I am going to lead a practice that focuses more than usual on the body.
I think first of all that attention to the body supports us in practice and that it can guide us as we practice.
So let's just begin by just sitting with yourself for a moment as you are.
And then bring your attention to your feet,
Your legs,
And your pelvis and buttocks seated on a chair on the floor.
Feel them.
Bring your awareness and breath down to this lower part of your body,
Like sand being poured into a bag.
In order to do this,
Your breath has to deepen.
Feel the groundedness of your bodily support.
Let everything release.
And allow yourself to be supported.
Bring your mind fully to this weightedness of the legs and lower body.
And let it begin to share the stability that this brings.
And let it begin to share the stability that this brings.
You may notice that as the mind goes deeper into the rootedness of the lower body,
There can be a sense of dullness or sleepiness that comes.
Imagine lifting the awareness into wakefulness as the spine elongates upwards without effort.
Feel that lift up.
That allows the extension of the posture and the wakefulness of the mind.
Your spine is upright,
But there's no tension.
It just lifts from the base.
Feel if you can the beautiful balance between rootedness and uplift,
Between grounded stability and alertness,
Wakefulness.
And let it begin to share the stability that this brings.
From the center of your chest,
Expand left and right.
Feeling the mind open.
Feel both sides of the chest evenly so the mind expands fully.
Let the rootedness of the legs support the expansion.
Keep you grounded in yourself.
Feel the back of the neck soften as the chin drops forward slightly.
Keep the throat soft.
This movement can bring a self intimacy coming closer.
Keep the eyes soft.
The tongue soft.
The jaw soft.
Feel that the arms hang loosely from the shoulders,
Dropping,
Relaxing the shoulders.
And feeling the balance left and right,
Awareness equally in both.
Rest within the poise and balance of your own body.
As you rest,
Notice.
Where is the awareness?
If the awareness has gone outside your body,
Bring it back.
And notice too where the consciousness tends to gather in the body.
It's not unusual for it to gather in the head or in the front of the body.
Just feel what's habitual for you.
And imagine spreading the awareness.
Beginning with the back body.
Beginning at the sacrum rising.
Feel yourself supported by the back body.
Notice if you tend to push forward.
Let the spine float between front and back.
And deepen the sense of resting within yourself.
And open your awareness to the whole of your body.
Notice how your awareness has to become more and more.
Notice how your awareness has to become lighter,
More diffuse,
More permeating in order to do this.
And notice how your awareness has to become more and more.
When your body is balanced,
When the mind doesn't grip one part of the body over another,
But is open,
Feel how much inner space springs.
And feel the breath move in this space.
Let the mind follow the flow of the breath.
And notice if the mind starts to regulate or control breath.
Notice as well if there's any hardening in the eyes or the face as the mind gets involved.
Relax everything.
Let the mind ride.
And notice how your awareness has to become lighter,
More diffuse,
More permeating in order to do this.
And notice how your awareness has to become lighter,
More diffuse,
More permeating in order to do this.
