Friday Night Guided Meditation

0:00 So yeah, and now we'll hand over to Ajahn Brahm to lead meditation. Very good. So I reckon that they're so popular that there'll be a few people outside. They call them scalpers. They help the prices. But no, they can't do that. They're not Buddhists because we're honest, aren't we? Yes, so anyway, let's do some meditation now. So the first part of meditation, the first instruction is to please get yourselves comfortable. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:32 Physically comfortable. And the best way of getting yourself physically comfortable is first of all, close the eyes. Report an error in the passage at 0:32 Highlight the passage at 0:32

0:47 And when your eyes are physically closed, the brain has more capacity to feel the body, its sensations. Report an error in the passage at 0:47 Highlight the passage at 0:47

1:00 And as you begin to feel the body, the obvious thing to do is to relax it. When you're feeding the body, you're being mindful. When you relax it, you're being kindful, adding kindness to mindfulness. And Report an error in the passage at 1:00 Highlight the passage at 1:00

1:32 I do a general relaxation first of all. And then when I really want to get into this meditation, I start to relax the body part by part. And I start with one of the most unlikeliest places to relax, which is my toes. Report an error in the passage at 1:32 Highlight the passage at 1:32

1:55 You may think, why relax the toes? Because it's so far away from my head that it's an easy thing to do. And it also makes me more aware of parts of my body. Just like each one of you, if I know you, you're a good friend, I'll always look at you, make sure that I'm kind to you. I don't just ignore any one of you. I don't want to ignore. Report an error in the passage at 1:55 Highlight the passage at 1:55

2:28 Any part of my body. So I know, how do my toes feel? And I'm just going to adjust my legs to make them even more comfortable. Report an error in the passage at 2:28 Highlight the passage at 2:28

2:42 This is where you get to know your body, like an athlete or a dancer does. Report an error in the passage at 2:42 Highlight the passage at 2:42

2:54 It's like I ask you, how are you? I ask my toes, how are they? Report an error in the passage at 2:54 Highlight the passage at 2:54

3:04 And just noticing the feelings in my toes and wishing them all to relax. To the max. Actually works. Once Report an error in the passage at 3:04 Highlight the passage at 3:04

3:20 my toes are relaxed, I go further up my feet to the soles of the feet, including the balls of the feet and the heels and the uppers. Report an error in the passage at 3:20 Highlight the passage at 3:20

3:32 I just focus on the hold of the feet, making sure they're relaxed to the max. Sometimes I do imaginary exercises, such as imagining the feet being massaged. or soaking in warm water allowing all the muscles to loosen up. all the blood and whatever else flows through those feet to flow unimpeded. Report an error in the passage at 3:32 Highlight the passage at 3:32

4:26 are your ankles right now? Report an error in the passage at 4:26 Highlight the passage at 4:26

4:33 Relax them a little bit more. This is why the meditation is a great training. You can learn how to relax your body and that keeps it very healthy. Then you go up your legs to the calves of your legs. How do they feel? How do the muscles in the back of the legs feel? How does the skin feel? Report an error in the passage at 4:33 Highlight the passage at 4:33

5:12 So I can know the feeling in my legs. And I go to my knees. Many people these days have problems with their knees, which is why sitting on a chair is fine, as long as your knees can feel totally relaxed. Report an error in the passage at 5:12 Highlight the passage at 5:12

5:44 And sometimes I'm amazed that I've fallen off motorbikes when I was young, even fallen over cliffs, had sports accidents. Report an error in the passage at 5:44 Highlight the passage at 5:44

6:02 I can feel no damage to either one of my knees. They're totally relaxed and at ease. I go further past my knees to my thighs and Report an error in the passage at 6:02 Highlight the passage at 6:02

6:25 I just ask them, please relax. I don't control them. I just suggest to them, if you do become a control freak, that causes tension in the body. You have kindness when you're mindful. Report an error in the passage at 6:25 Highlight the passage at 6:25

