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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness.
Today we're going to talk about the
idea that mindfulness instructions
are like signposts rather than rules.
So sometimes we can get very rigid with
our ideas of how things are supposed
to be done, but the instructions for
mindfulness practice are not rigid rules.
And there's no set way of practicing
mindfulness that's right for every
single person all of the time.
The instructions are guidance, signposts
recommendations for you to try something
for yourself and see what you discover
in your own firsthand experience.
So all the instructions are there
to help you actually experience
mindfulness and embody mindfulness.
There's an old saying about this,
"Don't mistake the finger pointing
at the moon for the moon itself."
So what are we saying here?
What is this pointing into?
So think about it, if somebody
points to the moon to show it to you,
and then you fixate on the finger.
Obviously you're going to miss out
on seeing the actual moon and you
might even think that the finger
is the thing that this person is
trying to tell you about called moon.
Similarly, there are obviously mindfulness
techniques and teachings that we can apply
both in meditation and in everyday life.
But it's really important to
remember that these techniques
and teachings are pointers.
They're pointing you towards the
actual experience of mindfulness.
And it's far more important to live the
teachings rather to kind of keep it on a
really conceptual level or really get to
focused on the teachings and techniques.
At their core, all of these
pointers should really be pointing
you back to basically embodying a
kind, curious and non-judgmental
awareness of the present moment.
That'll be the basic focus
of any mindfulness practice.
But these pointers are not dogmas.
They're an invitation back
to a particular way of being.
So also remember that no teaching
is a set in stone framework.
In fact, the Buddha himself encouraged
his students, never to just believe or
disbelieve anything he said, but to trust
their own authority and direct experience.
So feel free to experiment
with what works for you.
Some practices and teachings you
might hear them explained in a way
and when you apply it, it just
doesn't really feel right for you.
It's not working for you.
Some others, you will really resonate
with, and they'll really help you embody
mindfulness in a way that works for you.
So that's fine.
The main thing is to keep returning
again and again to what the teachings
are pointing to, awareness itself.
And trust in awareness as your ultimate
teacher, guide and authorities.
Letting it guide your
thoughts, actions, and speech.
So as always thank you for your
practice and your presence here with us.
And now let's settle in
for today's meditation.
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