Meditating With Open Awareness and The Breath: Tergar Meditation Group

Tergar Meditation Group
Meditating with Open Awareness and the Breath

In this series, we will explore the practices of resting in open awareness and meditating on
the breath, two simple meditations that allow us to experience a deep sense of well-being
that is not tied to the ever-shifting conditions of our lives. Below you will find more
information on these topics, as well as suggested readings from Mingyur Rinpoche's books,
simple instructions for daily meditation practice, and links to related teachings and
downloadable guided meditations.
Meditating on Open Awareness and the Breath

When resting in open awareness, we become familiar with awareness itself.
Eventually we come to see that all the passing thoughts, feelings, and sensory
experiences we encounter are not who we really are. This liberating insight helps us
to see that we don’t need to look outside of the present moment to find inner peace
and contentment.
Reading: Joy of Living, pp. 94-98; 137-141
Meditating with Open Awareness in Daily Life

Daily life provides us with endless opportunities to "wake up." Even activities that
we normally associate with distraction and escapism, such as watching TV, can be
transformed into deeply meaningful activities by using them as gateways to
awareness. Eventually, we can learn to rest in meditative awareness throughout the
day, regardless of where we are and what we are doing. We begin this process of
awakening by simply resting the mind in open awareness, or bringing awareness to
the breath, for short intervals as we go about our day.
Reading: Joy of Living, pp. 203-205 (apply this section specifically to resting in open
awareness and meditating on the breath)
Meditating with Open Awareness in Difficult Times

Challenging situations like illness, the loss of a job or a loved one, and problems at
home or at work are often times when our emotions take over and we feel
powerless to manage our inner lives. One way that we can learn to stay centered in
the midst of emotional turmoil is to relax into open awareness. Instead of running
from difficult situations or acting out, simply relax the mind and embrace the
situation with the gentle touch of awareness.
Reading: Joyful Wisdom, pp. 265-270

To find a local Tergar meditation see: http://tergar.org/resources/find-a-center-or-group/
~ Daily Meditation Practices ~
Sitting meditation practice1

o Begin by resting in open awareness:
o Relax your mind and remain present.
o Don't try to focus on anything in particular or control your mind, yet do not get
lost in thoughts either.
o Leave all of the sense doors open, without trying to block any aspect of
experience.
o If it is difficult to remain present, bring your awareness to the breath:
o Simply know that you are breathing.
o If you notice one part of the breath, such as the belly rising and falling or the
feeling of air entering your nostrils, allow this, but do not keep your mind fixed
on any one sensation or feeling.
o From time to time, relax your mind into a state of alert presence and bring it
back to the breath if you find yourself getting distracted.
o End by letting go and resting once again in open awareness.
Meditation in action
o Each morning, set the intention to be mindful throughout the day.
o Remind yourself of this intention as often as you can:
o Pick moments to remind yourself throughout the day, such as during breaks,
at meal times, or when you get up to do something.
o Place reminders, such as sticky notes or stickers, around your home and
office in places where you will see them frequently.
o When you remember this intention, relax your mind into a state of alert presence, or
bring awareness to the breath.
o Avoid trying to control your mind or block certain experiences from occurring.
o Embrace whatever manifests, even difficult thoughts, painful feelings, and situations
that you normally try to avoid.
~ Teachings, Guided Meditations, and Other Resources ~

1If you are new to meditation, we recommend that you start by meditating twenty minutes each day,
either in one session or two ten minute sessions.

Online Readings
 Meditation and Non-meditation by Mingyur Rinpoche
 Beyond Meditation by Mingyur Rinpoche
Online Videos
 An Introduction to Meditation, Part IV by Mingyur Rinpoche
 Mind Like Space by Mingyur Rinpoche
 Resting the Mind As It Is by Edwin Kelley
Guided Meditations and Other Online Audio

 Guided Meditation on the Body, Space, and Awareness by Mingyur Rinpoche
 Guided Meditation on Open Space and Awareness by Mingyur Rinpoche
 Guided Meditation on Open Awareness by Mingyur Rinpoche


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