Mindfulness Audios Download: Sitting

Daily Mindfulness Practice: Free Audio Download

by Monica A. Frank, Ph.D.

The following is part of a series of audios to teach how to practice mindfulness. Developing your ability to focus on the present moment can reduce distress and improve well-being.

Sitting

Index for Mindfulness Audios

Additional reading:

Some tips for using these audios:

Start with the Understanding Mindfulness audios to learn about mindfulness.
These short practice exercises are to help train your brain to be more mindful when engaged in daily activities.
The audio format is just for convenience to help learn the material. You can also read the transcript. When you practice, however, you should engage in the behavior mindfully without listening to the audio.
The best way to train your brain to be more mindful is to practice in short sessions throughout the day while engaged in your normal activities.
The descriptions are an artificial way to help you get started. Eventually, the practice of mindfulness is being aware of what is described without using an inner verbal description.
Mindfulness is not the same as relaxation. It is about learning to be aware of your present moment even if the moment is not particularly pleasant or comfortable. The more you are able to learn to tolerate discomfort, the less discomfort influences your moods and behavior.
This particular exercise is a beginning exercise to help learn to tolerate minor discomfort. For this exercise, try sitting in different places and for different lengths each time you do it.

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Transcript of Audio: Sitting

As you sit, notice the sensations in your body. Notice the surface of what you are sitting on. Is it soft or hard or lumpy? Notice what your body feels like touching this surface. Notice the muscles in your body as you sit. Some muscles may be very relaxed in this position whereas others may be more tense. Notice those different sensations. As you sit for a period of time, you might notice a need to change positions to increase the blood flow to that area or to stretch your muscles to release the tension. However, instead, allow yourself to just “be” with the uncomfortable sensation. Notice it. Notice where the most discomfort is and where the least is. Notice the part of the body or the particular muscles that are involved. As you let yourself just “be” with the discomfort, does the sensation change in any way? Let yourself just follow the changes and note what the experience is like. Once you have experienced the discomfort for a bit, go ahead and change positions. What does your body feel like as the blood flows into that part of the body or as the muscular tension is released? What are the different sensations? Do the sensations change as more time passes?