Many of us find it uncomfortable to be still. Meditation helps us practice simply being and allows us to connect to a sense of self that’s not dependent on our productivity. Help yourself or others experience greater presence with this stillness meditation script.
Typically, the mind is preoccupied with the past or the future. We busy ourselves with to-do lists and derive our sense of self-worth from how much we’re getting done. But the truth is, we are worthy just as we are and this moment is enough, just as it is.
Meditation can help us remember there’s nothing that needs doing before peace, contentment and inner calm can be realized. In fact, if we could just rest back and embrace stillness, we may find that it is easier to connect to the sense of spaciousness we crave.
- Practice Time: < 5 minutes
- Purpose: Developing Comfort With Stillness
- May Help With: Stress Relief, Relaxation, Mindfulness of the Body
- Practice Level: Intermediate
Here’s a Sample of the “Let Yourself Simply Be With This Stillness Meditation” Guided Meditation Script:
Finding a quiet place in which to take a comfortable seat
Sitting up tall, letting the eyes close
Breathing patiently and fully, yet gently and quietly
In and out through the nose
Giving yourself permission to do nothing
Giving yourself permission to embrace this moment of stillness
In which there’s nothing at all that needs to be done
Other than staying here, relatively still, watching the breath
As you watch the breath with an easy, relaxed, spacious mind
Placing some small amount of attention on what else the mind or the body is feeling
Noticing your own discomfort in simply being present, doing nothing
Noticing if the mind would rather run off towards the future, a to-do list, or planning
Noticing if the mind would rather busy itself with reviewing the past, or thinking
And each time you notice, acknowledging the pull of movement, of distraction
And then with the loving patience of a compassionate elder
Giving your mind permission to rest
Helping the mind settle, be at peace, be still
By guiding towards awareness of body and breath
Without thinking of breath
Present with breath
Without thinking of body
Present with body
How to Use This Stillness Meditation Script
This stillness meditation script is for all those who would benefit from permitting themselves to do nothing for a moment, to simply be still. Mindfulness meditation can offer the practice and gentle encouragement we need to overcome our discomfort with doing nothing.
To use this meditation script in your own practice, familiarize yourself with the intent. Or keep the script nearby as you meditate, occasionally glancing down at the words as you practice presence with their meaning.
This script can also be used to guide others, in one-on-one sessions or in a group. Guided meditation scripts can be used in live sessions, or to record audio or video meditations. Guiding a practice live allows you to introduce the meditation with a conversation about common barriers to stillness, or close the meditation by letting others share their experience.
During any guided meditation, some might find it quite challenging to be still, and that’s okay. Our meditation is a practice in which all that arises is welcome. If we regularly return to this be still meditation, we might find that over time, our experience of it changes.
Conclusion
In this present moment, contentment, clarity and calm are available. But a mind that’s in the past or future often fails to realize this. We’re too busy chasing calm to allow it to arise. This stillness meditation helps ground us in the present moment. By doing nothing but just being, we make space for what’s good to reveal itself. Encourage someone to rest back and remember that they are enough as they are, with nothing that needs to be done.
