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GUIDED MEDITATIONS

Mindfulness Meditation: Cultivating Boundless Awareness

Learn how to practice mindfulness meditation to expand awareness, reduce stress, and cultivate emotional balance with Jon Kabat-Zinn's guidance.

JON KABAT-ZINN
Aug 4, 2025
2 min read(297 words)
Mindfulness Meditation: Cultivating Boundless Awareness

What is Mindfulness Meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is a practice of cultivating present-moment awareness without judgment. It helps us develop emotional resilience and a deeper connection to ourselves and others. When we're too self-absorbed, we miss important aspects of reality that influence our daily lives.

The Power of Expanded Awareness

Through regular mindfulness practice, we develop:

  • Stable, vivid awareness of our experiences
  • Ability to observe thoughts and emotions without getting swept away
  • Capacity to shift perspectives and cultivate empathy

How Strong Emotions Affect Awareness

Intense emotions like anger, fear, and sadness can:

  • Narrow our field of awareness
  • Create fixation on specific thoughts or experiences
  • Make us less receptive to others' perspectives

A Step-by-Step Guided Meditation for Resting in Awareness

1. Begin with Sound Awareness

  • Allow awareness to focus on the soundscape
  • Notice sounds and the spaces between them
  • Be present with hearing without creating separation

2. Expand to Body Sensations

  • Include awareness of breath and air on skin
  • Notice all body sensations without judgment
  • Maintain open, receptive attention

3. Incorporate Thoughts and Emotions

  • Allow awareness to include thought streams
  • Observe emotional currents without attachment
  • Maintain spacious awareness that holds all experiences

4. Cultivate Boundless Awareness

  • Expand awareness infinitely like the sky
  • Practice choiceless awareness without focus
  • Rest in non-conceptual knowing

Key Benefits of This Practice

  • Develops emotional regulation skills
  • Enhances present-moment awareness
  • Reduces stress and anxiety
  • Cultivates compassion and empathy

Maintaining Awareness in Daily Life

Remember that this spacious awareness is always available. Regular mindfulness practice helps:

  • Free yourself from unnecessary suffering
  • Respond skillfully to challenging emotions
  • Live with greater wisdom and compassion

Adapted from Jon Kabat-Zinn's Guided Mindfulness Meditation Series 3.

JON KABAT-ZINN

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