THIRD WEEK
 
Exercises for the Third Week:

• Listen to the 3rd audio-guided instructions
• Fifteen minute walking meditation,
• Twenty-five minute sitting meditation.
• Practice mindfulness throughout the day
• Use the online public forum to share your comments of your experience

However, if this is too long to practice sitting or walking meditation, do what is comfortable for you and add more time to each practice when you are ready.

Sitting and Walking Meditation

• Follow the third audio-guided instructions.
• Start by observing the physical sensations of the breath.
• When the mind becomes relatively quiet, try to observe your changing mental states and physical sensations. Examples of mental states are: feeling tired or rested, distracted or focused, anxious or calm. Examples of physical sensations are pressure, vibration, temperature, itching, and so on.
• Stay open to the present moment.
• In addition to being mindful of the breath, sounds, bodily sensations, and mental states, notice what we commonly refer to as our thoughts and emotions more specifically. For example, observe thoughts and their corresponding emotions as “remembering, planning, sadness, joy, aversion, anger, fear.” Observe thoughts, emotions, and/or physical sensations as objects that arise, change, and pass away from your awareness.
• If an emotion becomes overwhelming, go instead to the corresponding physical sensations and try to be mindful of them. With anger, for example, you might notice heaviness or tightness in your chest, and/or warmth in your face. If it becomes too difficult to observe the anger, focus your attention on a neutral object such as your breath or sounds until you can go back to the physical sensations, and eventually back to the anger itself.
• Do not identify with the emotion as “I am sad” or “I am angry” but notice that there is simply a mental state of sadness or anger or just that unpleasantness is present. Again, as with physical sensations, breath and sounds come and go. Watch how these thoughts or emotions change just as you watch the clouds passing in the sky. Do so without comparing, judging, or resisting the unpleasant objects or holding on to the pleasant ones.
• It is fine to simply stay with the breath or sounds.
• Remember to use the breath counting when needed, but only when necessary.
• Try a few sittings in silence without the guided instruction. Use a quiet timer so that you will not be disturbed by the ticking sound of the clock. Increase sitting meditation to 25 minutes, if possible.
• Increase walking meditation to 15 minutes, if possible.

Practice Mindfulness Throughout the Day

• Add one more activity to be mindful of and increase awareness of walking during the day.
• Eat the first morsel of food (or the first five minutes of each meal) mindfully.
• Try to spend a day without television and radio.
• Try to be aware of the desire for pleasant mental states and aversion to physical discomfort or pain/emotions. Note them as much as you can.
• Ask yourself if you are present (knowing what you are experiencing) or you are lost in thought or the activity you are engaged in?

Public Forum (Recommended)

• Do you have more problems with getting lost in thoughts or getting more drowsy (or more agitated) when sitting without the guided instructions? Are the guided instructions helpful in keeping the focus on meditating rather than getting lost in thought or getting drowsy?
• Do you find less craving for watching TV? Describe the experience of watching less TV.

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