Meditation sounds like the easiest thing in the world: close your eyes, relax, and just be. Except then your neurotic thoughts begin to churn, your legs get all seized-up, and your next door neighbor decides to crank “Who Let the Dogs Out?” on the hi-fi. Suddenly your relaxing meditation has become a comedic test of endurance.
This lightly-guided meditation is meant to be a prophylactic against the need for perfection. We drop expectations and embrace the chaos, the cramps, the defiant inner and outer soundscape. We welcome all of it to the party, and then we see what happens.
A version of this meditation appears in Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics, coauthored with Dan Harris and Carlye Adler. Thanks to Ten Percent Happier, who allowed me to publish a couple of my guided meditations on this website. Longer version can be found on their app. Enjoy!