1. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Anchoring Breath

Welcome friend. I'm Lin Cassie Zhen, thank you for joining me on being Awareness. Where we explore mindfulness, meditation, and self-awareness,

Today's exploration is the meanings of the terms mindfulness and meditation, and we'll practice anchoring attention through mindful breath.

The term mindfulness is everywhere these days, but what exactly does it mean? From what I learned and experienced so far, it seems to include two important components. The first, a spacious, kind, non-judgmental awareness of the present, and the second, the practice of responding appropriately to the present from that state of awareness.

Mindfulness extends both internally and externally. As humans experiencing a physical existence, we are constantly receiving external stimuli, large or small, which usually elicit a response. The question is, how might we bring awareness to receiving such stimuli? And how might we respond appropriately from a place of spacious awareness?

And what is meditation? If I asked 100 people this question, I'd probably get 100 different answers. The wonderful teacher, Jack Kornfield, puts it beautifully. Meditation at its core. Is the training, directing, or focus of attention in a deliberate way? One more time. Meditation at its core is the training, directing, or focus of attention in a deliberate way, formal meditation.

Which is probably what most people associate with the term involves dedicated space and time carved out specifically for sitting or moving practices. While informal meditation involves bringing the same training, directing, and focus of attention to everyday experiences, the purpose of formal meditation is not to escape the everyday life on a cushion.

But to learn to create space and bring mindfulness into everyday experiences. One could be in a meditative state at all times. It's a state of mind.

Modern life can be full of distractions, demands, and stimuli that can sometimes feel overwhelming. The mind can constantly be on hyper drive. Comparing, judging and churning in endless loops. If our minds are so preoccupied with these patterns, how is it affecting our lives? How might we see these patterns clearly and decide what to do with them?

When it comes to getting started with a practice of mindfulness, there's no one size fits all. Some folks find formal meditation an easy entryway into the practice. While to others, the format of formal meditation might feel initially a bit inaccessible. Personally, I began my own mindfulness practice through informal meditation of bringing awareness to everyday activities.

Eventually I incorporated formal meditation to deepen my practice. Both are great practices that compliment one another even though we practice formal meditation. In this podcast, I strongly encourage applying what one learns from the practice to everyday life as we practice together. Please reflect on how you might incorporate these practices into your own daily activities.

I would like to invite you to create a bit of spacious awareness with me here today through a seven minute guided meditation, exploring mindful breath, as breath as a simple anchor, and is ever present in our living experiences. Even if you only notice a pinpoint of mindfulness in this moment, it can eventually grow into vastness.

Finding a place where you can feel comfortable, establish a posture in which you're both relaxed and alert. Whether seated, standing, or even lying down.

If it's accessible to you. Keeping the body relaxed while the spine straight.

Gently closing your eyes or keep them downcast, whichever feels most comfortable right now.

If you notice any obvious tightness or tension in the body, then you can easily release, do so.

Now bringing your attention to the fact that your body is breathing. Notice that it's always breathing very naturally.

Begin by noticing where it's easiest to feel the breath or most pleasant.

It might be the cooling sensation of the inbreath as the air enters the nostrils, or it might be the warming sensations on the upper lip, on the outbreath.

Wherever you find the breath easiest to feel or most pleasant. Resting your kind attention there.

If you find your breath subtle or hard to feel, please feel free to gently place your hands on your belly and notice the rise and fall of the belly. In the palms of your hands with every inhale and exhale.

Now, let yourself feel the next three in and out breaths as you feel each breath. Let the mind calm and the body relax.

Now feel three more.

Continuing with this relaxed and calming attention on the breath. Each time you notice that the attention has wondered. Gently bring it back, recognize it, letting it be no judgment like training a puppy, calling it lovingly to return to sit and stay.

If it's helpful, you can expand and notice the beginning, middle, and end of each breath rising, and the beginning, middle, and end of each breath falling.

Notice the space between breaths. Rest, relax with the rhythm of your breathing.

Each breath rising and falling with mindful awareness.

Notice where your attention is now. If it's drifted, gently returning it to the sensation of breathing. As you feel each breath, let the mind calm. And the body relax.

You're fully here, awake, aware, at ease.

When you're ready, gently flutter open your eyes and become aware of the space immediately surrounding you.

And then slowly expanding your awareness to notice the larger space.

Thank you for practicing Mindful Breath with me today. Before we go back to our everyday activities, I'd like to leave you with a couple of inquiries. What was it like to bring awareness to the breath? What felt easily accessible and what didn't? And finally, how may we bring the mindfulness of breath into an everyday activity?

I look forward to practicing with you next time. May you be well.