In this session we introduce the basics of meditation, it’s benefits, and the mindfulness framework we will use to explore and expand awareness. We will use meditation to strengthen our concentration, practice elevated emotions, and openly experience the present moment.

In this session, we use alternate nostril breathing to balance the nervous system and experience the present moment through conscious control of the breath. Alternate nostril breathing is a tool that can help us quickly balance the body and mind through the innervations of the nasal tissues.

We introduce mantra in this session as a meditative modality and use it to contemplate our true identity. We discuss the tendency to define the self in external and finite terms rather than identifying the true nature of self through internal reference and infinite truth. We use a mantra to strip away layers of identity to contemplate the self within the context of infinite truth.

In session 10, we discuss dissociation and how "not seeing clearly" leads to suffering in our lives. We discuss how integration in the meditative practice helps us heal the mind and fortifies us with emotional flexibility to respond rather than react. During the meditation, we focus intently on the breath to create silence to observe the present moment.

In this session, we will discuss the benefits of kind intention and what it can do for us both physiologically and psychologically. We will practice being kind to the self, which will develop our capacity for compassion.

In this session, we discussed the roles of the left and right prefrontal cortex and how they tie into perception and experience. During this meditation, we observe the stories of the left brain that are tied to perceptions and notice when thoughts and sensations are tied to stories. We practice noticing when we are telling ourselves stories about sensations and thoughts, rather than experiencing the sensation itself.

Session 8 is an examination of forgiveness with special attention paid to forgiveness of self. We discuss the difficulties of letting go of past failures and injuries, especially when we are the cause. By focusing on the self as an object worthy of forgiveness, we can build our capacity to forgive and let go of past harms, which helps us heal physically, mentally, and spiritually. We use mantra timed with the breath as a tool to practice self-forgiveness and to let go.

In session 11, we discuss judgment and emptiness. We contemplate judgment at the micro-level, how we judge the very moment we breathe, and how we fill each moment with meaning. When we, ourselves, fill each moment with meaning, we are not experiencing life as it is. Rather, we are experiencing life as we are. During the meditation, we focus intently on the breath to create silence to empty the moment of judgment and subjective meaning and experience the breath simply as it is.

In this session, we discuss what it means to practice open awareness, and we review the role that thoughts play in meditation. Throughout this meditation, we continuously return to open awareness to experience the fullness of the present moment.

In this session, we discuss the ego and its role in our sense of self and its role in survival and navigating the physical world. We will contemplate the ego as neither good nor bad. Rather, the ego is a part of us that has a purpose that we should seek to balance. This meditation contains an in-depth visualization that we can use to contemplate the stream of consciousness from the observer's vantage point within our witnessing presence.

In session 9, we discuss the concept of "karma" in the context of universal cause and effect. We contemplate the power of our actions and our thoughts and the effects that thoughts manifest. During the meditation, we place a heavy emphasis on observing physical sensations in the body, naming emotions, and noticing linkages between sensory data and the stories of our inner narrator.

This is the final session but does not have to be the end of your breath meditation practice. Use the skills and principles you have learned from the past 3 months, create your own practice, or come back as necessary to revisit any or all sessions.