Permission to Do Nothing: Guided Meditation with Zen Master Henry Shukman

Embracing Nondoing in Meditation

• 💡 This meditation explores a path of doing less, focusing on dropping everything and returning to an intrinsic peaceful well-being.
• 🎯 The goal is to tap into a natural state of peace that is often overlooked.

Comfortable Posture and Stillness

• 🧘‍♀️ Find a comfortable seated position, arranging hands relaxedly in the lap or on thighs.
• ⚖️ Aim for a balanced posture, with the head over the seat and ears over shoulders and hips if not using back support.
• 🌬️ A short poem encourages allowing quietness to come naturally, emphasizing stillness and not forcing the experience.

Unplugging and Inner Peace

• 🔌 The practice involves unplugging from daily activities and finding a respite or refuge within oneself.
• ✨ This inner peace is accessible by simply being still and quiet, allowing the system to power down into restfulness.
• ⏳ Granting yourself a pocket of time where doing nothing is endorsed can be a powerful way to reset and restore.

Returning to the Fundamental Self

• 🌱 Meditation as nondoing allows a return to something more fundamental in our being, an innermost part that patiently waits to be recognized.
• 😌 The practice is an opportunity to simply be, quietly existing without the need to perform or achieve.

Concluding the Meditation

• 👋 Gently bring movement back to the body, starting with feet and hands, and then opening the eyes.
• 🧐 Take a moment to look around your space and have a gentle stretch if desired.