Welcome! Today, you’re going to be a detective—not chasing clues in a far-off city, but solving the most fascinating mystery of all: who you really are. Grab a comfy spot, close your eyes, and let’s start with a few slow, deep breaths. Breathe in… and out… letting everything settle, like dust after a busy day.

Picture yourself holding a little notebook, ready to jot down clues. First case: the sound of the world around you. Listen—what do you hear? Maybe a car passing, a bird chirping, or just the hum of silence. Notice these sounds, but here’s the detective twist: who’s hearing them? Something’s picking up these clues, right? Write that in your notebook: ‘There’s a listener here.’

Next clue: your breath. Feel it moving in and out, like a quiet rhythm. You don’t have to make it happen—it just does. But who’s noticing it? Is it your nose? Your chest? Or something else, quietly watching the whole show? Add that to your notes: ‘Something’s watching the breath.’

Now, let’s investigate the thoughts. They’re sneaky suspects—popping up like ‘What’s for dinner?’ or ‘Did I lock the door?’ Don’t chase them; just watch them stroll by. Here’s the big question: who’s seeing these thoughts? They come and go, but something stays, doesn’t it? Scribble that down: ‘There’s a watcher that doesn’t budge.’

Okay, Detective, let’s zoom in on this ‘watcher.’ Imagine it’s like the screen at a movie theater. The movie plays—loud sounds, busy thoughts, breaths moving—but the screen? It just holds space for it all. It doesn’t cheer for the hero or cry at the sad parts; it’s just there, steady and calm. Can you sense that in you? That quiet, steady part that’s always on duty?

Here’s your detective challenge: try to catch this watcher moving. Does it leave when the thoughts stop? Does it shrink when the breath slows? Peek around—does it have a shape, a size, an edge? Or is it wide open, like the sky on a clear day?

Spoiler alert: you won’t find an edge. This watcher, this screen, this ‘you’—it’s not a thing you can grab. It’s what you are. Not the sounds, not the breath, not the thoughts—but the one who knows them all. You don’t have to solve the case; you just have to see it’s already solved. You’re the mystery and the detective, all in one.

Take a moment to hang out here. No clues to chase, no notes to take—just rest as this wide-awake you. It’s been here all along, like the quiet under a noisy street.

When you’re ready, wiggle your fingers, stretch your toes, and open your eyes. The case is closed, but the detective—you—gets to keep exploring, knowing the real you is always right here, watching with a smile.

The Detective of You

Sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in… and out… letting your body relax.

Notice your breath… flowing in and out on its own. Ask quietly: Who is breathing?

Now, listen to the sounds around you… arising and fading. Ask: Who is hearing?

Watch your thoughts… drifting like clouds. Ask: Who is thinking?

Rest here. Everything—breath, sound, thought—arises in awareness… like waves in the ocean. There’s no “you” apart from this… only one reality.

When you’re ready, take a breath… and gently open your eyes.

No self short meditation

Begin by sitting or lying down comfortably. Let your body settle. Close your eyes gently, and allow your breath to find its own rhythm.

Bring your attention to your breath—soft, natural. Inhale… and exhale… with no effort. Just being.

Imagine a warm, golden light above your head. It glows gently, radiating peace.

With each breath in, this light begins to lower, touching the top of your head. Feel its warmth resting there. No need to do anything.

The light continues downward, flowing over your forehead… your face… your jaw. Softening everything it touches.

Let it spread through your neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. It’s as if kindness itself is melting into you.

Now feel the light reach your chest—your heart. Here, it pauses. This is the center of compassion.

With your next breath, imagine the light expanding from your heart. Each heartbeat sends out a pulse of gentle compassion. To yourself.

As you breathe, silently repeat: "May I be safe. May I be kind to myself. May I find peace."

Repeat slowly once more. "May I be safe. May I be kind to myself. May I find peace."

Now imagine someone you love—easily. Someone who brings warmth to your heart. See them standing in the golden light.

