guided meditation

3 Minute River of Sound Meditation

Mindfulness Practice: 3 Minute River of Sound

  1. Begin by getting into position, whatever position works best for your body. This position will become your body-mind’s signal that you are starting a practice. I suggest the following as it uses little muscular energy to stay upright and alert, and allows you to breathe easily :
    1. Sit on a chair (sofa, bed, etc) with your feet flat on the floor.
    2. Rest your hands where ever they are comfortable (neither propping yourself up or pulling yourself forward with your hands).
    3. Feel your sit bones pressing down.
    4. Float the crown of your head up so that it softly lifts your torso.
    5. Tuck your chin in a tiny bit so that the back of your neck is long, making sure it’s also soft.
    6. Soften your jaw.
  2. Close your eyes. Or keep them open, and look down at the floor (or whatever is in front of you) a few feet or meter or so in front of you, keeping your eyes relaxed.
  3. Bring your attention to your breath. Notice how it feels to breathe.
  4. Gently shift your attention to what you can hear.
  5. Imagine that you are a rock in the middle of a river. A river of sound.
  6. Notice the whole river of sound as it floats by. Don’t focus on a particular sound, rather soften your hearing and listen to all of the sounds. Listen to the whole river of sound as it flows by.
  7. Keep most of your attention here as much as possible. Let everything else float by in the background. Let thoughts, emotions and physical sensations flow through like an undercurrent.
  8. When your attention has become absorbed in your thoughts (emotions or sensations) to the point that you are no longer noticing the sounds, simply let the thoughts go, and gently and kindly bring your attention back to the river and start a fresh. You can have an infinite number of fresh starts, so you can relax about that.
  9. End the practice when you feel ready or when your timer rings by bringing your attention back to your breath for a few breaths and then gently opening your eyes.

To Download:

Click on the Download button below. If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

Note that you are welcome to download and share this file as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and used it for personal or educational uses only (no commercial uses).

Simple Body Scan (Begin w Eyes Open) – Guided Practice

(5:53) Body scans are a type of meditation practice that are popular in yoga and other body based modalities. This one is very simple as it scans or notices just three points in the body: feet, seat and shoulders.

This practice is great if you want help falling asleep. It is easy to do lying down, and it includes gentle muscle contraction and release which encourages the body to relax along with the mind.

Simple Body Scan

  1. Start by becoming present to the location you are in: look around at what you can see right now.
  2. Close your eyes and gently shift your attention to your breathing. Notice your breath moving in and out of your body right now. Be curious about your breath. “How am I breathing right now?”
  3. Shift your attention and notice the sensations in each body part:
    1. Notice the sensations in your feet for a few breaths
    2. Notice the sensations in your seat for a few breaths
    3. Notice the sensations in your shoulders for a few breaths
  4. Shift your attention back to your breath. Notice your breath moving in and out of your body.
  5. When you’re ready, open your eyes to end the practice, noticing the space that you’re in right now.

When your mind wanders, as it inevitably will, gently bring it back first to presence by noticing your breath and the quiet between thoughts, and then re-focus on the heart of the practice.

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

Note that you are welcome to download and share this files as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and use it for personal or educational use only (no commercial uses).

 

Three Point Body Scan (Pure Noticing) – Guided Meditation

(4:19) This guided meditation is quick to do, and nice for your daily 2-minute practice.

This particular version of a body scan guides you to notice whatever sensations are happening right now versus creating sensation by moving your body.

This is great for when you want to do a quick practice, because you just notice an area and move on with out staying there very long. It is also nice for increasing your ability to notice subtlety, because as you practice it your capacity to notice subtler and subtler sensations improves.

 

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Progressive Breathing + Body Scan (Moving Muscles) – Guided Meditation

(11:16) This meditation practice is nice for when you want to practice for 10-15 minutes.

This practice can also be nice to do lying down in bed if you’re having trouble getting to sleep. It is also good for beginners who enjoy body based practices, because it includes a variety of body based things for the mind to focus on.

This practice includes progressive breathing, or taking 3-5 breaths that are each slightly deeper and longer than the one before. It also includes a 4 point body scan with muscle relaxation to give the mind something to focus on and the body additional encouragement to relax.