6:46 It relaxes. When my legs are so relaxed, they're easy to sit like this for long periods of time. Then you go to your butt, your buttocks, you can feel them. Report an error in the passage at 6:46 Highlight the passage at 6:46

7:06 I can feel the pressure, the transfer of weight from my upper part of my body through my buttocks onto the cushion I'm sitting on. All I do is to make sure that that is balanced. Report an error in the passage at 7:06 Highlight the passage at 7:06

7:25 Then I know because it's not a strong feeling. It doesn't change. And after a while the brain will stop paying attention to it. It will disappear. And another part of my body is not causing me any problems anymore. And I go to my waist. Report an error in the passage at 7:25 Highlight the passage at 7:25

7:50 And here I always like to sit with my waist a bit contracted, back straight, just over years. For me, this is my 75th year now, and I want to make sure that everything is relaxed and easy. Report an error in the passage at 7:50 Highlight the passage at 7:50

8:12 I can feel that right position because I've been practicing, experimenting like this for years. And once I have that, the next thing after relaxing my waist is scanning the body up the spine to make sure I can just feel all those bones to be As comfortable as they can be. Then Report an error in the passage at 8:12 Highlight the passage at 8:12

8:41 I go back down again, the bottom of my torso. Then I start scanning my body from the bottom of my torso up to the top through my digestive system. I Report an error in the passage at 8:41 Highlight the passage at 8:41

9:06 missed my lunch this morning, so I took some extra cheese this afternoon. I can still feel that in my intestines and colon. Report an error in the passage at 9:06 Highlight the passage at 9:06

9:19 It's wonderful what you can get to feel and know. Report an error in the passage at 9:19 Highlight the passage at 9:19

9:24 Nothing really painful, just I know it's different than usual. And as I scan upwards, I get to my stomach and relax that, my stomach to my lungs. If you can't feel them, just imagine them. Imagine where they should be and relax those to the max. I don't need to say how fast or how deep I breathe. I just let the body decide. Report an error in the passage at 9:24 Highlight the passage at 9:24

10:04 The Report an error in the passage at 10:04 Highlight the passage at 10:04

10:09 words, let it be, are so important. From my lungs, I go up to my heart region. Just let the heart beat naturally. Of course you will notice, because you're not moving, your metabolism goes down. You don't need to breathe that much. You don't need the heart to beat that much. Report an error in the passage at 10:09 Highlight the passage at 10:09

10:46 I was trying to imagine my heart to be like purring. Report an error in the passage at 10:46 Highlight the passage at 10:46

10:52 Still kind of feel it, but it's nice and soft and easy. So the whole body, there's no problem there. It is relaxing. And then I go above my heart region. You feel the shoulders. Report an error in the passage at 10:52 Highlight the passage at 10:52

11:15 These are muscles, so sometimes they get tight. To relax them, I deliberately kind of expand them, let them be loose. Shoulders, how do you feel? Please be at ease. You don't have to put on a show for others. Report an error in the passage at 11:15 Highlight the passage at 11:15

11:43 Everyone's supposed to have their eyes closed. So you can feel free for the muscles in the shoulders to relax to the max. Don't worry what they look like. Report an error in the passage at 11:43 Highlight the passage at 11:43

11:59 And then I go down those shoulders, the arms, the elbows, forearms, wrists. Report an error in the passage at 11:59 Highlight the passage at 11:59

12:12 If you ever have an injury, it's really helpful to be kindful of that injury. Just let it come into your mind. Don't try and change it, but just be at peace with it. Then it relaxes rapidly. And then, lastly, I ask my fingers how they feel. And you always will notice there's a huge number of senses. senses at the end of your fingers. Report an error in the passage at 12:12 Highlight the passage at 12:12

12:50 You can usually feel them very easily. Ask them how they are. If they want to move or adjust, please let them. Report an error in the passage at 12:50 Highlight the passage at 12:50

