Mindfulness Practice

Become aware of the soles of your bare feet as they hit the ground. Focus your attention on this for a while. Now switch your awareness  to the sound of the boots striking the pavement behind you. Perhaps you are aware of how much closer they are getting.

Hear the sound of your breath rasping through a throat that is hot and dry, aching and raw. Focus on this sensation for a count of three.

Then switch attention smoothly to your mind. Look for the next thought, and the next one. Perhaps it is about the darkness all around you. Perhaps your distance from home and safety.

Become aware of your feelings now. Fear is there, of course. Perhaps also a little anger at yourself for straying so far from familiar pathways and bright lights. Just remain aware of them for now. Focus your awareness.

Now bring your attention to your breathing. Follow your in-breath. Follow your out-breath. As you breathe in, follow the air on its journey, all the way to that little pause, then follow the air out of the body. Perhaps become aware of the heat of the air as it leaves your aching chest, through the sticky heat of your throat and out through your gasping mouth.

As you breathe in, pull light and love from your wisdom source. And as you breathe out, push despair and panic out of your body. Just let it go.

Now try to widen your awareness to the dark figure behind you, closer now. Too close. Recognise that you are not your thoughts and your emotions. If your body is feeling tense, try to build a little distance between you and your tension.

Practice being grateful for the dark thoughts and your dark pursuer – they have come as a gift to you; as a teacher on your path.

Allow yourself to become a little curious about what will happen when this pursuer catches you. Let this thought slip into you. Watch how enters your mind. Observe the effect it has on you. Catch and track the thought as it moves through you, and then let it go.

Resume your attention on the events in your body. Notice the burning sensation in your legs. Feel what is happening in your chest – the pain as your heart races, the agony as your lungs suck in oxygen, the ache in your muscles. Then relax into these sensation. Feel them, and know that you are not your chest. Observe and yet remain aware that you are separate from these sensations.

Now become calmer. Do not force this to happen, but recognise that peace is your core nature and just allow yourself to become tranquil.

As this feeling of peace flood your being, become aware of the hand on your shoulder, throwing your body off-balance. Do not worry about this.

As you observe your body slamming into the dark concrete – cold against your hot face, remind yourself that you are an observer. As your awareness expands into the sudden sensation of the solid body on top of yours, grunting breath against your face, hands tearing at your clothes,  know that you are the embodiment of peace.

Retain this awareness, and let terror flow out of your mind. Easily and naturally.

Remain focused on your breathe, and let love wash in, and then shame flow out.

Continue this practice.

In … then out.

In … then out.