The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

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A lot of what we're doing in mindfulness is staying present for our direct experience.

And so it's a lot to do with what's happening in the moment for us.

And what's happening in the moment, not in a story about the moment,

but when we're meditating especially,

it's about the, what you can know very simply that's in the in the way it's occurring in the

present moment not how it's occurring as a continuation of your life story or you know where it's

going to go in terms of your future life story just right, right now. So it's meant to be very simple.

So as I'm sitting here, my direct experience at the moment

is I feel my vocal cords moving and as I speak.

I feel the contact of my bottom against my cushion and it feels a little bit hot

and a little bit sharp,

the sensations there. It's very clear. And so a lot of it has to do with the sensations

of the direct experience. How are we feeling? What's the sensations of it all? And here and now.

So with the breathing, if that's the focus for the meditation practice,

being with a breathing, with the direct experience of breathing,

without any need to compare each breath with, like just maybe yesterday,

you had the perfect breath that you've ever had.

So you compare it to yesterday,

why isn't it like that? Or certainly the people next to you have breathing better than you are.

And so, you know, but all that is irrelevant. It's just like, what's your own sensations that come

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