8 Minutes Meditation

Just One Breath

Preparation
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Notice if you are controlling your breath. If so, release control. Relax.
• Notice that place in your body where you are most aware of the sensation of breathing. It may be
your chest, diaphragm, or nostrils. There is no “right” place.
• Gently direct your attention to that place. We call it the “anchor point”.
• With your attention on the anchor point, observe the natural rise and fall of the breath. Try to view
this as not “your breath” but “the breath”.
• Allow… allow… allow. There’s no need to become involved or figure anything out.
• Thinking? No problem. Simply notice this. Gently return to your anchor point, your breath.
• Try to follow just one full in-and-out cycle of breath. If you can, then follow another. If you can’t,
fine. Just start over.
• Frustration? Irritation? Just notice these sensations. And return to your anchor point.
• Continue in this way. Simply observe the natural cycle of breath at your anchor point.
• Can you follow just one breath?
• Do this until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes a day for one week.

Naked Sound
Preparation:
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Bring your attention to the sounds around you. All sounds. Without filtering or rejecting them.
• Allow these sounds to rise and fall of their own accord. As they do, just note them by silently saying
the words rising or falling.
• Be with each sound completely. If one sound rises as another falls, see if you can give both equal
attention, nothing their individual “rising” and “falling”.
• A sound is just a sound. There is no need to match it to an object.
• If a sound does give rise to a thought image or body sensation – no problem. Simply notice this.
Gently return to your meditation on just allowing sound to rise and fall.
• Do this until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes for one week.
Nothing Body Sensations
Preparation:
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Allow your body to relax. Notice the different body sensations that arise. Do this for a few moments.
• At some point, you will feel an area in your body sort of “light up”.
• Note this place. It is not necessary to label this body part.
• Bring your awareness to this dominant area. And rest for attention there. This is your current anchor
point.
• Soon a new area of sensation will light up. Treat it as you did the first area. Make it your current
anchor point. Note this new area and rest your attention here. Allow it. Observe it. Do nothing about
it or to it.
• When thoughts arise, just notice them. No need to get involved. Gently return to the place where you
sense your dominant body sensation.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes for one week

This Magic Moment

Preparation:
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Relax and allow your mind to settle.
• A thought arises. It is most likely about the past or the future.
• Label the thought either “past” and “future”.
• Allow the thought to go its way, to do its dance.
• As the thought moves off, notice the space around it. Silent. Still. Here. Now.
• Surrender into this silent, vast presence.
• Another thought arises. Don’t resist it. Again, just label it “past” or “future”.
• Is your mind wandering off into thoughts, body sensations, or emotions? No problem, just notice
them and allow them to float away, like clouds in a boundless sky.
• Allow thought. Allow silence. Allow everything.
• Do this until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes a day for one week.
Gracious Declining
Preparation:
 • Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Allow your attention to rest lightly on your breath.
• A thought will shortly present itself in your awareness like an uninvited salesperson, knocking on
your door.
• Be aware that the thought is here, demanding your attention.
• Firmly yet graciously, decline to engage the thought.
• Return attention to your breath, sit quietly until another thought knocks on your door.
• Once more graciously, decline to engage the thought.
• Return attention to your breath again. Graciously decline whenever necessary.
• Do this until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes a day for one week.
Private Screening
Preparation:
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Bring your attention to your “inner projection screen” located just behind your eyes. This will be
your anchor point.
• An image will appear on the screen. It can be a picture of anything, projected in many ways; fuzzy;
distinct, black and white, wildly colourful.
• Just observe this image without judgment, analysis, or questioning.
• Let this image do its dance. It may intensify. It may suddenly disappear. It could dissolve into a new
image. Allow it to do whatever it wants.
• Just watch this play of images. Allow them to come and go. Do not make up stories about them. You
are just the watcher; not the writer, actor, or director of this movie.
• Caught up in thinking? Good. Notice this. Release the thought, without the slightest self Judgment.
Return attention to your anchor point, your inner projection screen.
• Do this until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes a day for one week.

Loving kindness meditation

Preparation:
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
 • Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Recall any act of kindness you ever did. This can be something very major or vary minor; even
holding a door open for someone.
• Allow yourself to feel how you felt when you perform that act. Notice sensations of warmth and
flow, particularly in your chest and heart areas. Relax and really allow yourself to feel this.
• With your body steeping in this feeling, silently say the following phrases:
• May I be happy • May I have ease of being
• Relax allow each phrase to rise from deep down in your heart. Let it mingle with your felt sense of
kindness. Let go into this.
• Repeat the phrases again May I be happy. May I have ease of being. Allow your entire being to
express them.
• Now repeat the two phrases, substituting “all beings” for “I”:
• May all beings be happy • May all beings have ease of being
• Relax. Allow the phrases to resonate and melt into your felt sense of kindness.
• Repeat again: May I be happy. May I have ease of being.
• Alternate these two sets of phrases until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes a day for one week.

Combination Plate
Preparation:
• Set your timer for 8 Minutes
• Take your meditation position on your chair; comfortable & alert.
• Gently allow your eyes to close.
• Take a long, deep inhale that sweeps up your current worries, hopes, and dreams. Hold it for a
moment, Then gently and slowly “sigh” it out.
• One more time. Deep breath. Release any remaining tension.
• Start your timer.
Instructions
• Something arises in your awareness.
• Note this phenomenon as one of the following –
o Talk, inside or outside your mind
o Body sensation
o Visual image
• Label the phenomenon using one of these words –
o Talk Body Image
• Observe the rise and fall of this phenomenon.
• Another phenomenon arises. Expand your awareness to include it. Label it as Talk, Body, or Image.
• When more than one experience simultaneously occupies your awareness, note each as best you can.
They may rise and fall together or in counterpoint.
• If you fall behind in your labeling, you need not try to catch up. Just stop where you are, take a deep
breath, and wait for the next phenomenon to present itself.
• Don’t feel frustrated if you cannot follow everything perfectly. Just neutrally observe; talk, body or
image; singly in tandem or all at once. Allow everything to rise and fade away.
• Do this until your timer sounds.
• Repeat this technique for 8 minutes a day for one week.