Below, you will find my present-moment meditation script. I love this one. When you do it, you will naturally start to focus on the present moment.
Being present in the moment means living in the now, being conscious of the moment, and being mindful.
This is important for both health and happiness. Indeed, research from Emily K. Lindsa et. al. [University of Pittsburgh] shows that focusing on the present moment helps us let go, and reduces stress, anxiety, and negative emotions. Plus, it increases happiness and productivity. [1]
As well as the present moment meditation script below, I recommend you try my 40 Mindfulness Exercises.
Present Moment Meditation Script [15 Minute Session]
Note: If you are new to mindfulness, you’ll probably want to read my beginners guide to mindfulness meditation.
1: [1 minute] Set the intention to be present moment minded
Tell yourself that you are going to commit to living in the present moment. Say to yourself, “I will live the moments of my life. I will be present and mindful.”
By setting the intention to be mindful, you are focusing your mind on one goal: To live in the moment with mindfulness.
Setting your intention channels your energy into one purpose: To live in the moment.
John Yates, Ph.D. [founder of Dharma Treasure Buddhist Sangha in Tucson] says you should set your intention and remind yourself why you are meditating because this helps you to focus on what you want to achieve.
2: [1 minute] Choose a physical object on which to meditate. Place the object directly in front of you, three feet away. Begin to focus your mind absolutely on that one thing.
Choose one thing to focus on. You can choose any meditation object you like. But choose something calm and relaxing. I enjoy meditating on crystals, candles, and statues.
Place the object three feet away and directly in front of your eyes. Sit with good posture and look straight ahead. If you placed your object correctly, you will be looking directly at it.
Note that your choice of object might change the way you feel during the meditation. If, for instance, you focus on something neutral (like a pebble or a spot on the wall) your mind will become clear and very calm. If you choose something positive, like a pleasant sound, you will become happy. So, choose an object and begin to meditate on it.
3: [10 minutes] Aim to make your mind one with the object. And silence your thoughts and feelings.
Keep looking straight ahead at the object. Do not move your head or your eyes. Try to focus on one specific part of the object, so that you do not move your eyes at all.
You will notice at times that you feel the inclination to move. Don’t. Stay still. Keep focusing. Look straight at the object.
If thoughts enter your mind, let them come and go without fighting or resisting them.
If your thoughts distract you, label them (by saying, “This is just a thought”). This will make you less reactive to thoughts.
What we are doing is a combination of the traditional meditation techniques Samatha (Buddhist concentration meditation) and Trataka (Yoga “Stillness Gazing” Meditation).
Samatha trains the mind to focus on the present moment. Trataka is about holding our gaze straight.
Research by Taruna Mallick and Ravi Kulkarni shows that when we hold the eyes still, the mind becomes still. This is because there is a direct link between neural activity and eye movement. Stop the eye movement, and you stop the neural activity. [2][3]
This is the most essential part of our being present meditation script. While we are focusing on our meditation object, we are training ourselves to concentrate on the present moment. If this is difficult you might like to use this acceptance meditation script too.
4: [Rest of the day] You are now present and mindful. The trick is to stay mindful for the rest of the day.
You re now being mindful. And you probably want to continue to be mindful throughout the day. To do this, take a break every two hours. In the break, meditate on your breath for just five minutes. Set your intention (the next thing you must do) and do it mindfully.
As well as setting your intention, you will want to refocus your mind. During your breaks, do what Henepola Gunaratana recommends in the book The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English. That is:
- Observe how you are feeling
- Label what is occurring in your mind in the present moment
- Observe what are you experiencing via your senses
- Be mindful of what you are actively doing.
When you tune into these four aspects of the present moment, you will be more mindful. This will help you to live in the moment more often.
So, continue to be mindful after you finish this meditation session. Speaking of which… we are done!
Final thoughts
Nice job! You’ve finished our being present meditation script. Of course, there are many more free guided meditation scripts to try.
Through this meditation session, you have learned to be present in the moment with mindfulness meditation.
The trick to living in the moment is to maintain mindfulness. Indeed, the very word Mindfulness means “To remember”. We must remember to live in the moment.
Thankfully, we can use the Four Foundations of Mindfulness to do that. By labeling our thoughts, feelings, and sensations we are experiencing, we can continue to live in the moment.
For help with this, and to go further in your meditation practice, book a private online meditation lesson with me today.
References
1: How mindfulness training promotes positive emotions: Dismantling acceptance skills training in two randomized controlled trials, Emily K. Lindsay,a Brian Chin,b Carol M. Greco,a Shinzen Young,*,c Kirk W. Brown,d Aidan G.C. Wright,a Joshua M. Smyth,e Deanna Burkett,a and J. David Creswellb, Human Subjects Research 2: Effects of samatha meditation on active academic engagement and math performance of students with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, NN Singh, GE Lancioni, BT Karazsia, JC Felver… – Mindfulness, 2016 – Springer 3: The Journal of Alternative and Complementary MedicineVol. 16, No. 12, The Effect of Trataka, a Yogic Visual Concentration Practice, on Critical Flicker Fusion, Taruna Mallick and Ravi Kulkarni 4: Buddhist foundations of mindfulness, E Shonin, W Van Gordon, NN Singh, 2015
Paul Harrison is a passionate meditation teacher who believes in genuine, authentic meditation. He has more than 15 years experience in meditation and mindfulness. He studied meditation in beautiful Oxford, UK, and Hamilton Ontario Canada, and earned his degree at Staffordshire University.
“My goal is to provide the most authentic meditation sessions so you can harness the power of your own mind for personal transformation” – Paul Harrison
