions.
Let them come,
and let them go.
But, if you cannot be aware of them,
it’s also fine.
You're in a non-conceptual state of mind,
but not too long — only for a few seconds.
Again, when you see thoughts and emotions,
or forms, sounds, smells — anything,
just be aware... for a few seconds.
If anything occurs in your mind,
in your body,
in your perceptions,
just be aware, and let it be.
OK. Now, you can apply this awareness,
this openness,
this awareness
with any situation
in your life,
with any activities in your daily life.
Short time, many times,
everywhere, anytime.
Seven days a week,
365 a year.
In this way,
you can fill your mind
with joyful, peaceful experiences,
and you will develop your inner love, compassion, and wisdom.
Thank you!