A Guided Meditation To Get You Out Of Your Head | Bonus Meditation with Dan
Dan Harris guides a 10-minute meditation, drawing on instructions from Joseph Goldstein, focusing on body awareness using the phrase "there is a body" and techniques for handling distractions. This session is a snippet from his live subscriber events.
Deep Dive Analysis
7 Topic Outline
Introduction to the Guided Meditation
Setting Up: Comfort and Deep Breathing
Introducing the 'There is a Body' Meditation Phrase
Directing Attention to Physical Sensations
Using Mental Noting for Focus and Distractions
Mindfulness and Reframing Unpleasant Experiences
Concluding the Meditation Practice
4 Key Concepts
There is a body
This phrase, taken from Buddhist texts and used by Joseph Goldstein, is a tool to direct attention away from habitual mental storylines and into the physical sensations arising and passing away in the body. It helps ground awareness in the present moment by focusing on the physical self.
Four ways to establish mindfulness
The Buddha described four methods for establishing mindfulness, with the first being an awareness of what is happening in the body, specifically the physical sensations. This foundational practice helps practitioners stay present and connected to their physical experience.
Mental noting
A technique used to maintain focus during meditation, where one softly whispers a label in the mind for whatever sensation or thought arises (e.g., 'Tension,' 'Rising,' 'Falling,' 'Thinking,' 'Worrying'). It helps to acknowledge and categorize experiences without getting carried away by them.
Mindfulness of unpleasantness
When one is mindful of an unpleasant feeling, physical pain, or boredom, it can still be unpleasant but ceases to be a 'problem' because one is not fighting with it. Instead, mindfulness allows for curiosity and examination of its constituent parts, transforming the experience.
6 Questions Answered
Deep breathing at the beginning of a meditation session can send a clear message to the body that it's time to meditate, helping to transition into a more focused state.
The phrase 'there is a body' helps to direct attention away from habitual mental storylines and into the physical sensations occurring in the body, grounding awareness in the present moment.
The frequency is flexible; if the mind is scattered, one can drop the phrase into their mind every 30 seconds or so to help maintain focus.
Mental noting involves softly whispering a label in the mind for sensations or thoughts as they arise (e.g., 'Tension,' 'Rising,' 'Thinking'). This technique helps to acknowledge experiences without getting lost in them.
Distraction is not a problem; when you notice you've been carried away, simply make a mental note of the distraction (e.g., 'Thinking,' 'Worrying') and gently return your attention to the sensations in the body.
When approached with mindfulness, unpleasant feelings, physical pain, or boredom can still be present but are no longer perceived as a 'problem' because one is not fighting them. Instead, one can become curious and examine their constituent parts.
10 Actionable Insights
1. Cultivate Body Mindfulness
Practice mindfulness by being aware of physical sensations arising and passing away in your body. This directs your attention out of habitual storylines and into the present moment, as the body is always in the moment.
2. Use “There Is A Body” Phrase
During meditation, drop the phrase “there is a body” into your mind at your own pace. If your mind is scattered, use it more frequently (e.g., every 30 seconds) to redirect your attention to physical sensations.
3. Employ Soft Mental Noting
To maintain focus in a less formal meditation style, use soft mental notes to label sensations like “Tension,” “Rising,” “Falling,” “Seeing,” or “Hearing.” This helps maintain focus and awareness without being uptight.
4. Label Meditation Distractions
When you get distracted during meditation, label the distraction with a soft mental note (e.g., “Thinking,” “Planning,” “Anger,” “Doubt”). After noting, gently return your attention to the sensations in the body, as distractions are not a problem when acknowledged.
5. Initiate with Deep Breathing
Before starting a meditation session, take three deep breaths, making the inhale as deep as possible and aiming for the exhale to be three or four times as long. This practice can send a message to the body that it’s “meditation time,” helping to prepare you.
6. Prioritize Meditation Comfort
Begin your meditation by getting comfortable, which can involve a mix of comfort, relaxation, and a little uprightness in your spine, though lying down is also acceptable. Comfort helps facilitate the meditation practice by allowing you to settle without unnecessary physical tension.
7. Mindfully Examine Unpleasantness
If something is bothering you or feels unpleasant, contemplate that it might mean you’re not being mindful of it. When you approach physical pain or boredom with curiosity, examining its constituent parts, it can still be unpleasant but ceases to be a “problem” because you are not fighting with it.
8. Integrate Breath with Body
If you choose to focus on your breath during meditation, do so within the context of the whole body, rather than being overly rigid about focusing on one specific point. This allows for a less militaristic and more expansive awareness of the breath.
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3 Key Quotes
some deep breathing can send the message to the body that it's meditation time.
Jeff Warren (quoted by Dan Harris)
If you're being mindful of it, it can still be unpleasant, but it's not a problem. You're not, you're not fighting with it.
Dan Harris
The body's always in the moment, as it were.
Dan Harris
1 Protocols
Guided Meditation: There is a Body
Dan Harris- Get comfortable, finding a mix of relaxation and upright dignity in your spine (or hurl yourself on the floor if preferred).
- Take three deep breaths at your own pace, making the inhale as deep as possible and the exhale three or four times as long as the inhale.
- Let your breath return to its normal pace and rhythm.
- Begin meditating using the phrase 'there is a body,' dropping it into your mind at your own pace to direct attention to physical sensations.
- If your mind is scattered, use the phrase every 30 seconds or so.
- Use mental noting to maintain focus by softly whispering labels for sensations (e.g., 'Tension,' 'Rising,' 'Falling,' 'Seeing,' 'Hearing') or distractions (e.g., 'Thinking,' 'Planning,' 'Anger,' 'Doubt,' 'Worrying').
- Don't worry about getting distracted; when you notice it, make a mental note of the distraction and return to the sensations in the body.
- Contemplate that any unpleasant feeling or problem means you're not being mindful of it; curiosity about its constituent parts can transform the experience.
- When ready, open your eyes and return to the room.