Send them compassion. "May you be safe. May you be kind to yourself. May you find peace."

Repeat once more. "May you be safe. May you be kind to yourself. May you find peace."

Let the light widen now, like a field of golden mist. It gently reaches everyone nearby… then further—your community, your city, your country.

Let the compassion flow outward. It does not run out. It expands as you give it. You are part of its source.

Now picture someone you struggle with. Keep their image soft. No stories—just their presence.

Let the same compassion reach them. "May you be safe. May you be kind to yourself. May you find peace."

Even if it’s difficult, just offer the wish. That’s enough.

Now let all images fade. Return to the breath and the light at your heart. Still glowing. Still steady.

Feel the spaciousness in your body. The steadiness of your breath. The quiet strength of your heart.

You are not alone. This field of compassion is within you, and it connects you to everything.

Let yourself rest in this space, without effort. Nothing to fix. Nothing to achieve. Just rest.

Begin to return gently to the room. Notice the sensations of your body… your breath… the space around you.

Wiggle your fingers or toes if you like. Gently open your eyes.

Carry this softness with you. Let compassion shape the way you move through the world today.

Golden Light Compassion Meditation

Welcome. Find a comfortable posture, either sitting upright in a chair with your feet flat on the floor, or sitting cross-legged on a cushion. You can also lie down if that feels more supportive for you today. Allow your spine to be relatively straight but not stiff. Let your hands rest gently in your lap or on your knees.

You can choose to gently close your eyes, or keep a soft, unfocused gaze directed downwards a few feet in front of you.

Take a slightly deeper breath in... and as you breathe out, consciously release any obvious tension you might be holding in your shoulders, your jaw, or your forehead.

Take another gentle breath... and exhale slowly.

Now, begin to gently open your awareness. Without needing to search or strain, simply allow whatever is present in your experience to be here.

Notice sounds around you – near sounds, far sounds. Just let them come and go.

Become aware of the physical sensations in your body. The feeling of contact where your body meets the chair or floor. The subtle sensation of air on your skin. Any areas of warmth, coolness, tingling, or pressure.

If your eyes are open, allow the visual field to be present without focusing on any particular object. If your eyes are closed, notice the patterns or darkness behind your eyelids.

Thoughts and feelings might also be present. Simply acknowledge them as passing events within awareness, like clouds moving through the sky. No need to grasp them or push them away.

Now, let's gently explore the sense of space, the field of awareness itself. Without straining, invite your awareness to expand outwards.

Sense the furthest sounds you can detect. If your eyes are open, notice the periphery of your vision, the very edges of what you can see.

Feel the sensations at the outer limits of your body – the tips of your toes, the crown of your head, the surface of your skin.

Gently probe: where does this field of awareness seem to end? Can you sense its vastness, its boundaries? Don't worry if you can't find a definitive edge, just notice the feeling of spaciousness, the sense of the periphery.

Now, gently shift your attention inwards. Where does the sense of 'you', the observer, seem to be located? Often, there's a subtle feeling of a center point, perhaps somewhere behind the eyes, in the head, or in the chest area.

Don't analyze it, just gently notice if there's a place that feels like the 'center' of your experience, the 'me' point from which awareness seems to look out. Acknowledge this sense of a central point, without judgment or trying to change it.

Okay, we've briefly touched upon the vast edges of awareness and the familiar sense of a center. Now, let's try something different.

Bring your attention deliberately to the space between these perceived extremes. Not the furthest point you can sense, and not the very center where 'you' seem to be. Find the middle ground.

Imagine the entire field of experience, from far to near. Can you rest your attention somewhere halfway? In the 'middle distance' of your awareness?

This isn't about finding a precise location, but more about cultivating a quality of attention that rests in the space that is neither distinctly 'far away' nor distinctly 'right here'. It's the undifferentiated space, the gray area.

As you gently hold your attention in this in-between space, notice if a subtle shift occurs. See if you can soften any tendency to prefer 'near' over 'far', or 'center' over 'edge'.

