Sabrina’s Meditation Practice

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This is an open space of discovery, of self-love, and of healing. A practice that will lead us towards feeling whole within ourselves and connected to everything around us.

Many people say they cannot meditate because their minds won’t stop chattering. This is a common misunderstanding that meditating means having no thoughts. While moving into inner stillness is one of the many fruits of meditation practice, it is not the goal of the practice itself. This is a process of self-exploration, self-discovery and self transformation.

Watching where the thoughts go is the practice, so don’t try to silence them. Be open to where they take you, with a detached curiosity.

Detachment is necessary, because whether we know it or not we react to our thoughts, despite knowing that they are just thoughts and it is in these reactions that we find ourselves distracted, suffering, or unhappy.

So before stepping into meditation or feeling the bliss there we must first cross a bridge, detaching at will from the senses. This means, wherever we are, there are always sounds, sights, aromas, and other vibrations entering our senses. The idea is to just let them all be there, coming and going. This meditation is to help bring the mind to a single-pointed focus of concentration. By having these single points of focuses and intentionally choosing to focus on them, there becomes less space in the mind to be distracted. The effect is a steadier mind in which thought slows down.

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We take our seat to still the fluctuations of the mind.

Asanam-Chitta vritti nirodaha

alignment of the spine	neutral flow of breath
rooted sitting bones	head floats on top of spine
open heart center	shoulder blades release down
hand on knees or lap	chin slightly down

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1. Sit comfortably tall, drawing attention to the breath
2. Allow breath to flow softly and quietly, simply watching it without trying to change it in any way.
3. Feel and visualize the breath flowing in through the nostrils, down through the throat and into your lungs, receiving the breath in as if it was a gift from a loved one.
4. As easily and naturally as the breath flows into your body, let it flow back out just as effortlessly, with a sense of giving back the gift we all share.
5. Allow your mind to become completely absorbed in the flow of our breath, noticing how it arises, where it travels inside and how you feel.
6. When you notice your mind wandering, gently bring it back to the rhythmic flow of your inhales and exhales.
7. Staying fully absorbed in the breath and allowing it to continue flowing freely, starting to notice the natural quieting and stillness of the mind that happens when you are empty of breath, allowing that sense of quiet to ride along with the following inhale.
8. At the crest of your inhale, feel the rising quiet expand into a feeling of openess and spaciousness in the mind and then simply let the breath flow out.
9. Stay with it, continuously coming back to the feeling of your thoughts as though enveloped in the breath as it flows in and out of your body

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In meditation we become aware of what is inside us and around us; we are fresher more alive in our daily existence. As we become freer and happier we cease to act in ways that bring suffering and we are able to bring about change around us and within us.

This meditation can be practiced for any length of time, on or off the mat.