Center Yourself In the Present Moment
Let’s Meditate
Guided by Travis Winter, LCSW

So maybe it’s good for us to start with just a few minutes to settle. We’ll settle into our bodies and settle into this space. Right here in our body and our heart and our mind. 
I like to begin often by rocking a little, gently. A little bit side to side, very gentle, then a little bit back and forth to find that center, where I feel very grounded and balanced. You kind of know in between your two sitz bones, if you find that spaciousness of settled and grounded. Maybe you’ll notice whether you have more weight on one side or the other, and you can correct to feel more balanced. Finding that place of balance, harmony, solidity. 
What you can find in the moment and in the movement, is where you’re leaning possibly into your experience too much, or maybe where you’re pulling back from it too much. You can find the center. You can see that just by doing the posture, it also can affect the way our mind and our heart come into the center of things. 
So as we settle into this grounded posture, lets remember why we’re sitting and why we’re here. 
One thing we try to discover in practice is the balance of energy. I’m not sure that’s about more or less effort. I think we find the balance between relaxation and interest. 
Relaxation is not the goal of practice, but relaxation in the mind, and heart, and body, helps mindfulness too. To help us be awake and alert, where mind is characterized by both spaciousness and curiosity. So as we begin this practice let us find that balance between relaxation and interest. Letting things be just as they are. Aware, awake and alert.
In this guided meditation, we’ll use the awareness of both breathing and being fully in the body as a foundation to extend and expand the experience of moment-to-moment awareness. 
So as we just did, we’re going to begin by finding that most comfortable position of balance that allows us to be relaxed and awake. Keeping your back straight. Feeling yourself solidly on the chair or on the floor as you sit. Your arms and hands in a restful positon, and your eyes either closed or half open, gazing softly in the floor in front of you. 
If it helps you might stretch, or shrug your shoulders a little as you settle into this position. Then, bring your attention to your breathing. 
Notice the quality of your breathing, whether it shallow or deep. Whether you’re breathing mainly from the chest or from deep in your belly. Observe your in breath, and your out breath for several cycles. Maybe try saying quietly to yourself, “in” as you breath in, “out” as you breath in. “in” and “out”. 
Breathing in, I calm my body and mind. Breathing out, I release tension. 
You may discover that as you become more accustomed to the practice of paying attention to your breathing, you start to notice more details. Perhaps you can feel your nostrils widen on the in breath or the quality of the cool air on your inhale. 
Perhaps your rib cage expanding and your belly rising gently and falling on the out breath. 
Now bring your awareness to your body. Bring your attention to your feet and legs. To your hips. 
Notice any sensations. Allowing yourself to let go of any tension, and relax your lower body.
Feel it stable as a base, supporting you. Bring your attention to your torso. To your hands and arms, your shoulders and neck, your head and face. Paying special attention to releasing the tension in your shoulders and face, and jaw. 
Feel the weight of your body, as it relaxes against the surfaces that support it. Allow it to become heavier, sinking deeper. Now scan your whole body, from the soles of your feet to the crown of your head. Noticing any areas of tightness or tension and allow them to soften. Breath into them, release, and relax.
Turn your attention to the breath again. Breathing form your whole body. In and out. In and out.
With the steady awareness of your body as your foundation, allow your experience to expand and allow your mind to rest in spacious, moment to moment awareness. 
Before long, various thoughts will arise. This is completely normal and everyone who practices meditation experiences this. What is important is how we regard our thoughts. 
In mindfulness meditation we practice bringing an open, accepting attitude to ourselves, to our experiences. To all our experience. Not filtering out what we consider causative or trying to avoid the negative. 
Developing a calm and spacious mind that observes everything, just as it is, with a non-judgement, impartial attitude. 
Right now, as you notice thoughts arising, practice just noting them. In the beginning, we hardly notice ourselves thinking. Until we find ourselves well into a heated argument or a letter we’re writing, or a notice we’re thinking, or a speech we’re composing. 
We’re so used to this continual string of inner dialogue and thinking that we usually don’t even notice it. It takes some practice to catch thoughts as they arrive.
So now when you realize you’re thinking practice being aware that you are thinking. This is mindfulness practice.
Perhaps saying to yourself, I am aware that I am thinking, and reminding yourself to return to your breathing. You may say softly, “thinking” to yourself. Release the thought as you return to your stable, centered, mindful breathing. 
Each time, as a thought appears, you repeat this. Label it “thinking” and return to your breath. Your base. 
It’s important to know that you have a choice. You can choose to follow your line of thinking and let it carry you away, in deciding what you want to say to your boss tomorrow, or what to make for dinner for tonight. Or you can choose to come back to this later, and remind yourself that right here, right now, you’re choosing to be fully present in this moment. 
You’re not in the past, not in the future, but fully present here and now. 
Some thoughts and feelings are very seductive. We often develop elaborate storylines or narratives. 
Often defending ourselves or judging others. Or reliving an experience or rewriting a script. In mindfulness meditation, we practice not being sucked into the content of a thought, or we might say not being hooked. No matter how interesting or compelling it is. 
This mindfulness practice is to notice your mind has wandered. Choosing not to follow and returning gently but firmly to your breath. 
Try it now as you become aware of a thought arising. Noting, not being hooked, saying softly “thinking” returning to my breath. 
Thoughts arise like waves coming to the surface of the ocean. They fall back again, dissolving back again. Notice the rising and the falling away. Neither rejecting your thoughts nor going after them. Just continue to note them arising and return to the steadiness of your mindful breathing. Your awareness of this present moment. 
It’s like returning home, over and over again. It takes patience, and a very light effort. Whenever you notice your mind has wandered, just guide it back home firmly and gently. To rest in open, spacious awareness that is your true nature, without limit, boundless like the sky. 
We’ll practice that quietly together for just about two minutes. 
[silence]
When you are ready, allow your awareness to return to the room. Perhaps opening your eyes slowly, maybe stretching a little. As you do so, remind yourself that whenever you find yourself being carried away by a powerful flood of thoughts that do not serve you, you can choose to pause, return to your breath, and center yourself in the present moment. 
I’ll end our time together with the ringing of the bell.
[bell rings]