Can you relax the subtle effort of defining 'self' versus 'other'?

By resting in this middle ground, we invite awareness to be less discriminative. Awareness simply is, equally present everywhere within its field, not favouring one point over another.

Allow yourself to relax into this quality of open, non-discriminating presence. Soften into the feeling of awareness itself, spacious and unbiased.

Just rest here for another moment. Aware. Open. Without needing to focus intensely on edges, center, or even the in-between. Simply being the awareness in which all experiences arise and pass.

Now, very gently, begin to let go of any specific focus.

Allow your awareness to broaden naturally. Wiggle your fingers and toes gently.

Become more aware again of the room around you, the sounds, the feeling of the air.

When you feel ready, if your eyes were closed, slowly allow them to open. Take a moment to notice how you feel.

Carry this sense of open awareness with you as you move into the rest of your day.

Awareness in the In-Between

Find a comfortable position where you can see this expansive mountain view. Allow your body to settle. Take a few deep breaths, in through the nose and out through the mouth.

Notice the weight of your body where you're sitting or standing. Feel the points of contact with the surface beneath you.

Now, bring your attention to your breathing — not controlling it, just observing its natural rhythm.

Gently shift your attention to the view before you. See the snow-capped mountains rising majestically against the clear blue sky. Notice the layers of mountains — some close, some far away.

In the headless way, we begin by recognizing that what we're seeing isn't separate from us as the seer. Look at those mountains and the valley. Who or what is looking? Can you find a boundary between the seeing and what is seen?

Now, notice that from your perspective, you can see the mountains, the buildings, the trees, the open fields, but you cannot see your own head. Where your head is supposed to be, there is only openness, capacity, awareness.

Feel into this spaciousness where "your head" should be. There are no edges, no boundaries here — just open awareness from which you're experiencing this magnificent view.

Notice how this awareness has no color, no shape, yet it contains all the colors and shapes of the mountains, sky, and valley before you.

See how the snow gleams on the highest peaks. Feel the vastness of the clear blue sky. Notice the small buildings nestled in the landscape, the bare trees waiting for spring. All of this is appearing within your awareness.

Can you sense how your awareness and what you're aware of are not two separate things? The mountains, the sky, the trees — all appearing in this boundless space of consciousness.

Recognize that this view isn't happening to someone — it's simply happening. There's seeing, but no seer separate from the seen.

Notice the depth of the valley, how it cradles the buildings and fields. See the textures of the landscape — the rough mountain stone, the smooth snow, the fine branches of the trees.

All these forms are appearing in the formless awareness that you are. From the place of no-head, experience how you're both empty of form and full of the world.

Now, without moving your eyes, notice how your peripheral vision extends far to the sides. Your visual field is wide open, with no borders or frames.

Feel how this vast panorama of mountains and sky exists within your spacious awareness, not outside of you. You are not looking at the mountains; you are the space in which mountains appear.

While maintaining this headless awareness, notice any sounds that may be present — perhaps birds, distant voices, the wind. These sounds also appear in the same open awareness.

Feel the temperature of the air on your skin. Notice how bodily sensations and the visual scene coexist in this single field of awareness.

From this headless place, recognize that there's no division between inside and outside. The mountains, the valley, the sensations in your body — all are one undivided experience happening now.

See how the light illuminates everything — the snow-capped peaks, the buildings, the fields. Just as light reveals all forms, your awareness illuminates all experience.

As we bring this meditation to a close, recognize that this headless awareness is always available to you. When you look at these mountains again, remember to notice the space of awareness from which all perception arises.

Take one more moment to appreciate the beauty of this mountain view, seeing it from no-head — from the spaciousness of pure awareness.

Gently bring your attention back to your body, feeling its weight and presence. Take a deep breath in, and as you exhale, carry this open awareness with you as you continue your day.

Mountain View Headless Way Meditation

Take a moment to settle into your meditation posture. Sit upright with dignity, relaxed but alert.

