Intention

Please sit down in a comfortable position back upright and relaxed. Again, try to sit not too close to each other, small children close to one parent. --- Can you please stop talking and close your eyes?

One question: Although I have asked you to close your eyes - what is YOUR intention when you are closing your eyes? Think about it for a moment: What are your reasons to close your eyes? ---

Do you close your eyes because you want to meditate and be able to focus inward, without being distracted by visual impressions from outside? ---

Do you just do it because I said so? – Then, what is your intention behind that? ---

Do you follow my suggestion because you trust me, and believe that it will have a good result for you? - So is your intention then to have some kind of good result, some new experience? --
Or is your intention to be here with the others and do what they do? ---
Or do you just want to use the opportunity to sleep or day-dream a bit? ---

So there could be different intentions for doing the same thing! ---

What do you think – will you feel more alive and be more successful with what you are doing if you really WANT it, or if you just go along with what other people say or do? ---

Ok, let’s do the next step: Meditation often starts with mindfulness of breathing. So, please focus your attention on the breath, on the sensations of breathing in and out. ---

What is your intention for practicing this mindfulness of breathing now? ---
Do you want to feel the breath because it is a nice and peaceful feeling? ---
Is your intention to calm the mind and not get distracted too much by thoughts and sounds? ---
Is your intention to train yourself in mindfulness and concentration? ---
Or, do you do it because you want to be a good girl, a good boy and do what I suggest? ---
Or is you intention going into a completely different direction? ---
Just notice what your intention is, and how you feel about it. ---

I assume that , if you come to the Summer Camp, you will at least have SOME interest or intention, to learn how to meditate, to learn to know what it is all about. – Right? --- Can you give your mind a clear intention, like: I want to know what mindfulness of breathing is! ---
So, if it is true that from intention follows action, then you will DO it and find out about it, right? -
This is your chance – mindfulness of breathing:

Please stay focused on the breathing sensations at the tip of your NOSE for a while. ---
And as soon as you notice that you get distracted, can you bring your attention back to the nostrils? -----

Notice your intention. – Are you really INTERESTED to know how the breath feels like? – I suggest that, if you have an interest, you will probably be more successful and feel better with what you are doing. –
Now, does the breath feel cool at the nostrils or rather warm? --- Is it cooler when you breathe IN or when you breathe OUT? ---

Notice: when you start to be alert and interested, there is something to discover. –

Let’s go to the THROAT. - Can you feel the breath in your throat? – Are the sensations of breathing IN there different from the sensations of breathing OUT? --- What about the temperature? ---

And each time your mind wanders off the breathing sensations at the throat, as soon as you notice it, remember your intention: I want to know how the breath at the throat feels like! And bring the attention back to the throat. ---

Try it with a new intention - you can choose: Do you want to focus on the breathing sensations around the CHEST or around the BELLY? – Do you want to take some interest in what is happening there, how breathing IN feels different from breathing OUT? -----
You can have the intention to explore it more in detail:
In which areas does the body seem to expand with the in-breath? ---
Can you feel it in the front? ---Can you feel it at the sides? --- Can you feel it in the back? ---
In which areas does the body seem to contract with the out-breath? ---
Can you influence the muscles for breathing out? ---

What FEELINGS or emotions arise with the in-breath? --- Are the feelings, emotions that are arising with the out-breath different? ---
Did you discover something for yourself? –

How does the change happen between breathing in and out? – Do you have to decide whether you breathe in or out, or does it simply happen by itself? ---

Is there a TURNING POINT, a gap, or is it one flowing movement from in-breath to out-breath? -
Can you influence that intentionally? ---

The more you are interested in the sensations of breathing, the more there is to discover.
But it only works, if you are clear in your intention, and if intention is followed by action, if you DO it: if you are willing to bring the attention to the breathing space, again and again. Then your awareness of breathing will become stronger and more and more refined.

The Buddha said: Mindfulness of breathing is one way of realizing enlightenment.

How do you feel now? – Just notice. ---
Knowing how you feel can also be a step towards enlightenment, waking up.

- bell -