13:08 And you go back up to your shoulders and your neck now. I usually find the position of the head on top of my neck is really important. I make sure I'm not leaning to the left or the right. Report an error in the passage at 13:08 Highlight the passage at 13:08

13:27 Personally, if ever you are tired, move the head slightly backwards. It kind of stops the sleepiness. Report an error in the passage at 13:27 Highlight the passage at 13:27

13:41 And then last of all, I notice the feelings on my face around the eyes, the nose and the mouth. Report an error in the passage at 13:41 Highlight the passage at 13:41

13:54 It's one of the reasons why you can tell a person's emotions by reading their expression on their face. Now I relax all of those muscles. Report an error in the passage at 13:54 Highlight the passage at 13:54

14:07 Eyes closed but not shut down tight. Around the nose, the same, just a piece. And around the mouth, I can feel those muscles. I'm kind to them. Report an error in the passage at 14:07 Highlight the passage at 14:07

14:27 And the body feels so comfortable, honest. Report an error in the passage at 14:27 Highlight the passage at 14:27

14:37 And here I've found just by experimenting, once my body is relaxed bit by bit, I kind of join all those bits together. And that relaxation of the body feels very pleasant. It's got its own type of joy. I Report an error in the passage at 14:37 Highlight the passage at 14:37

15:07 usually pause for a couple of seconds, that's all, to enjoy that feeling of relaxation. Then Report an error in the passage at 15:07 Highlight the passage at 15:07

15:22 I go to the mind. In order to make that transition from mindfulness of the body to mindfulness of the inner world, I Report an error in the passage at 15:22 Highlight the passage at 15:22

15:39 usually start with the object of... Peace. How does peace feel for you? Not how you know it, how you understand it, but how you feel it. And Report an error in the passage at 15:39 Highlight the passage at 15:39

16:02 when I can feel that peace, it is delightful again. And Report an error in the passage at 16:02 Highlight the passage at 16:02

16:16 as I go deeper into the feeling of peace, you notice it's always improved as you let go of the past and the future. And focus on the present moment, just now. And Report an error in the passage at 16:16 Highlight the passage at 16:16

16:40 secondly, by not using words. Your job is not to write an essay about how the meditation was. It's how to feel it and let it get peaceful. Report an error in the passage at 16:40 Highlight the passage at 16:40

16:58 Push aside concepts and Report an error in the passage at 16:58 Highlight the passage at 16:58

17:05 be still. Report an error in the passage at 17:05 Highlight the passage at 17:05

17:13 Often at this point, the mind starts watching the breathing. You don't have to. If it happens, it's much easier. When you've done all the preparation and Report an error in the passage at 17:13 Highlight the passage at 17:13

17:33 now let go, I'll be silent for a little while. It's Report an error in the passage at 17:33 Highlight the passage at 17:33

· · · silence, 5 minutes

22:14 getting very close to the end of the meditation. Please do not open your eyes yet. Report an error in the passage at 22:14 Highlight the passage at 22:14

22:27 Instead, just check at the end of the meditation how your body feels and Report an error in the passage at 22:27 Highlight the passage at 22:27

22:38 how your mind feels. It's Report an error in the passage at 22:38 Highlight the passage at 22:38

22:52 usually very enjoyable being peaceful. Report an error in the passage at 22:52 Highlight the passage at 22:52

22:59 Very helpful being relaxed. Now Report an error in the passage at 22:59 Highlight the passage at 22:59

23:16 I'm going to end the meditation by ringing the gong. Please listen to the sound from the gong. Report an error in the passage at 23:16 Highlight the passage at 23:16

· · · silence, 1 minute

24:11 Thank you. Report an error in the passage at 24:11 Highlight the passage at 24:11

24:22 Excellent. For those who wish to come in, please come in. For those who wish to go out, please go out. For those who can't decide, stay where you are. Report an error in the passage at 24:22 Highlight the passage at 24:22