Inviting you all to find a comfortable posture,
Allowing your body to settle into that posture that supports stillness,
Alertness,
And relaxation.
Feeling uplifted in the spine,
While at the same time inviting relaxation into the muscles of the face,
Neck,
And shoulders.
Establishing a connection to the grounded sensation of where you feel supported today.
Perhaps your feet connecting with the floor beneath you,
Or your body being supported by the cushion or seat.
Grounding our attention in these areas of support can ease tension and support relaxation in areas where we hold tension,
Like the face,
Neck,
And shoulders.
And once you've established the grounded sensation in your body,
Allow your awareness to move to the breath.
For about three breaths,
Consider extending your exhale slightly,
Inhaling naturally,
And then just exhaling a bit longer than your inhale,
If that's comfortable for you.
If not,
You're welcome to always follow your natural rhythm of breath,
And whatever is comfortable for you today.
And now releasing that extended exhale,
And returning to your natural rhythm of breath.
Feeling the sensation of inhaling,
And exhaling,
Without trying to change anything about your breath today.
As you direct your attention to the natural sensation of breathing,
See if you can bring kindness,
Patience,
And humor to the wandering mind,
Especially now,
At the beginning of our practice.
If you'd like,
See if you can savor the experience of breath as you move through your day.
You might savor a gourmet meal,
Each breath unique and delicious.
While maintaining the breath as an anchor or home base of your attention,
Or maybe the grounded sensation you feel,
Whatever you choose,
Expand your field of awareness to include thoughts,
And sensations of sound.
If your eyes are open,
Sight,
Smells,
Tastes,
Feeling of warmth,
Coolness,
Or other feelings of your hands maybe resting together,
Or wherever they're resting.
And also of thought.
Whenever you become aware of the physical sensations of the five senses,
Or you become aware of thinking,
You can use a quiet label,
Hearing,
Or thinking.
And then gently,
Non-judgmentally,
Return to your object of awareness.
You may consider inviting noting of the breath noting the inhale as in,
And the exhale as out.
And then with curiosity,
And maybe humor,
As your mind may wander,
You can add the note of thinking,
Or another sense that you may be experiencing.
While we're practicing with the five senses and thought,
Emotions may arise.
See if you can notice the physical sensation that accompanies the emotion for this practice.
No need to label the emotion,
Simply label the sensation,
Feeling that arises.
I'm now inviting you for the next few moments to release this mental noting practice,
And simply rest in awareness of what this practice has provided for you today.
Taking a moment to reflect on what matters most to you.
Without overthinking,
Reflect on what simple value or quality bubbles up to the surface of your mind.
Maybe kindness,
Authenticity,
Or generosity,
Or something unique to you.
Or maybe charting a course for a boat,
To invite more moments of this quality into your life for the remainder of your day.
And as you're ready,
Maybe opening your eyes if they were closed,
Or moving,
Or stretching,
To come back into this community space together,
This virtual space.
And I hope that you have a restful day,
A good day.