Briefly check in with your chosen breath focal point from our previous session. Notice the sensations of breathing at this spot.

Now we'll expand your awareness beyond this single point to include your entire body breathing.

First, reconnect with the breath at your focal point. Make sure it feels comfortable and refreshing.

From this spot, begin to expand your awareness outward, like a light that starts as a small point and gradually illuminates the whole room.

Imagine your awareness spreading to fill your entire body, from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

As you breathe in, be aware of the whole body breathing in. As you breathe out, be aware of the whole body breathing out.

Think of the breath not as just air moving in and out, but as an energy that flows through your entire body with each breath.

Now that you're aware of the whole body, notice if there are any areas that feel tight, tense, or blocked to the breath energy.

As you breathe in, imagine breath energy flowing freely to these areas. As you breathe out, allow any tension to dissolve.

Think of your breath as having the ability to soothe and energize every cell of your body.

If you notice an area that's particularly tense, focus your awareness there for a few breaths. Breathe directly into that area, allowing the breath energy to dissolve any tightness.

Now return to the whole-body awareness. Feel how all parts of the body are connected through the breath energy network.

With each in-breath, sense the entire body filling with refreshing energy. With each out-breath, feel the whole body relaxing and opening.

As your awareness of the whole body becomes more stable, see if you can make the breath energy even smoother and more harmonious.

Notice if the breath in some parts of the body is moving at a different rhythm than in other parts. See if you can synchronize the breath throughout the body.

Imagine the body as a single, unified field of breath energy, all parts working together in harmony.

Allow your breathing to find the most refreshing and energizing rhythm for your entire body in this moment.

For the next few minutes, maintain this whole-body awareness with each breath.

If your attention narrows back to a single point or gets lost in thought, gently return to this whole-body breathing.

Whole body breathing in... whole body breathing out.

Notice how the quality of your awareness changes when you maintain this broader perspective.

If the mind wanders, simply note it and return to whole-body breathing, without judgment or frustration.

Now prepare to end this meditation. Notice how your body and mind feel after breathing with whole-body awareness.

See if you can maintain this whole-body awareness as you slowly open your eyes.

Throughout your day, try to check in occasionally with this whole-body breathing. Even a few breaths with this expanded awareness can refresh your mind and reconnect you with the present moment. The skills you've developed in these three meditations—finding comfortable breath, exploring breath throughout the body, and maintaining whole-body awareness—form the foundation for deeper meditation practice. With continued practice, you'll discover ever more subtle and refreshing ways to work with the breath.

Whole-Body Breathing Meditation

Find your comfortable sitting position, keeping your back straight but not tense, and your hands resting in your lap.

Take a few moments to settle into your posture, relaxing any unnecessary tension while staying alert.

Begin with two or three deeper breaths, then allow your breathing to find its natural, comfortable rhythm.

Now we'll expand our awareness to explore the breath energy throughout different parts of the body. This is the sensation of energy that allows the physical breath to happen.

Start by focusing on the area around the navel. As you breathe in and out, notice the sensations of movement in this area.

See if you can notice any sense of energy or flow here. Tune into how this area expands and contracts with each breath.

If you notice any tension around the navel, consciously allow it to relax as you breathe. Let the breath energy flow freely in this center point.

Now move your attention to the lower abdomen, first on the right side, then on the left. Notice how the breath affects these areas.

Continue upward to the solar plexus, the spot right in front of your stomach. Feel the breath sensations here.

Now bring awareness to the right side of your rib cage, then to the left side. Notice how these areas expand and contract with each breath.

Move your attention to the middle of your chest. Feel how the breath affects this area.

Now to the right shoulder, then the left shoulder. See if you can detect any breath sensations or energy here.

Bring your awareness to the base of your throat. Notice the subtle movements of breath here.

Now move to the middle of your head, behind your eyes. As you breathe, imagine breath energy entering not just through your nose, but through your eyes, ears, and top of your head as well.

If you notice tension in any part of your head, allow it to dissolve as the breath energy flows through.

