Hello, I’m Cheng Qing. After an earlier introduction to meditation, listeners requested a fuller guided practice; this special offers one.

 

Cross your legs, relax your shoulders, gently straighten the waist, form the hand gesture with relaxed fingers and lightly touching thumbs, tuck the chin, and half-close the eyes. Remove glasses or watches.

Settle and scan the body from head to feet, relaxing eyes, face, neck, chest, abdomen, and legs, and feel the cushion support you.

With the body relaxed, do not deliberately think. Receive the environment as quietly as waves or grass fragrance, pursuing nothing.

Simply feel the body now, without worry or analysis.

Move attention to natural breathing and the body’s rise and fall. Do not control its depth, length, or destination; remain an easy observer.

Attend to the whole rise and fall or one area such as the abdomen, ignoring other thoughts.

Rest attention lightly below the nose. Feel long breath as long and short as short, without staring, effort, or control.

Breath often carries psychological tension, so beginners may not recognize natural breathing. Notice control and relax; do not worry.

Count breaths: label the first exhalation one, know its inhalation as one, then two, continuing to ten and restarting.

If thought wanders and you forget, restart at one; if you notice before forgetting, continue. Keep breathing natural and attach numbers lightly. Do not blame yourself; patiently repeat.

Counting reveals that the imagined self cannot command even a simple task. Such reflective meditation corrects mistaken ideas.

Feel each breath clearly, hold numbers lightly, and seek concentration without tension.

When distracted, return without blame or ambition. We live with breath daily yet rarely experience it so intimately.

Remain clearly aware, not drowsy. Meditation combines calm and insight. Open the eyes if dull and practice well rested rather than merely dozing.

If the nose is difficult and mind scattered, return to whole-body relaxation before counting. If awareness at the nose is stable, continue.

Leg pain or numbness is normal while the body adjusts. Observe every sensation changing with time and conditions; all display impermanence.

Meditation seeks insight into mind and body, not comfort alone. Establish that motivation.

 

[Chime] Let the sitting end. Release the gesture, place hands on knees, rotate slowly clockwise and counterclockwise, and return the body to ordinary activity.

Stay mindful while massaging and feel hand-body contact. Massage clears fatigue and supports circulation.

Warm the thumb joints and massage eye sockets outward; warm palms and cover the eyes.

Warm palms and massage outward and upward from either side of the nose across the cheeks.

Rub forehead and back of head, then tap or press the scalp with all fingers.

Massage ears from top to lobes.

Continue through neck, shoulders, arms, chest, abdomen, thighs, knees, calves, and soles.

The full sequence is optional, but always massage before rising after meditation to avoid problems.