Good morning friend.
My name is Mark.
Take your time waking.
There is no need to rush into the day just yet.
I'm right here with you for a few quiet minutes this morning.
Let the body rest exactly as it is.
Feel the softness of where you're lying or sitting.
Notice that you have already arrived into this day,
And the day hasn't asked anything from you yet.
For now,
In this moment,
You are simply here,
Breathing,
Being.
Listen to the rhythm of your breath,
Like the sound of gentle waves in and out,
Steady and familiar.
You don't have to change it,
Just keep me company here as you notice it moving.
If the mind is still a little foggy from sleep,
That's perfectly welcome.
If thoughts are already starting to gather and ask their way in,
They're welcome too.
This moment doesn't require clarity or energy.
It only asks that you be present enough to notice you are alive,
In a brand new morning.
We will begin the day,
Slowly,
Together.
Now start to sense the simple fact that you are alive in this moment,
Before plans,
Before any responsibilities.
There is this still,
Quiet miracle of awareness.
You're here,
The heart is beating,
The lungs are working for you,
Moving.
Life is already in motion,
Without you needing to manage it.
Allow a gentle feeling of gratitude to grow from that recognition.
You don't need a big,
Grand reason.
Gratitude can begin with the smallest of truths,
The warmth in your body,
The air touching your skin,
The steady,
Safe support beneath you from the earth.
Imagine I'm sitting right beside you,
Pointing softly to these details,
This breath,
This heartbeat,
This morning light,
Even if your eyes are closed.
Each one is a reminder that you belong here to this living world.
And for a moment,
Just simply appreciate that you get to be here for it.
As thoughts about the day begin to appear,
Notice them kindly.
Yes,
There may be anticipation,
Resistance,
Uncertainty,
Or hope.
Whatever shows up for you is allowed to sit here with us.
See if you can sense that in every experience today,
Whether the experience is pleasant or challenging,
It is just another expression of life unfolding.
The day likely won't follow a perfect script,
It never does.
Yet,
Every moment today will still offer a place to stand,
To breathe,
To experience and to respond.
Picture yourself moving through the hours ahead today with an open hand,
Not a clenched one.
Because you don't have to grip the day so tightly,
You can meet it in the way you're meeting this very breath,
Directly and gently,
With quiet curiosity.
This is where gratitude lives,
Not in controlling what happens,
It lives by participating fully in what is happening now.
Feel how the body responds to that attitude,
Maybe a softening or a little more room in the chest or shoulders.
Let the breath move through that space.
See if you can bring to mind a few simple moments that might occur today.
Drinking a glass of water.
Hearing someone speak.
Stepping outside of the door.
Light touching a wall.
All of these small scenes are the fabric of life.
Imagine pausing inside one of those moments and truly savouring it.
The temperature of the air,
The colours around you,
The emotion passing through,
Whatever it is.
Each and every instant is unrepeatable and unique.
Because once it moves on,
It never returns in quite the same form.
Allow gratitude to expand as an appreciation for this fleeting transient beauty.
Nothing is ever held forever and that is what makes it so precious.
Like music,
Its value is in the way it moves and flows.
Allow a quiet intention to settle in.
Today,
You will notice more,
You will feel more,
You will remember again and again that this moment now is worthy of your attention and gratitude.
Now begin to sense your body as a whole,
The weight of it,
The outline of its space.
Feel the breath filling up the torso,
Steady and supportive.
Notice any sounds around you,
Near and far,
Reminding you that the world is waking up.
Carry this feeling of gratitude as gentle background tone for today.
It doesn't need to be all dramatic,
Even a faint thread of appreciation can shape how you speak,
Move and respond.
Now take one slightly deeper breath in,
And a slow flowing breath out.
Feel the contact between your body and the surface beneath you,
Wiggling the fingers and toes,
And when you're ready,
Let the eyes open,
Bringing the same quality of attention into what you see.
The morning is here,
It is a good one,
You are here with it,
And today has begun.
Have a beautiful rest of your day,
My friend.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
