Good evening, everybody. I'm really aware that The webinar that The wonderful Dawn and I are competing with, Boris, who's about to, let us all know, isn't he, what the plans are going forward. So, I'm really wasn't sure how many people that we would, get in, but, we can always send out the recording, can't we?

But I still believe that this is a really important thing we're doing here. So, welcome to everybody. And we put a lot of thought into these Sunday meditations, and I've got to say, they, they, they really help me to sort of, it's a nice thing to do on a Sunday because it just does sort of, set up your week a little bit.

And I, and I think that's, that's just great. So, My hope is that we can really have a very useful session tonight. And, in line with what we've been doing just recently, I am going to record as usual, because, I know the recordings aren't the usual studio quality of the ones that we have on the, my YouTube site.

But I just think if you found them useful, they are the sort of thing you can upload to your phone or and just have. And our second meditation tonight is going to be a real meaty meditation. I'm not sure that's a very mindful, a word often used in mindfulness circles, but it is one that is, it's quite a sort of, it's a dense meditation, but it's And it and it's a lot, a little bit longer than we normally do, but it really sort of fits.

So it's the turning towards meditation, and it's one of those meditations that I certainly use when I discovered that things are difficult, you know, and it's difficult because I'm being Somewhat sort of swamped by difficult emotion. So and emotion, more so than thoughts, more so than just about anything else is so difficult because you can label a thought and you can make sense of a thought cognitively, but emotion can overwhelm us and wash over us and sometimes Emotion doesn't, well, nearly always actually. Emotion doesn't come, .

In a very clear and obvious way, so we have anger mixed with guilt, mixed with sadness. We have envy mixed with just frustration mixed with regret. And so emotion is often something that we do need to really sit with and meditate on if we're using this approach.

So I'm really looking forward to the two meditations we have tonight. And the first one is a sort of, in a way maybe this one should have come before last week. Do you remember last week we did the, the full stop.

Well, this week it's the common meditation, and I've adapted this one just a little bit because the idea of the common meditation is that It's exactly that, you know, it's if you think about the way we might use a comma, it's for a very brief pause in the middle of a sentence, and in that spirit of that, the common meditation is one of those times when you just need to take a very brief pause in your day, and I'm offering it tonight as an alternative to the three stage breathing space to just stopping. Taking a breath, perhaps doing a bold exercise, but the comma meditation is one that we can learn very, very quickly or just flip to on our phones when we just need a comma, that sort of break and then we segue back into our day. So I'm just going to record as usual.

And ask us to First of all, get yourselves into a comfortable position, but not too comfortable. This is a very short meditation because our second meditation, as I said, is probably the longest one I've done on a Sunday, I would guess. We're looking at about maybe as long as about 12 minutes, so I'm expecting our minds to wander a bit on that one.

But hey, we're, we're, we're getting good at this stuff now. So, if we're all sitting. In a sort of seated position I think tonight and looking dignified.

Now. Find her comfortable. Pleistosa.

And if you want to, Close your eyes. I just looked down. No.

Just see if you can notice how your body It's feeling. Me is your bra. Not changing it.

But simply feeling it. And if you're happy to. Take a deep breath in.

And let it out slowly. And Jan. And another breath in.

And slowly. And gently. Now just breathe.

Natronly Any thoughts? Or feelings that you have. Notice them.

And let them pass by. And let yourself. Focus on your breathing.

God. So when you're ready, Allow your eyes to gently open. And then thought for me.

Move into the activity. That you want to do. Next.

Well done. I told you it was short, didn't I? The common meditation, it's just one of those.

Just a really lovely stop, breathe, move on. And I like it, you know, I, I like it. And it'll fit quite nicely with the one we did last week, which I think Dawn sent out.

She would have done because she's marvellous, that she would have sent out. Remember we did the stop meditation, and that, to be honest, is when we properly need to take a right stop and gather ourselves in order to move on. And this one is a sort of brief segue in the moment and back on with what we were doing.

And I think they both got . Real marriage, you know. OK.

So, Now I've lulled you into that sort of lovely sense of security and perhaps we've just given ourselves some time to just stop. We're going to move forward to the turning towards meditation. And, When I first put this slides together, I thought, oh gosh, that's a bit of a scary image.

