Meditation for Beginners 3-Part Series
Theme: Noticing without fixing. Listening instead of suppressing.
In this first workshop, we explored what it means to tune into ourselves rather than try to quiet or control what’s going on internally. Using the metaphor of the body-mind as an orchestra, we began the practice of noticing—without judgment, without needing to change anything.
We introduced the concept of the objective observer—the part of you that can witness pain, noise, emotion, and thought without getting pulled under. Through guided meditation (based on Antar Mouna Stage 1 + 2), we practiced:
Noticing external sounds without reacting
Observing internal sensations and thoughts with curiosity
Allowing everything to be present, without labeling it good or bad
This workshop was not about achieving silence—it was about becoming aware of the full soundscape of your experience. Chronic pain, anxious thoughts, discomfort… all of it was welcomed as part of the orchestra. The first step in reclaiming agency is learning how to listen.
Practice Meditation:
Self-Inquiry:
What did I notice most during the meditation?
Was it sound, sensation, thought, or something else?Was there anything I wanted to push away or fix?
What happened when I allowed it to be there instead?What surprised me about what I heard or felt?
Did I experience moments of silence or spaciousness?
What did those moments feel like—if they happened?How do I usually respond to discomfort or pain?
How did it feel to respond with observation instead?What does “noticing without changing” bring up for me?
Is it unfamiliar, frustrating, relieving?
In this session, we continued building on the metaphor of tuning an orchestra. Last time, we let the instruments begin to tune themselves—acknowledging the noise of the mind and body without trying to suppress it. This time, we explored what it means to hold a single-pointed focus—our version of the oboe’s tuning note.
This tuning note wasn’t about force or control. It was about returning—again and again—to one stable point of awareness. For some, this was the breath. For others, it was a neutral or less demanding area of the body. For some it was coming back to a visualization or image in front of us. We practiced focusing gently, without trying to drown out the pain or the thoughts.
We also explored how attention can shift—how noticing pain and then returning to our focus changes our relationship with both. The goal was never to get it “right,” but to keep returning. Like the oboe, your steady presence can help the rest of your inner orchestra begin to organize itself.
We also briefly touched on the concept of discernment: categorizing thoughts as they came through into serving versus sabotaging, rather than positive or negative.
We closed by returning to the expansive awareness practice from Workshop 1, this time with the tuning note held gently in the center.
Practice Meditation:
Self-Inquiry:
What did you choose as your tuning note today? Why that one?
When you brought your attention to the tuning note, what changed in your body or breath—if anything?
How did it feel to shift your awareness between pain and focus? What did you notice?
Did the idea of “returning” feel frustrating, comforting, or something else entirely?
What does focus mean to you, in a body that hurts?
What would it look like to let your pain be part of the orchestra, rather than an interruption to it?
In this final session, we explored how to carry meditation forward in a way that’s realistic, consistent, and supportive of daily life — especially while living with chronic pain. We discussed how short, frequent meditations are often more beneficial (and more sustainable) than long, inconsistent sessions. Scientific research shows that even 10–13 minutes per day can improve attention, memory, mood, and emotional regulation. Traditional Vedic teachings echo this, emphasizing steady practice (abhyasa) over duration.
We practiced a meditation called “The Return Is the Practice,” which included a moment of intentional distraction — to reinforce that returning to focus is the point, not a failure.
We ended the session with a Q&A from questions that were submitted by attendees prior to this session.
If you have any additional questions, please use the contact form on my website or send me an email avery@becomingavery.com