Let's start this evening with the words of the beautiful teacher Thich Nhat Hanh who said peace begins within yourself.
Learn and understanding begin within yourself.
Practice living in the here and now so that we can live every moment happily.
So let's take a really deep dive into that peace that begins within ourselves and remembering those words that compassion and understanding begin within ourselves.
So let's set an intention that you will really be here for yourself this evening.
That you will give yourself the gift of your full presence and let's make a commitment to very gently coming back.
Any time you wander from that intention.
So making any final adjustments that you need to now,
Either to your body or your nest.
Let's take a really deep releasing breath together to mark that intention and that commitment.
Breathing right down into your belly and then letting your body go.
And in your own time as the energies of your day begin to settle down naturally.
Let's just breathe together,
Slowing your breath right down and really taking your time.
Inhaling really low,
Let your blowing up a balloon right down in your abdomen and then just giving the exhalation away with a really lovely long and slow breath out right to the very end.
I really invite you to slow down,
Inhaling like you have all the time in the world.
To really be with your breath,
To feel the sensation in the inner passageways of your nostrils.
As you drink in that life giving breath and then just letting it all go.
As you exhale right to the very end.
Taking a few of these really slow,
Deep releasing breaths and see if just for now you can give your full,
Undivided attention to the direct feeling of your breath.
Let thought be free.
Let thought be like clouds drifting by.
In you,
A wide open blue sky of being.
Right now just feeling the direct sensation of your breath.
No need to make lots of effort.
Just let your body breathe as if by itself.
Feeling the touch of air on the throat.
The slightly cooler air coming in.
And the slightly warmer air leaving.
Right now just giving your full self to the very simple experience.
Body breathing.
Nothing else is being asked of you right now.
Just body breathing.
Moment by moment by moment.
Just letting your breath be natural now.
Too much effort.
Even to breathe.
And yet the experience,
Body breathing is arising effortlessly.
In you,
A wide open,
Aware presence.
Breath coming in.
And breath going out.
And feeling the sensation where your head meets the pillow.
Let the weight of your head pour like liquid into that support.
As you descend into the already quiet,
Already still and already peaceful space.
Of your own being.
You are your own medicine.
Your very being is all the medicine you need right now.
Let the weight of your whole body fall into that support.
Be support of your own being.
Life's greatest solvent.
That melts away all that's not needed right now.
Feeling the inside of the mouth.
Just the feeling inside of mouth.
The tongue resting in the mouth.
The natural fluid inside the mouth.
The natural taste inside the mouth.
Let the middle man fall away.
Just the direct experience.
Taste inside the mouth.
The root of the tongue.
Softening.
Throat.
Settling down.
The hinges of the jaw.
Listening.
The lower jaw.
Giving up its weight.
The whole face.
Softening.
And the eyes resting right back.
Supported and held in their sockets.
And energetically the eyes.
Softening even more.
Beyond the sockets.
And a softening of the whole area around and behind eyes.
Let this be a time of allowing.
This to be done for you.
No effort required.
The forehead smooth.
The space between eyebrows.
Softening open.
Brain deeply at rest.
We give ourselves a complete break from having to figure anything out.
Nothing needs to make sense.
Leaving thought alone.
Not getting evolved.
Just being here.
Just as you are.
Not holding the weight of your head even slightly.
Just giving up the weight.
Shoulders emptying out.
The very simple experience.
Whole right arm.
Let that experience,
Whole right arm,
Arise effortlessly in you.
Awareness.
Back of right arm.
Whole right hand.
Just the feeling.
The immediate sensation.
Palm of right hand.
Give that feeling time.
Whatever sensation is there right now.
Palm of right hand.
Thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
Little finger.
Releasing and letting go.
And now being with.
The very simple experience.
Whole left arm.
Just handing over the weight.
Being right here.
For the direct feeling.
Back of left arm.
Just gently coming back if you leave.
No judgement.
Whole left hand.
The current sensation.
Palm of left hand.
Give that feeling time.
And give that feeling space.
Just the simple experience.
Palm of left hand.
Let that feeling be free.
Palm of left hand.
Thumb.
Second finger.
Third.
Fourth.
Little finger.
Forearm.
Elbow.
Upper arm.
Whole left arm.
Releasing and letting go.
Right side of your back.
Left side of back.
Right side of chest.
Left side of chest.
Heart beating.
All the organs,
The glands and the systems of your body.
Going into a really deep nourishing rest.
Right hip.
Left hip.
Whole right leg.
Just giving up the weight.
Whole right leg.
Soul of right foot.
Just the feeling right now in this moment.
Soul of right foot.
Alive with sensation.
The simple feeling.
Whole left leg.
Just handing over the weight.
The current sensation.
Soul of left foot.
Not thinking about it but making the very simple shift to feeling.
Soul of left foot directly.
The whole body.
This whole body.
Dropping into a warm bath of compassion.
Kindness.
A compassion and kindness that you don't need to generate.
That is already right at the core of your being.
You are the very source,
The very substance of compassion.
So just let your body fall right in and be held.
Let your body come undone,
Unravelling all the layers of holding,
Protection,
Breathing and clenching.
Let it all be consumed.
In the warm bath of your own being.
So right now,
Soaking up the medicine,
Your own innate medicine,
By allowing yourself just to be here.
Wide open.
Awake and aware.
Even as your body takes refuge in that healing balm.
So dear friends,
Let's just be here together.
With no separation.
And just keep coming back any time you leave.
Just being.
Staying active.
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