Now focus on the back of your neck, at the base of your skull. As you breathe in, imagine breath energy entering here and flowing down your shoulders, arms, and out to your fingertips.

With each out-breath, sense that energy radiating out from these parts of your body.

Now focus on the same spot at the base of your skull, but this time imagine the breath energy flowing down both sides of your spine to your tailbone.

Finally, bring your awareness to your tailbone. As you breathe in, sense the energy flowing from here down through your hips, legs, and out through your feet.

Now, from all these areas of the body, choose one spot where the breath sensations are clearest and most comfortable. This might be the nose, the chest, the abdomen, or any other point we've explored.

Let your attention settle on this spot. This will be your home base for awareness of the breath.

When your mind wanders, simply bring it back to this chosen spot. Each time you return, notice the quality of the breath energy at this point.

Now, prepare to end this meditation. Take a moment to notice how your body feels after exploring the breath in this way.

Before you open your eyes, see if you can maintain awareness of both your chosen focal point and a sense of your body as a whole.

Slowly open your eyes, carrying this expanded breath awareness with you.

Throughout your day, you might check in occasionally with your chosen focal point, using it as an anchor for mindfulness in daily activities.

Expanding Breath Awareness

Find a comfortable place to sit. You can sit on a chair, cushion, or whatever works for your body. The important thing is to find a position where you can sit comfortably for the next 15-20 minutes.

If you're sitting on a chair, place your feet flat on the floor, with your knees about hip-width apart. If you're sitting cross-legged, arrange your legs in a way that feels stable.

Place your hands on your lap, palms up, with your right hand on top of your left. Bring your hands close to your stomach. This will help keep your back straight and minimize the tendency to hunch over.

Sit straight, with your spine erect but not stiff. Think of your spine as a stack of coins, gently aligned.

Pull your shoulders back slightly and then down, creating a slight arch in your middle and lower back. Pull your stomach in a bit so the back muscles aren't doing all the work of keeping you upright.

Now relax into this posture. See how many muscles you can relax throughout your torso and hips while still maintaining this upright position.

Before focusing on the breath, take a moment to spread thoughts of goodwill to yourself and others. Start with yourself: "May I be happy. May I be free from suffering. May I find true peace."

Then extend these thoughts to others: "May all beings be happy. May all beings be free from suffering. May all beings find true peace."

Set a clear intention for this meditation. You're here to train your mind, to develop mindfulness and concentration. This is a skill that takes patience and practice.

Now bring your attention to your breath. Start by taking two or three deep, long in-and-out breaths. This helps to energize the body and makes the breath easier to observe.

After these deeper breaths, allow your breathing to find its own rhythm. Notice where you feel the sensations of breathing most clearly. It might be at the nose, the chest, or the abdomen.

If the breath feels uncomfortable in any way, you can adjust it. You might try breathing a little deeper or more shallow, faster or slower, whatever feels most comfortable to you right now.

You're not trying to force the breath into any particular pattern. Instead, you're exploring what kind of breathing feels most comfortable and refreshing right now.

You might ask yourself: "What kind of breathing would feel good right now?" Then let your body respond naturally.

Now try to stay with each in-and-out breath. Your only job is to notice the breath coming in and the breath going out.

If you find that your mind has wandered, simply notice that fact, and gently bring your attention back to the breath. Each time you come back, reward yourself with an especially gratifying breath.

Don't get discouraged if your mind wanders repeatedly. That's completely normal. What's important is that you notice when it happens and that you patiently bring your attention back each time.

It might help to use a mental note with each breath. You can silently think "in" with each in-breath and "out" with each out-breath.

If certain thoughts are particularly persistent, remind yourself that you can always come back to them after the meditation. Right now, your only job is to stay with the breath.

For the next few minutes, simply maintain your awareness with the breath. When the mind wanders, gently bring it back.

Now, let's prepare to end this meditation session. Before opening your eyes, notice how your body and mind feel right now.

