AUM   Watch the mind by stepping back, try to grasp the difference between getting involved in the mind and stepping away from the mind. The word aatma means just that much, very simple. Instead of getting involved with the mind, with the flow of that, I step back as it were and watch the mind. This stepping back is the essence of meditation. Consider an illustration, visualise yourself standing on the bank of river and watching the river flow. You are not standing inside the river, inside the waters, watching the river. Now I watch the mind, the flow of thoughts. I step back and watch the flow of thoughts. Interestingly, the mind becomes quite and I Am, I am love, and I pray. Aum NamaH Shivaya, Aum NamaH Shivaya, Aum NamaH Shivaya. Shree Gurubhyo NamaH. Be aware of the posture. Keep it upright, don't allow it to slump. You fill the posture with awareness. Allow the stress to drain out as you fill the posture with awareness. Be aware of the hands and shoulders, touch the hands and shoulders with awareness, allow them to relax. Don't be hunched up, ready to work, you are not the doer. Touch the stomach muscles and the chest with awareness. Give up all concern about everything and touch stomach muscles and the chest with awareness. There is no effort involved, don't make it an effort, it is not. In fact, it is the opposite, the ceasation of all effort. The chest and the stomach muscles relax. Sport a smile, touch neck and above with awareness. Don't be so determined about life. Life is like a river, it finds its course. Give up all ambition, all worldly goals, become free and touch the jaw, the tongue, the eyes and the brain with awareness and allow them to relax. Be like the tree, sthira sukhamasanam, be aware of the posture, fill the posture with awareness   and abide peacefully. Do not try to enjoy the peaceful abidance, that makes it the other, just abide peacefully. Are you distracted by the busy bee ? the mind. The mind which is busy with past or future, no problem, don't create a problem out of it. Gently, gracefully bring back the mind. In fact, you do not bring it back, it comes back and becomes quite and now abide peacefully. Posture also resolves, there would be only peaceful abidance. But if the mind distracts, be aware of the posture and abide peacefully. Now witness the body, this body, this body. See the difference between getting involved with the body and stepping back and witnessing the body. This is the first stage of witnessing, step back from the body as it were and witness the body, this body. Don't judge it, healthy or not healthy, don't give any age to the body, young or old or whatever, don't lable it healthy or sick or whatever. That is all involvement, just look at it like you look at a doll. Witness the body, this body. Be careful not to get involved, step back and witness the body. The word aatma is meaningless if you are involved with the body. When you witness the body, you are stepping back. You are already aatma, don't doubt it, witness the body. Stage two of witnessing, be aware of the sensations, begin with the touch. Be aware of the sense of touch throughout the body. Witness the sense of touch, don't slump, remain straight and witness sense of touch. Sometimes the sense of touch somewhere feels very fresh and soothing and somewhere like the legs or the lower back, it appears as little discomfort or pain. These are the judgements about the sense of touch, possible judgements. Now drop all judgements, there is nothing like comfortable sense of touch or uncomfortable sense of touch. That is involvement, step back, don't be involved, just witness the sense of touch. Also notice as long as you witness, you are silent within. Witnessing is not stale, it is very powerful . Witness the sensation of touch. Stop watching the touch, just abide peacefully. Be aware of the posture and abide peacefully. Abiding peacefully, make it the goal of life, nothing else is the goal of life. Abide peacefully. There is no dullness in the abidance, it is full alertness. Aum ShantiH ShantiH ShantiH. Relax, sit at ease and relax. Slowly open the eyes.