Friday Night Guided Meditation

0:00 Good evening everyone. Welcome. We are about to do a half hour meditation. First thing I'd like to share is something I've learnt and I'm very grateful to have learnt from Ajahn Brahm, which is that a big part of meditation is in your emotional side of your being rather than the intellectual side. So So, positive feelings, anything that's nice, soft and warm, friendliness, compassion, gratefulness, to be grateful that we are here on a Friday evening, end of a work week, hopefully for all of you, that you can come and rest and relax in a nice, safe place. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:56 Being thankful for that, appreciative of that, puts our hearts in a nice place. Report an error in the passage at 0:56 Highlight the passage at 0:56

1:07 And then if you're suffering, having had a difficult week, giving yourself compassion, giving Report an error in the passage at 1:07 Highlight the passage at 1:07

1:19 yourself rest. All these kind of thoughts Report an error in the passage at 1:19 Highlight the passage at 1:19

1:27 inclines the mind and the body to want to let go of the hassle of the world and to just want to have a moment of rest. So Report an error in the passage at 1:27 Highlight the passage at 1:27

1:48 as we posture the body, In a comfortable upright position, we Report an error in the passage at 1:48 Highlight the passage at 1:48

2:04 also posture our heart and our mind into a comfortable position. Report an error in the passage at 2:04 Highlight the passage at 2:04

2:17 Just as you might put nice warm blankets around yourself or nice warm jacket around yourself. Also feel the nice warmth around your heart. Report an error in the passage at 2:17 Highlight the passage at 2:17

2:45 Starting the meditation, I have the habit We're first focusing on the abdominal area, the stomach. See if you can relax the muscles of your stomach, the six-pack muscles. Report an error in the passage at 2:45 Highlight the passage at 2:45

3:07 Now that everybody else have closed their eyes, you don't have to suck it in. You can let it all hang out. So relax. Report an error in the passage at 3:07 Highlight the passage at 3:07

3:23 And it turns out that the muscles at the back, the lumbar muscles, I think they're called the antagonist muscles. So the muscles at the front bends the body forward, the muscles at the back bends the backbone backwards. Report an error in the passage at 3:23 Highlight the passage at 3:23

3:42 See if you can relax both of them so Report an error in the passage at 3:42 Highlight the passage at 3:42

3:50 that you use just the minimum amount of effort to keep your body upright. You Report an error in the passage at 3:50 Highlight the passage at 3:50

4:12 can also relax the muscles on the left and right, the oblique muscles. Report an error in the passage at 4:12 Highlight the passage at 4:12

4:22 Where you might get tickled, for example. And Report an error in the passage at 4:22 Highlight the passage at 4:22

4:40 you'll notice that when you relax these muscles, there is more space for the tummy, more space for the intestines to Report an error in the passage at 4:40 Highlight the passage at 4:40

5:01 do their thing. It actually Report an error in the passage at 5:01 Highlight the passage at 5:01

5:09 feels a bit more comfortable. And Report an error in the passage at 5:09 Highlight the passage at 5:09

5:29 the next thing that you will automatically notice is the presence of the breath. The breath comes to you. When you relax your abdominal area, see Report an error in the passage at 5:29 Highlight the passage at 5:29

6:13 if you can perceive this breath, not as yours, but as a separate entity, a friend, a Report an error in the passage at 6:13 Highlight the passage at 6:13

6:31 friend right in front of you. Report an error in the passage at 6:31 Highlight the passage at 6:31

6:40 Sort of like a puppy dog resting on your lap. And Report an error in the passage at 6:40 Highlight the passage at 6:40

7:11 just like a puppy, this friend does not speak. In Report an error in the passage at 7:11 Highlight the passage at 7:11

7:25 words anyway, you Report an error in the passage at 7:25 Highlight the passage at 7:25

7:42 can read that breath. Report an error in the passage at 7:42 Highlight the passage at 7:42

7:55 how the breath is feeling. Report an error in the passage at 7:55 Highlight the passage at 7:55

8:22 If Report an error in the passage at 8:22 Highlight the passage at 8:22

8:43 you're curious and you care enough about this friend, tension Report an error in the passage at 8:43 Highlight the passage at 8:43

8:57 will automatically stick to the breath. And Report an error in the passage at 8:57 Highlight the passage at 8:57

· · · silence, 1 minute

9:45 then further, just Report an error in the passage at 9:45 Highlight the passage at 9:45

9:51 as you would with a puppy or with a friend, if Report an error in the passage at 9:51 Highlight the passage at 9:51

9:58 you enjoy If you're comfortable with the company, then Report an error in the passage at 9:58 Highlight the passage at 9:58

10:20 resting in this place becomes very pleasant. You Report an error in the passage at 10:20 Highlight the passage at 10:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

11:27 get to know your breath as Report an error in the passage at 11:27 Highlight the passage at 11:27

11:36 you develop trust, hopefully Report an error in the passage at 11:36 Highlight the passage at 11:36

