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When looking to feel safe, grounded, at peace, or joyful, we typically search outside of the body for something to help put us at ease. But tranquility is available in our own body, at all times. In this guided meditation, Mindfulness Exercises founder Sean Fargo guides us to become more mindful of the areas within ourselves that offer us safe refuge .
We’re invited to breathe, soften and allow, noticing which parts of the body feel calm, relaxed and full of presence. Becoming more mindful of these grounding sensations offers us the opportunity to take refuge in the body, from moment to moment, throughout our day.
Listen in a safe, quiet place where you can be relatively free from distraction. You can practice this body scan meditation while standing, seated, or lying down.
Find hundreds more guided audio meditations or download 200 meditation scripts to expand your personal practice, or to share with others.
To take refuge in something is to seek shelter, safety, protection. Our habit is to seek refuge outside of ourselves, in people, places or things. Mindfulness teaches us that because all outside ourselves is impermanent, the only lasting, true refuge is within. With practice, we can learn to connect to the peace and ease that’s always available within our body, our awareness, and the true nature of our hearts and minds.
We can also apply the concept of taking refuge to other areas of our lives. We may take refuge in gratitude, compassion, and as we learn in this talk by Spring Washam, we can also find refuge in diversity. Impermanence itself is also a form of refuge, as explained in this dharma talk by Matthew Brensilver.
To learn more about the concept of refuge, and what it means to Buddhists in particular, download this free eBook on taking refuge in the three jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
To practice similar mindfulness meditations on finding a sense of refuge, or safety in the body, explore the following audio:
About Sean Fargo
Sean Fargo is a former Buddhist monk and the founder of Mindfulness Exercises. The online platform, which has shared free and premium mindfulness resources with over 3 million people worldwide, has now certified over 500 Mindfulness Teachers.
Sean is the lead instructor for the teacher training program, a unique self-paced approach which invites world-renowned mindfulness teachers to share their insights and experiences. Sean has taught mindfulness and meditation for corporations including Facebook, Google and Tesla and for health and government organizations, prisons and hospitals around the world.
