--- ai_generation_date: '2026-09-12' ai_model: gemini-3-pro-preview audiodharma: talks: - date: '2020-07-26' mp3_url: https://audiodharma.us-east-1.linodeobjects.com/talks/11787/20200726-Gil_Fronsdal-IMC-guided_meditation_inner_resources.mp3 speakers: - speaker_name: Gil Fronsdal speaker_url: https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1 talk_start_time_seconds: 0 title: 'Guided Meditation: Inner Resources' url: https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/11787 video_unavailable: false location_city: Redwood City, CA video_unavailable: false youtube: id: cPN6L928QKs imprecise_upload_date: '2021-05-04' title: 'Guided Meditation: Inner Resources' upload_date: null uploader_str: Insight Meditation Center uploader_url: https://www.youtube.com/@InsightMeditationCenter youtube_url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPN6L928QKs --- # Guided Meditation: Inner Resources - [Gil Fronsdal](https://www.audiodharma.org/speakers/1) _This is an AI-generated transcript from auto-generated subtitles for the video above. It likely contains inaccuracies, especially with speaker attribution if there are multiple speakers._ ## [Guided Meditation: Inner Resources](https://www.audiodharma.org/talks/11787) Good morning, and welcome to the Sunday morning meditation and teaching here at IMC in Redwood City. For those of you who are in other time zones: good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and good night. I am happy to have you all here as we begin this meditation session. I want to evoke the idea for you that one of the great natural resources available to you is found within. You yourself are the repository, or the source, for a tremendous amount of valuable resources, support, and capacities that everyone has. But some of them are not often tapped into or touched into; many of them are not utilized, or we don't go to them for support. One of the functions of meditation is to be able to access these natural resources. The Buddha called it the wealth that we have within that can carry us and support us in the life that we live. To the degree[^1], for example, that we experience ease, peace, or calm in meditation, that is actually a natural resource. It's a tremendously useful quality to have present to support us and nourish us as we live our lives. The degree to which we learn equanimity, patience, compassion, generosity, and love—all kinds of wonderful qualities that are in there—this is our wealth. These are natural, renewable resources. You don't have to worry about using them up. In fact, touching into them and evoking these things are the very things that support them to grow and develop. ## Guided Meditation So for the sitting today, the idea is to put aside, as best you can, your interest in other places, other things, and other times, and really show up here. Really be curious and interested in this plunge into the quiet inside, and see what peaceful ease or calm might be waiting for you that might be supportive for the rest of the day, or even the rest of the week. Take a posture that supports your ability to tune into yourself, to really be here with yourself in an attentive, caring way. Classically, the instructions are to sit upright. This is partly so there is some strength, a quality of determination: _Yes, this is where I'll sit. This is where I'll tap into the natural resources that are available here for me now._ If sitting upright doesn't work for your body, you can certainly sit in a chair and lean back, or some people even lay down. Choose whatever you find is supportive for this process of turning inward. Then, softly and gently close your eyes, and perhaps on the next few exhales, soften and gentle yourself and your body. Maybe on the exhales, you can relax all the muscles of your face. Perhaps as you exhale, you can soften your shoulders, maybe becoming quiet enough that you can almost feel the pull of gravity on your shoulders. Quietly become aware of the weight of the shoulders in such a way that they begin to release. Then feel what's going on for you in your chest. Maybe as you exhale, relax, open, and soften in the chest. As you exhale, maybe also soften in the belly. Sometimes there can be a sense of release of the holding in the belly. To whatever degree that you can, as you exhale, let the thinking mind become quieter, as if the thinking mind is settling into a place of quietude—a place where things are stiller and calmer. If it works for you, become aware of the rhythm in your torso, in your diaphragm, your chest, and your belly. Notice the rhythm of breathing in and breathing out. If there's an expansion and contraction of the chest and the belly, maybe you can almost be swayed by the rhythm, by the oscillation of breathing in and breathing out. Certainly, allow yourself to be receptive to the rhythm of this way of breathing in and breathing out. Let yourself become quieter within so you can better feel and sense the physicality of the body breathing. Perhaps let go of your thoughts at the end of the exhale. In this space that's created, or left over from letting go of thoughts, maybe the experience of breathing can fill that mental space[^2]. Sitting here, become aware of whatever degree of settling you have, whatever degree of calming that's happening, whatever degree of quieting. All these words are verbs. See if you can relax, open, and allow for settling to continue—settling into your body. Allow for a calming to continue—calming of your mind and heart. Allow a quieting to continue—a quieting of thinking. Perhaps appreciate the experience of calm subtleness, of quiet. Lean yourself into the place inside that feels quiet, calm, and maybe still. Breathe with those qualities. Open to them. Let them become fuller. ## Reflections As we come to the end of this sitting, notice if there are any inner resources available to you more so now at the end of the meditation than at the beginning. It might be a wellspring, or a small little puddle, of calm. Or a place inside that feels settled. Or perhaps it's a greater intimacy with oneself, an intimacy with one's body from the inside out. Perhaps breathing is more easeful, relaxed, and natural—a reference point for being at ease in this world. Perhaps there's a greater sense of generosity towards yourself, your experience, and even others. Maybe it's a little easier to have feelings of care, compassion, and kindness that are an extension of being a bit calmer and quieter. Whatever these or other natural resources you're aware of within, see if you can turn them outward now. Consider how they are helpful for you to support other people, to be an agent of good for the world. How is it that, coming out of your practice, you might act on more kindness or generosity, or express more compassion and care? May it be so. May it be that this meditation practice we do is done for the welfare of everyone—for oneself and for others. May it be a natural resource that we tap into that allows us to be of care for the world in a way that's useful, relaxed, open, and generous. In a way that itself is supportive for us. Rather than being drained by caring for others, if it comes from some of this inner wealth, perhaps it will make you wealthier. It will expand within you these beautiful qualities, these beautiful natural resources. May all beings be happy. May all beings be peaceful. May all beings be safe. May all beings be free. --- [^1]: Original transcript said "agreed", corrected to "degree" based on context. [^2]: Original transcript said "that's", corrected to "that" based on context.