11:45 a bit of mutual respect. You Report an error in the passage at 11:45 Highlight the passage at 11:45

11:55 can let your guard down. You don't have to put up a front. You Report an error in the passage at 11:55 Highlight the passage at 11:55

12:08 can be honest. And sincere, truly Report an error in the passage at 12:08 Highlight the passage at 12:08

12:20 see Report an error in the passage at 12:20 Highlight the passage at 12:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

13:12 if you can allow this relaxed, comfortable feeling spread upwards to the chest area with Report an error in the passage at 13:12 Highlight the passage at 13:12

13:35 every rising and falling of the breath, the Report an error in the passage at 13:35 Highlight the passage at 13:35

13:46 muscles around the chest and the back and Report an error in the passage at 13:46 Highlight the passage at 13:46

13:56 the shoulders to relax. You'll Report an error in the passage at 13:56 Highlight the passage at 13:56

· · · silence, 1 minute

14:51 find that the breath and the mind Report an error in the passage at 14:51 Highlight the passage at 14:51

14:58 Works very well together as a team. The Report an error in the passage at 14:58 Highlight the passage at 14:58

15:05 mind focuses the attention, brings forth the kindness and compassion, and the breath gently massages it in. Feel Report an error in the passage at 15:05 Highlight the passage at 15:05

· · · silence, 1 minute

16:11 like, let that feeling of relaxation spread further up through the neck, the Report an error in the passage at 16:11 Highlight the passage at 16:11

16:31 jaw muscles, the Report an error in the passage at 16:31 Highlight the passage at 16:31

16:41 facial muscles, eyes Report an error in the passage at 16:41 Highlight the passage at 16:41

16:59 and the eyeballs, and the eyelids. Report an error in the passage at 16:59 Highlight the passage at 16:59

17:29 And the forehead, the muscles that frown, try and unscrunch the bits between the eyebrows. The Report an error in the passage at 17:29 Highlight the passage at 17:29

18:01 brain, an inch or two behind the forehead, behind the eyeballs. While Report an error in the passage at 18:01 Highlight the passage at 18:01

18:25 the brain sits inside a solid Report an error in the passage at 18:25 Highlight the passage at 18:25

18:32 piece of bone, the cranium, you can still imagine as if when you inhale, the air will... I would go up your nostrils and into the cranium area to freshen up the brain, to massage in a bit of kindness, also Report an error in the passage at 18:32 Highlight the passage at 18:32

19:20 to let the stale air out. Sometimes Report an error in the passage at 19:20 Highlight the passage at 19:20

· · · silence, 1 minute

20:01 as you do this, you can feel all the discomforts in the body. But Report an error in the passage at 20:01 Highlight the passage at 20:01

20:12 because we have primed ourselves with the intention of kindness and compassion, because we care, For this body and the brain, we Report an error in the passage at 20:12 Highlight the passage at 20:12

20:31 are able to face the discomfort and hope to do something good like Report an error in the passage at 20:31 Highlight the passage at 20:31

20:46 relaxing and resting, allowing Report an error in the passage at 20:46 Highlight the passage at 20:46

20:53 rest and peace. Mind Report an error in the passage at 20:53 Highlight the passage at 20:53

· · · silence, 1 minute

22:07 should run. Report an error in the passage at 22:07 Highlight the passage at 22:07

22:11 It helps to know what the antidote is. Report an error in the passage at 22:11 Highlight the passage at 22:11

22:20 Enjoy the company of the breath. The more you have kindness and compassion for what you're watching, Report an error in the passage at 22:20 Highlight the passage at 22:20

22:42 naturally glue itself. If Report an error in the passage at 22:42 Highlight the passage at 22:42

22:52 you Report an error in the passage at 22:52 Highlight the passage at 22:52

23:12 incorporate breath, the idea of the breath massaging those tired bits, I'd Report an error in the passage at 23:12 Highlight the passage at 23:12

· · · silence, 1 minute

24:16 like you to try mind Report an error in the passage at 24:16 Highlight the passage at 24:16

24:24 to Report an error in the passage at 24:24 Highlight the passage at 24:24

24:28 be taken care of by the breath. The mind can stop working or focusing and just receive TLC from the breath and indulge. Report an error in the passage at 24:28 Highlight the passage at 24:28

· · · silence, 1 minute

25:24 Recognize how restful I Report an error in the passage at 25:24 Highlight the passage at 25:24

25:39 feel Report an error in the passage at 25:39 Highlight the passage at 25:39

· · · silence, 1 minute

27:00 bad having to disturb your peace. I'm going to refuse to ring the bell. Give thanks for this opportunity. Report an error in the passage at 27:00 Highlight the passage at 27:00

25:55 for these opportunities again. Report an error in the passage at 25:55 Highlight the passage at 25:55

· · · silence, 1 minute

27:17 And start the dharma talk. You can stay inside if you like. You can open your eyes at any time you wish or not open your eyes. Report an error in the passage at 27:17 Highlight the passage at 27:17