This is an easy practice for anyone learning the basics of mindfulness. We take a few moments to observe the here and now, through each of the five senses. Then we take a couple of minutes to simply rest in the space of restorative, open awareness.

This first meditation that we're going to do together is very easy.

Everyone can do this and in fact we do it many times throughout the day.

We just tend not to notice it.

We're just going to be here now.

One way to do this is to check in with each of your five senses and see what you are noticing.

What sights are your eyes noticing here and now?

What sounds are your ears noticing here and now?

What smells is your nose noticing here and now?

What sensations is your skin feeling here and now?

And if anything,

What taste is your mouth noticing here and now?

Let's do this for a few minutes,

Just one or two,

Repeating the process a few times.

So,

Stopping and checking in with each of the five senses,

Taking a moment to notice what you notice.

I'll be here in the background doing the same thing and I'll check back with you in a minute or two.

Now your mind will probably wander a lot,

But that's perfectly okay and perfectly natural.

Every time you notice your mind has wandered,

Just gently come back to the here and now.

And then it will daydream some more.

And then when you notice,

Just bring it back to the here and now and notice what you notice through the five senses.

Okay,

Go.

Stopping and checking in with each of the five senses,

Taking a moment to notice what you notice.

What do your eyes see?

What do your ears hear?

What does your nose smell?

What does your skin feel?

Okay,

Great.

If you were able to keep focused on that,

That's wonderful.

But on the other hand,

If your mind wanders a lot,

That really is to be expected and it's perfectly okay.

My mind wanders a lot too.

Everyone's does,

Even experienced meditators.

So another way to do this kind of meditation is sort of to let the mind wander,

But to watch it.

You'll keep mentally repeating the following phrase to yourself.

The phrase is,

Now I am aware of blank.

What I mean is you'll repeat the phrase to yourself and fill in the blank each time.

Here's an example of what it might sound like.

Now I am aware of breathing out.

Now I'm aware of a bird outside the window.

Now I'm aware of the time of day it is.

Now I'm aware of my foot itching.

Now I'm aware of some anxiety about money.

Now I'm aware of my foot itching again.

Now I'm aware of the chair I'm sitting in and a creaking sound it's making.

Now I'm aware of my curiosity about this meditation.

And so on.

That's the basic idea.

Noticing what you are noticing,

Moment to moment,

Here and now.

So go ahead and take two minutes to do this for yourself and see what it's like.

Again,

I'll be here in the background doing the same thing and I'll check back with you.

Okay,

Begin.

Just keep repeating that phrase to yourself and filling in the blank.

Now I am aware of this.

Now I'm aware of that.

Wonderful.

This is the most essential thing.

This is the starting point for everything we're going to build on and this is learning to meditate.

Not making great efforts to make your mind a blank.

Instead we're just taking some moments to really be here.

To be here.

Right here,

Right now,

Wherever we are.

Whatever is happening.

See if you can relax into it.

See if you can breathe in the here and now.

And just rest in it.

See if you can rest in the space of awareness.

And when your mind starts daydreaming,

Just gently bring it back to resting here and now in the space of awareness.

See if you can do this for a minute on your own.

Just resting here and now in the space of awareness.