But I think it fits, you know, because I think our response sometimes to difficult emotion is to treat it as though it were a sort of hand grenade or a or a bomb that's likely to go off and because we treat emotion sometimes with aversion and we push it away or we kids love it, we never really turn towards it. And make sense of it. So, This meditation is for use when difficult emotions keep showing up and .

I think we are all So many people, myself included, I had a bit of tragedy this week. And You know, I've had to really kind of turn towards This, this, difficulty. It was just a, a very good friend of mine, has had a very difficult, diagnosis.

Towards the end of last week actually and came to me. And we spoke and, I found myself putting off thinking about it, and that just doesn't work for me at all. And so I turned, and I used this meditation.

John Cabot Zinn talks about, Having that, weaving that parachute, and it's at moments like those that I just, I'm so grateful to mindfulness because I turned to this meditation and halfway through sitting with this meditation. And the recording of this meditation that I have. With John Cabot Zinn's voice actually.

And I suddenly in the middle of it, you know, we get disturbed by thoughts, and I thought, oh this would fit very, very well because I'm sure other people on Sunday are going to be experiencing difficult emotion. And so that's how this one came up and we call this the turning towards meditation and I'm going to ask you today to get really comfortable and so I'm actually going to shift my cushions around a bit and support my lower back just a little bit more because this is a A long meditation, but I think a very important one at this time. And so, I hope you find this as useful as I did.

Towards the end of last week and actually a couple of times yesterday, I turned to this one because I was quite sad actually, and not dealing with it as well as, as, as I would like. So The turning toward. Meditation.

And we use this meditation. For those times when we are really, really struggling. And the meditation Has Real usefulness during difficult times.

So as we begin, We just notice. The support that you're currently receiving. From what you're sitting.

Or lying on Paying special attention to the sensations of support. And if you're sitting, Notice how your feet. I'm making contact with the floor.

And how your body It's supported by the chair. Or the cushion But maybe you've just placed him. Preparation for our meditation.

Bringing an awareness to how your arms. And your hands are resting. Just allowing your weight.

To sink down through these points of contact that we find. And wherever possible. Letting any tension just drain down.

Into the support and beyond. And as you're sitting, Letting any thoughts. Or images.

Just dissipate. Focusing on feeling supported. By what's beneath you.

And notice your breath. Whether you're feeling it most. Vividly in your tummy, your abdomen.

Or your chest or your nostrils. Actually feel the breath. Moving.

Noticing how the whole body expands just a little. As we breathe in, And relax is on the out breath just lifting. Your breath be your breath.

You could, if you want, just observe your breath and the way that you might watch waves of the seashore. Stepping back and watching. As your breath goes in.

And that. Just noticing that it smooths the sand as though. Waves come in.

And you wouldn't. Demand of the waves that they speed up or slow down. You just Lean back and enjoy watching them.

And in the same way. We can allow our breath. To be just as it is.

Now we just Turn our attention. To something that's troubling us. Something that isn't the way you would want it to be.

Perhaps Something that It's possibly a physical condition. Might be a health problem. It might be linked to a sadness or a relationship.

Misunderstanding or A setback Might be something that we find uncomfortable about ourselves. There is no wrong choice. And whatever you choose.

We'll be right for this meditation. So let yourself get a sense of what you're choosing to work on. When you found it.

Let's just see if we can find how we're feeling. About this situation, this issue. Is there anger?

That's the. Or sadness or impatience. Maybe the confusion What would you call it?

And whatever you find, rather than labelling it as I am this. See how it feels to say. I'm noticing This in me.

So instead of I'm angry or I'm sad. I'm noticing anger. And sadness just in me.

And I'm noticing something in me. That has this feeling. Let's try that.

I'm noticing this in me. Rename what what it is. And it just feels like this.

And in this way we can give the feeling more room to move. You're not identifying or labelling yourself with that emotion. You're merely aware.

That you have those feelings right now. And as you say this. You can notice whether or not there's a physical reaction.

That accompanies it. Perhaps a tightening in the shoulders or chest, or tummy. Or pressure.

Or tension of some sort. An ache even. Or a constriction.

It doesn't matter if you can't find it. What is it? You can now.

Just allow what you're noticing to just be there. And with difficult emotion. It's normal to move away or to push away.

