Shamatha-Vipashyana Meditation
May this practice support you on your path to awakening.
Ready to begin?
This is a 13 minute meditation.
There are some periods of complete silence.
You will know it has ended when I say, “You may stay with the practice for as long as you like.”
This guided meditation takes you through a basic Shamatha-Vipashyana or mindfulness meditation.
This is a foundational practice for the path to awakening. It helps calm the mind and invites you to observe and detach from your thoughts in a non-judgmental way.
SHAMATHA means “calm” or “tranquility” and refers to the pacification of thoughts and the peacefulness of just being present. VIPASHYANA means “insight” or “to see things as they really are” (such as insight into the mind, insight into reality). These are the qualities of the mind that this practice supports us in cultivating.
The meditation will lead you through all of the following basic instructions:
Sit in a traditional meditation pose with legs crossed, your back straight, shoulders back so the chest and heart are open, and hands on your knees (it is okay to sit in a chair if your body requires this).
Allow your eyes to be open with your gaze soft and unfocused.
Focus about 25% of your attention on the breath as it comes in and out.
Allow yourself to also hold other sensations in your awareness.
When you have a thought, simply label it as “thinking” and bring yourself back to your attention on the breath, without judgement.
I can’t encourage enough that this is a practice one should do regularly.
