In this meditation you sit quietly without talking. Sitting is a method for seeing what the world is like without believing your usual stories about it. It’s usually best to sit upright and to half close your eyes. If it works better to close your eyes completely, do that. If you can’t sit upright, do whatever you can.
When you sit you make friends with yourself and your world. You make a home for this time. You accept this moment. Such a home has no end. A place to begin is with the body, the good horse that carries you around and which is so often neglected. You don’t assess the body, you just listen. You feel your life. All that is necessary is to notice.
If the mind needs a place to rest, then you can let it rest on the breathing. The universe opens and closes with each breath. There is no need to add any special thoughts to the universe. There is no need to try to achieve any special states of mind. You notice what you notice. If you are bored that is fine, if you are sad that is fine, if you are happy that is fine, if you are frustrated that is fine. Out breath, in breath, out breath, in breath.
For the time of the meditation nothing is required of you. There is nothing you can fail at. There is nothing to be accomplished. You do not need to demonstrate your worth. You are worthless because you are beyond worth. Everyone else in the world is like you and beyond worth. Your value cannot be measured.
It is not necessary to improve yourself, or even to improve your state of mind or your skill at meditation. You are not moving from one place to another on a scale, you are throwing away the scale. For the same reason it is not necessary to judge yourself. Sitting meditation is not about the future or the past, which are always just thoughts. Life does not have to be postponed. During the meditation you live now.
When you accept this moment you may find that it has no flaw. Nothing is wrong. And you may find that you too are perfect in this moment. Noticing has a healing power all by itself. For now, if you just notice, the world will lead you. The bare sense of what is happening can come as a gift.
It’s good to do this meditation for half an hour at a time.