Sunday meditation teaching — May 2026
Filmed live during our Sunday morning online meditation class. Prefer to read? Scroll on.
There’s a sentence that, if you say it slowly, opens a door:
“I am aware of my thoughts.”
Notice what that sentence implies. There’s “I” — the one who is aware. And there are “my thoughts” — the things being noticed. Two of them. Two parts of you.
This isn’t a metaphor. Brain scans show that being aware of a thought lights up a different region of the brain than the thought itself. The mind that knows is not the same as the mind that thinks.
This is the simple, subtle thing at the heart of meditation.
A small experiment
Sit comfortably and close your eyes if it helps. Then start to notice:
- Sounds around you
- The pressure of the seat under you, a faint ache in a knee or hip
- Thoughts moving through the mind — perceptions, conceptions, memories, plans
Now try to feel the one who is noticing all of this. Not the sounds. Not the body sensations. Not the thoughts. The awareness behind them.
You might catch the mind judging — this is good, that is unpleasant. That’s just another thought. And the moment you say “I am aware that I’m judging,” there it is again — the I, the awareness, the one who sees.
What awareness feels like
Lean into that awareness. Stay there.
What you’ll find is that this part of the mind is peaceful. It is calm. It carries a quiet sense of well-being. It is, in a real sense, healing. This is the place we go as we awaken — more and more.
If you’re aware, you are awakening. It really is as simple as that.
From awareness, you can run experiments
Once you know how to rest in awareness, something interesting becomes possible. From that calm vantage point, you can watch the mind — and you can also gently steer it.
Try this: while resting in awareness, generate a kind thought.
May everyone be healthy and happy. May they all find their own path and be blessed with whatever they need.
Stay in the place of awareness — calm, equanimous — and notice what happens. The part of the mind that’s now thinking those kind thoughts becomes lighter. More joyful. The whole system softens.
So awareness gives you two things at once. The calm of the witness. And the ability, from that calm, to guide the mind toward better states — deeper states of well-being.
That is the work of meditation. That is awakening.
Want to watch the full teaching? https://youtu.be/cLHGZ8kYM9U
This is exactly what we do every Sunday morning on Zoom — and you’re welcome to join us. It’s free, no booking required, drop in any week: skillfulmind.com.au/meditation-group
Want to learn how to teach this in your own community? The Meditation Leaders Program: skillfulmind.net/leader
