Dear Integral Meditators,
The Beginners mind, resilient body integral meditation courses start this week!
The article below outlines the basic practices, and links to two guided meditations that you can have a listen to. I’ve been enjoying my own practice preparing for these sessions, you might find participating is just the thing to get your 2026 going from good to great!
In the spirit of new beginnings,
Toby
Foundational beginners mind/energy resilience practice with guided meditation
This article outlines the basic forms of two meditations:
- The beginners mind meditation,
- and the microcosmic orbit meditation.
These are the two meditations that we will be exploring in the ‘Beginners mind, resilient body’ meditation programs’. There are then two short, 10minute meditations that you can use to get some experience of both practices.
Here are two quotes that communicate something of the essential meaning and benefit of each meditation style.
Beginners mind: “If your mind is empty, it is always ready for anything. In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few.” – Shunryu Suzuki from the book ‘Zen mind, beginner’s mind.’
Microcosmic orbit: “When we do not know how to conserve, recycle and transform our internal force, our energy consumption becomes as inefficient as a car that only goes at 5miles per gallon…. By practicing the M-O meditation, we can get in touch with our energy-flow and locate weak spots in its path, so that we can correct them. This helps us to use our life-force more efficiently and achieve better internal ‘milage’.” – Mantak Chia, from the book ‘Awaken healing light.’
Basic descriptions, & guided meditations
With the both basic descriptions, you can see links to more detailed articles embedded. The recording links are at the end of each description.
Beginners mind basic ‘mindful positions:
Position 1: Establishing stable meditation posture & breath, sitting between the two trees, being present, not lost in thought, not falling asleep.
Position 2: Meditating on the two Soto Zen principles:
- Sitting meditation and awakening are not two different things
- One must not wait for awakening
Position 3: Recognizing each moment as a new beginning
Practice the 10minute beginners mind meditation with the recording
Microcosmic orbit basic mindful positions
Position 1: Connecting to our light body, or energy body,
Position 2: Visualizing the microcosmic orbit within our energy body
Position 3: Practicing circulating energy within the M-O, up the back & down the front of the body. Noticing areas of the orbit that feel open and areas that feel closed
Position 4: Pausing the flow of the MO, letting the energy go to an area of our body that needs healing or energizing
Practice the 12miute basic microcosmic orbit meditation with the recording.
Initially, you can practice them individually to get a feel for the process. What I like to do, and what I teach in the Beginners mind, resilient body programs, is to them combine them together. So, you can listen to the beginner’s mind first, and then do the microcosmic orbit practice after. You’ll find that:
- With a relaxed, open beginners mind, you can open to the energy flow in your body, when you do the microcosmic orbit practice.
- When you do the microcosmic orbit practice, this helps to feel alert and balanced which makes your beginners mind more accessible.
You can also put them together in different ways, for example you might do the beginners mind in the morning, and the microcosmic orbit in the evening; not all at once, but doing both in the same day. It’s up to you to find a combination that works for you and your schedule.
Enjoy!
© Toby Ouvry 2026, you are welcome to use or share this article, but please cite Toby as the source and include reference to his website www.tobyouvry.com
Upcoming classes & workshops
Ongoing on Tuesday’s & Wednesday’s (live & online), 7.30-8.30pm – Weekly integral meditation classes
Ongoing on Saturdays, 5.30-6.45pm SG time – Saturday Integral meditation deep-dive sessions with Toby
Tues 13th, Weds 14th January, & then weekly – Beginners mind, resilient body – a 10-week integral meditation course
Starts Saturday 17th January, 5.30-6.15pm, & then weekly – Beginners mind, resilient body deep-dive: An 11 -session practice series
Saturday 24th January, 9.00am-12.30pm – Meditation and Mindfulness for Self-Healing and Creating High Levels of Energy
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