Welcome,
And thank you for joining me.
This meditation is titled,
Release and Begin Again.
It's the second practice in our Zen for Everyday Life series.
Sanrio Suzuki wrote,
If your mind is empty,
It is always ready for anything.
It is open to everything.
In the beginner's mind,
There are many possibilities.
In Zen,
Having a beginner's mind is about openness.
It's about releasing the attachments that are weighing you down,
So each moment can begin fresh.
Each breath gives us that chance,
To set something down,
To let go of what no longer serves us,
And to begin again with clarity and ease.
That's the spirit we'll explore together today.
Let's begin.
Find a position that feels comfortable and puts you at ease.
This could be seated,
Lying down with your arms at your sides.
Choose what serves you best today and go ahead and take that shape now.
When you reach that shape,
Let your breath arrive naturally.
When you're ready,
Close your eyes.
Bring your awareness now to the breath.
Don't try to control it or change it.
Just notice it.
Let's take three slow breaths together now.
Inhale through the nose,
And then exhale through the mouth.
Inhale through your nose,
And exhale through your mouth.
Inhale through your nose,
And one long,
Slow exhale through your mouth.
Now go ahead and let the breath return to its own normal rhythm.
In the next part of our practice,
We'll use the breath as a way of letting go and starting fresh.
One of the most beautiful things about breathing is that it's always changing.
No two breaths are exactly the same.
Each inhale is an invitation,
A way of taking in what supports you,
What nourishes you.
Each exhale is a natural release,
A chance to let go of something that no longer serves you.
On each breath in,
I'd like you to imagine drawing in what you need most right now.
Calm,
Clarity,
Or simply fresh air.
On each breath out,
I'd like you to imagine setting something down.
A thought looping in your mind,
A tension in your body,
Perhaps a story that you've been telling yourself.
Just imagine gently putting it down for now while keeping your focus on your breath.
Let's try this together.
Inhale,
Breathing in something that nourishes you.
Exhale,
Releasing something you don't need to carry.
Inhale,
Filling yourself with steadiness and clarity.
Exhale,
Setting down something that feels heavy.
Inhale,
Breathing in lightness and ease.
Exhale,
Letting go.
Go ahead and continue now at your own pace.
Breathing in what you need and breathing out what you don't.
Notice how beginning again feels different each time.
Each moment passes,
Making room for the next.
With every cycle,
Notice how the body grows softer and the mind a little more spacious.
As we near the end of our practice,
Begin to return your awareness to your body.
The air in your skin.
The beating of your heart.
When you're ready,
Open your eyes.
As we close,
Consider these words from Zen Master Dogen.
To study the way of the Buddha is to study the self.
To study the self is to forget oneself.
To forget oneself is to be enlightened by everything in the world.
I invite you to step back into your day with the spirit of beginning again.
Thank you for practicing with me.
You are always welcome here.
Namaste.