Enjoy!

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Progressive Breathing – Guided Meditation

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(2:02) Quick Stress Reduction.

This guided meditation is a quick way to relax the mind and body that is perfect way to calm down in the midst of stressful situations, noisy, chaotic environments.

It is very fast and done with the eyes open, so you can do it in meetings, in restaurants, at social gatherings, etc.

You simply redirect your focus to your breath and deepen it gently. This allows you to shift your attention away from stress for a few moments, calming your mind and body, so that you can return to the situation in a better state.

Enjoy!

Progressive Breathing Instructions:

  1.  Start by looking down a comfortable distance in front of you at the floor, desk or table.
  2. With your eyes gazing down (open), shift your attention to your breath. Notice your breath as it is moving in and out of your body.
  3. Take a few breaths where each breath is a little bit longer and a little bit deeper than the breath before.
  4. When you are feeling a bit calmer and more relaxed in your body end the practice by looking up.

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Note that you are welcome to download and share this files as many times as you like provided you do so in it’s entirety and use it for personal or educational use only (no commercial uses).

 

Portable Practice 4: Field of Sound (Guided Meditation)

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Made Easy Portable Practices. In the Mindfulness Made Easy course I teach simple and quick practices that you can do anywhere and anytime.

This is the fourth portable practice that I teach in the course, Field of Sound. This practice is great for those of you who prefer audio or sound focuses.

It’s your’s to listen to, download and share as many times as you like for personal, non-commercial use.

Enjoy!,

Elena

To Listen: Click play to listen on this page.

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Portable Practice 3: Field of Vision (Guided Meditation)

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Made Easy Portable Practices. In the Mindfulness Made Easy course I teach simple and quick practices that you can do anywhere and anytime.

This is the third portable practice that I teach in the course, Field of Vision. This practice is great for those of you who prefer visual focuses.

It’s your’s to listen to, download and share as many times as you like for personal, non-commercial use. There are written instructions below as well.

Enjoy!,

Elena

 

To Listen: Click play to listen on this page.

 

To Download: Click on the Download button below. If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Written Instructions: Field of Vision

  1. Start by gazing down a comfortable distance in front of you and becoming present. Become present by simply noticing yourself where ever you are, noticing that you are sitting or standing or lying where ever you are right now.
  2. Notice that you are breathing. Notice your breath moving in and out of your body.
  3. Shift your attention to your gaze and notice what you can see.
  4. Without moving your head or eyes, notice your whole field of vision, including your peripheral vision, for a few breaths.
  5. End where you began, by simply shifting your attention back to your breath, noticing that you’re breathing.
  6. Raise your eyes to end.

Note that the first 2 and the last 2 steps are practically the same. We start by becoming present and noticing our breath and end by noticing our breath again. This helps us ground into the present mentally (by simply noticing that I am here, where ever I am, right now) and ground in the present physically, through our bodies (which are by nature in the present).

Portable Practice 2: Simple Body Scan (Guided Meditation)

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Welcome to the Mindfulness Made Easy Portable Practices. In the Mindfulness Made Easy course I teach simple and quick practices that you can do anywhere and anytime.

This is the second portable practice that I teach in the course, a Simple Body Scan. There are many, many body scans out there, so you may have done something like this before. This is a quick one that you can do anywhere, anytime.

It’s your’s to listen to, download and share as many times as you like for personal, non-commercial use.

Enjoy!,

Elena

 

To Listen: Click play to listen on this page.

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.

 

Portable Practice 1: Three Breaths Meditation

MME Album Art

Welcome to the Mindfulness Made Easy Portable Practices.

In the Mindfulness Made Easy course I teach quick and easy practices that you can do anywhere and anytime.

This is the first portable practice that I teach in the course. It’s called Three Breaths.

It’s your’s to listen to, download and share as many times as you like for personal, non-commercial use only.

Enjoy!,

Elena

 

To Listen: Click play to listen on this page.

 

To Download:

Click on the Download button below

If it does not download automatically:

  1. A new window will open with an audio player (like the player above).
  2. Right click on the player and choose “Download File” or “Download Video”
  3. iPhone users will want to first copy the meditation into iTunes (on your computer) and then sync with your iPhone.