Buddha Morning Meditation
A morning mindfulness exercise to practice maintaining your attention on the here and now along with affirmations inspired by the words of Buddha: “Each morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.” Side effects may include increased presence, compassion and joy.
Transcript
Hi and welcome to the Buddha Morning Meditation.
The goal of this meditation is to help you have a beautiful day.
Start by sitting symmetrically and upright,
But without it being uncomfortable.
Close your eyes to start the journey within.
And close your mouth so that you're only breathing through your nose.
Our nostrils filter the air we breathe better than our mouths do,
And thus allow for slower,
More serene breathing.
Become entirely still.
You're completely motionless,
Except for the air coming in and out of your nostrils.
Observe your breathing.
It occurs naturally and automatically,
Without you having to do anything.
Now observe your current mood,
As if you were inspecting your emotions from the outside looking in,
As if these emotions were separate from your being.
And notice how the air coming in is colder than the air coming out of your nostrils.
If at any point during this meditation you're bothered by incoming thoughts,
It's perfectly normal,
And it's part of the practice.
When you notice these thoughts,
Simply refocus your attention on the cold air coming in and the warm air coming out.
That is to say,
On the present moment.
Without forcing anything,
And simply by observing the air coming in and out,
Slow down your breathing,
So that the flow of air gradually becomes thinner.
Imagine that this flow of air brings calm and comfort to your inner body,
As it comes in on the inhale and out on the exhale.
While still breathing slowly,
Imagine that you receive this air that enters your nostrils,
As if you had been deprived of air,
As if you were incredibly thirsty and were finally given a drink of water.
As if this flow of air were a magical substance,
Bringing you joy with every inhale.
And progressively,
The flow of air is becoming thinner and thinner.
You're breathing slower and slower.
Buddha once said,
Each morning we are born again,
What we do today is what matters most.
We are now going to focus on seven affirmations to increase our connection to the here and now throughout the day.
Pay attention to the words contained in the affirmations,
While remaining focused on your breathing.
First affirmation,
(1) I cannot change the past, but I can always do my best here and now.
Second affirmation,
(2) I do one thing at a time and pay full attention to everything I do.
Third affirmation,
(3) I cultivate silence and control the compulsion to interpret and qualify.
Fourth affirmation,
(4) Happiness is always here and now.
Fifth affirmation,
(5) Perfection is an illusion created by the mind. Instead, I just try to do my best.
Sixth affirmation,
(6) I practice kindness towards myself and others.
Seventh affirmation,
(7) I'm confident, I'm relaxed, Everything is fine.
Before we finish,
Once again feel your current mood as if you were inspecting your emotions from the outside looking in.
And when you're ready,
You can progressively come out of this meditation and start noticing the surrounding sounds.
The various parts of your body that are in contact with an outside object,
Such as the chair or floor you might be sitting on,
Or the wall you might be leaning against.
And of course,
All the colors around you.
I hope you enjoyed this meditation.
Have a great day.