Take a moment to appreciate the time you've given yourself to practice. Even a short period of meditation is valuable.

Gradually widen your awareness to include your whole body sitting here. Feel the sensations in your hands, your feet, your face.

Keeping this sense of the whole body, and maintaining awareness of the breath in the background, slowly open your eyes.

Try to carry this quality of mindful awareness with you into your next activities. Remember that you can return to the breath at any time during your day when you need a moment of calm and clarity.

Establishing Awareness of Breath

Begin by settling into a comfortable seated posture. Let the hands rest. Let the eyes gently close if that feels right. And for a moment, just arrive here. Nothing to fix. Nothing to solve.

Feel the breath moving—softly, naturally. Let the body rest into stillness.

Notice the contact of your body with the ground or cushion. The quiet rhythm of breath in the belly or chest. No need to change anything. Just witness.

Zen doesn’t ask us to go somewhere else. It invites us into the world—this world—as it is.

To see, to feel, to witness, without reactivity. To offer calm to the world, in the midst of its movement.

Now, if it feels comfortable, allow a gentle image to arise in your mind’s eye.

Imagine a hazy Pacific beach at the end of the day. The breakers roll in, golden mist in the air, the late sun illuminating it from within. Through the light, a line of pelicans moves slowly—flying low, swerving in and out of the waves.

Sometimes they form a sentence. Then scatter—then return again to coherence. Let this image come and go. You don’t need to hold it—just be with the feeling it evokes.

There’s no need to reach for meaning here. Zen is not a thing to grasp. Zen is the mind that knows beauty. It is not over here, looking at something over there. It is the seeing itself. The knowing itself.

Now gently open your awareness to the world around you—sounds, temperature, the breath again.

What if beauty is not something we look for, but something that arises when we stop trying to know?

What if this moment—just as it is—is already beautiful? Not because of what it looks like, but because you are here for it.

Allow yourself to simply rest in this presence—Breath moving. Body grounded. World unfolding.

This is not a special state. It is your natural knowing, your open heart.

Zen is the mind of beauty. And that mind is yours.

When you’re ready, begin to gently open your eyes, and return to the world—carrying this quiet seeing with you.

The Mind of Beauty: A Zen-Inspired Meditation

Find a cozy way to sit or lie down. You can sit cross-legged like a pretzel, or sit in a chair with your feet touching the floor, or even lie down on your back like a starfish. Whatever feels most comfortable for you.

Gently close your eyes, or if you prefer, look softly at one spot on the floor in front of you.

Now, let's pay attention to your breathing. Can you feel your tummy moving up and down as you breathe? Or maybe you feel your chest rising and falling? Just notice your breath moving in and out like gentle waves.

When other thoughts pop into your mind, that's okay! Just imagine those thoughts are like passing clouds, and gently bring your attention back to your breathing.

Now, here's something fun to imagine. Think about where you're paying attention from - it's usually somewhere in your head, behind your eyes. This special attention is like a magic bubble of knowing.

Imagine this bubble can float anywhere in your body! Let's let it float downward, like a bubble in water.

First, let your magic bubble float to your jaw. Feel what it's like to know your jaw directly from inside your jaw! Isn't that interesting? You're not looking at your jaw from your head - you're feeling it from right where it is!

Now, let your magic bubble float down to your throat. You don't need to stretch your attention from your head down to your throat. The bubble just floats there all by itself. Feel what it's like to know your throat from inside your throat.

Community Meditations

The Detective of You

No self short meditation

Golden Light Compassion Meditation

Awareness in the In-Between

Mountain View Headless Way Meditation

Whole-Body Breathing Meditation

Expanding Breath Awareness

Establishing Awareness of Breath

The Mind of Beauty: A Zen-Inspired Meditation

Floating Bubble: A Gentle Mind-Clearing Meditation for Children

Gratitude Flow Meditation

Effortless Mindfulness and Limitless Awareness

Awareness and Non-Duality Meditation

Coming Home to the Breath