So without trying to soften them. Directly. Let's just see if we can just soften our response to them.

You may not like what you're feeling. But maybe you can accept that it's just there. Right now.

And give yourself permission to feel this. Allowing it to be there with kindness. And gentleness.

Recognising that accepting whatever it is that we're finding. Doesn't necessarily mean that we have to like it. And this, friends, is softening.

And allowing And if it's possible for you. See if you can soften. Your response to that difficulty.

By just breathing. Gently. Seeing if you can be with it in the same way as you would.

Be with a child or a. An animal that you love. A pet perhaps in distress.

Finding that same tenderness. That same gentleness. Maybe place in your hand wherever you feel it in your body.

Meeting this experience with kindness. And recognising that anybody would be finding this tough. Opening up, slightly rolling back those shoulders.

Smiling. Half smile of acceptance. No rash.

And like me, you might feel sensations and feelings now. Pay close attention to them. There might be movement.

Tightening or loosening. You may notice a shift in temperature. Meet it all.

Kindness? Curiosity and compassion. Now, Without trying to push away the difficult issues.

Just take a moment and see if you can find. Somewhere in your life, The things are generally OK, perhaps good. Someone or something that you're grateful for.

A loved one, a favourite pet. Good friend. Something you've achieved.

Something you're proud of. Something that gives you pleasure. And satisfaction.

Makes you smile. If what comes to mind? It's physical.

Involves movement. Just imagine how it feels to be moving in this way. Hugging someone, stroking someone.

Moving in a particular way. If it has to do with the special feeling that you get in this situation or when you're with these particular people in your life. You're grateful for.

Notice in your body where you feel that gratefulness, that pleasure, that joy, that peace. Maybe a warmth in your heart. Or a secure feeling in your tummy.

Just spending But the time, allowing in this. Gentle positivity, this gentle. Lovely emotion.

That's good. And in a way, the parts of your life, those that are working well. That we're grateful for.

Can be seen as gently holding the areas that are difficult. Or even challenging. So we broaden our awareness like panning out with a wide angle lens.

Hold them both. Together, the difficulty. And that which we're grateful for.

Making space for both in your life. Moving wider still. Allowing yourself to bring in the room.

The space that you're meditating in. Expanding your awareness even wider. Take in the house.

Maybe even The street that you're in. Just allowing yourself to see. We're now part of something bigger.

And we expand that awareness. Just allowing ourselves to just see ourselves. As someone Experiencing all of this emotion, good and bad.

And experiencing that amidst the Whole of our kind of world. Spending the next just few moments right resting deep in our body and our brain. But aware of ourselves.

Our space. As we near the end of this meditation, Just very slowly. Begin to relax your eyes and if they've been closed.

Just look around you. To the world out there. Take in sight.

Sound and sensation. And begin to move your body. And re-engage with the day that.

We're living right now. Just bringing a fresh sense of curiosity. And openness.

All that you encounter. Throughout the rest of our day. We've turned towards.

Rather than moved away. Just notice how that feels. Yeah.

I've kind of needed that, and I think more and more we, we are needing to recognise, I think at the moment, there's so much difficult stuff going on that maybe we lose sight of it and we do kind of need to hold it all together. And To stop ourselves from becoming one dimensional. And finding space.

All that's out there really. So I hope people found that useful tonight. There's only a few of us, I think, .

And imagine everyone else is glued to the television seeing what. The Prime Minister is telling us about the plans moving forward. I kind of think.

But we got it right. And, yeah, Dawn's just come back. Definitely needed that tonight, Mike.

Dawn, I've needed this 12 or 3 times actually this last week, from Thursday on, really. And, yeah, I really needed it. So thanks for that, Dawn, me too.

We'll be back next week and, Thank you all so much for taking part tonight. I probably will now kind of just go through and check out what is happening, but I'll do it, you know, with the spirit of, openness and Not over concentrating, . A sense of, you know, I, I'm a little bit more in charge than I felt before tonight.

So, I mean, thank you guys as well. And have good weeks. The common meditation is a really peachy one to try.

I will send them both through to dawn as soon as we're finished, and, perhaps that will get sent out whenever they get a moment because I know they're so busy at the moment as well. So thank you all so much. And have a really lovely rest of your Sunday night.

Good night, everybody.