Photo Credit: Vincent van Zalinge
This intermediate sound meditation was given by Freeman at the Boundless Love Project’s weekly group meditation on 1-28-2020. It is considered suitable for intermediate students because there is less instruction, and longer pauses. Enjoy!
Using the Meditation Script
We make this meditation script available so practitioners may review the content of the meditation, and so experienced meditators may offer this meditation to their meditation groups. If you want to offer this meditation to others, please read the article Twelve Tips to Peer-Leading Guided Meditations. For a printable copy, download and print this PDF of the Intermediate Sound Meditation Script. Enjoy!
Sensation Meditation Script • 30 min • Intermediate Level
Ring Bell
We do this practice for the benefit and welfare of all beings and all life everywhere, including our own.
May we know the peace of accepting the truth of reality as it is.
May we know the security of having our intentions arise from unconditional, boundlesslove.
May we know the freedom of renunciation which liberates us from greed.
May we know the joy of living skillfully for the benefit and welfare of all beings and all life everywhere.
May all beings and all life everywhere be free of delusion, suffering, and dissatisfaction.
May all beings and all life everywhere be loving, peaceful, compassionate, and joyful.
Calming and Relaxing Mind and Body
Calmly take several slow, quiet, mindful belly breaths to settle the mind and calm the body....
Gently scan the body to notice any areas where stress or tension reside and lovingly invite those areas to relax and soften....
[3:30]
Letting Go of Greed
During this meditation, let go of the need to do, achieve, or accomplish anything, including the need to do this meditation correctly.
Gently do your best to follow the instructions, while also allowing whatever arises to simply arise.
Balancing Alertness and Relaxation
Peacefully notice your degree of mental alertness.
Skillfully do what you can so the body and mind are both calm and alert; relaxed and mindful; peaceful and energized...
(5:00)
Playing with Wise Effort
Gently set a loving intention to do this meditation with wise effort.
Wise effort uses the minimum amount of effort necessary to do the task at hand with great mindfulness, quality, and care.
If there is too much effort, it shows up as unnecessary thinking or bodily stress, tension, and strain.
If your mind is restless, compassionately notice that, and set a gentle, yet firm intention to not engage with the mental chatter, that you may settle and calm the mind and body.
If your mind or body is sluggish and tired, compassionately notice that, and gently set a firm intention to be curious and interested in the subtle aspects of the present moment to help rouse your energy.
[7:00]
Anchoring Awareness on Sensations
Calmly anchor your awareness on all of the sensations you feel.
If you notice any stress or tension, lovingly invite those areas to relax and soften.
Gently feel the most subtle sensations you can feel.
These subtle sensations might feel like tingling, vibrations, bubbles, warmth, spaciousness, or something else.
Continue to rest you awareness on these subtle sensations while I explain the body scan meditation to you.
Body Scan Instructions
For the rest of the meditation, move your loving awareness part-by-part from the head to the feet and then from the feet to the head, over and over again. Make sure to feel into and love every part of the body.
Gently notice whatever sensations arise be they gross or subtle. Yet be particularly interested in any subtle, pleasant sensations you feel.
If there is an area with no sensations, then kindly feel into what spacious emptiness feels like for 10 or so seconds, before moving along.
Patiently move your awareness at your own pace in a clam, easeful manner. Do this with great quality and care.
[10:00]
Starting the Body Scan
Now, starting at the top of the head, lovingly rest your awareness on your scalp and begin the scan. Again, go at your own pace as you scan your kind awareness through each part of the body.
(11:00)
Direct Pointing
While you lovingly scan your body, if ever you meet a body part that is tight, stressed, or stiff, kindly send it some love and invite it to relax and soften.
(12:00)
Let the giving of your attention be an act of love and compassion for each part of the body.
(13:00)
Let the sensations you feel be the anchor of your awareness throughout this meditation.
(14:00)
Whether a sensation is pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, feel it with peace, ease, interest, and curiosity, free of aversion and attachment. Allow the sensations to be as they are.
(15:00)
Calmly remember that there is no need to identify with or interpret the sensations. Gently feel the sensations as they are, and add nothing to them.
(16:00)
Whenever you get lost in thought, compassionately and silently note "thinking," then patiently return your attention to feeling the arising sensations.
(17:00)
Calmly notice the impermanent nature of sensations. Feel their dynamic, changing, temporary nature.
(18:00)
Peacefully notice the impersonal nature of sensations. They arise lawfully due to numerous causes and conditions that are outside of your control.
(19:00)
Because sensations are impermanent and impersonal, it makes no sense to relate to them with aversion or attachment. Doing so only causes needless suffering. Notice this in your experience.
(20:00)
Kindly allow all sensations to be as they are. Relate to them free of judgment and clinging.
(21:00)
As you feel sensations, notice how certain sensations trigger thoughts to arise. Relate to these thoughts with healthfully detached mindful awareness, free of judgement and attachment, while continuing to anchor your awareness on the sensations you feel.
(22:00)
Feeling the Spacious Nothingness
In addition to the sensations that you feel, gently feel also the spacious nothingness behind the sensations.
(23:00)
Calmly notice how the spacious nothingness is what allows all sensations to be.
(24:00)
Notice how spacious emptiness is where all sensations come from and where all sensations return.
[25:00]
Patiently continue to rest your awareness on the sensations and the spaciousness you feel.
(26:00)
Relate to everything that arises in your awareness with mindful equanimity, free of clinging and aversion.
(27:00)
Sharing of the Merits
In preparation for sharing the merits of our practice, anchor your awareness on the sensations you feel in your heart area, and set an intention to energetically send love to all people, animals, ecosystems, and life forms.
We share any merits gained from this practice with all beings and all life everywhere.
May all beings and all life everywhere be free from suffering and misery.
May all beings and all life everywhere abide in a deep and lasting peace.
May all beings and all life everywhere know the highest forms of happiness and be at ease.
May all beings and all life everywhere know their deepest essence to be: joy, peace, compassion, and unconditional, boundless love.
May all beings and all life everywhere be liberated, fully liberated, permanently liberated.
Ring Bell
[30:00]