Coming now to sit in a posture that will be comfortable for you.
You may choose to sit in a chair or on the floor in a cushion,
Perhaps laying down,
Which is fine.
Allowing your hands to rest on your lap or at your sides in a comfortable and pleasant way for you.
Taking a few deeper breaths into the lungs now to come into presence.
Letting go of what came before this moment,
That you grace yourself with this gift to sit and just be,
To practice presence.
Breathing in the life giving air and energy and feeling the lungs expand.
And as you let go and breathe out slowly and naturally,
Seeing if you might soften any areas that may be carrying any tension or tightness.
You might allow this next breath to move into the head and face.
Breathing into the eyes and forehead.
And on the out breath,
Letting the mini muscles that work so hard in the face just relax and let go.
On this next in breath,
Breathing into the neck and shoulders,
Another area in the body that often carries the tension of the world.
And as you exhale,
Seeing if you can drop the shoulders and relax,
Even if only slightly.
And breathing into the chest and torso and down into the pelvis area.
Breathing out,
Allowing this next in breath to arrive in a softened and relaxed belly.
Breathing into the limbs,
The arms and legs.
Imagine the oxygen filling the hands and fingers,
The feet and toes.
And as you breathe out,
Allowing the body to settle gently as it wants to,
As it's able right now.
And now,
Imagining yourself resting in this moment and stillness,
Held beneath a vast sky.
You might place yourself in a field of grass or flowers.
Perhaps laying on a sandy beach or sitting on the top of a mountain.
Just imagining yourself sitting where you can behold the most wondrous sky.
As you gaze up at the sky,
You sense the spaciousness.
And just allowing your mind to envision the sky with a palette of colors that soothes you.
Perhaps there are white clouds,
Perhaps an open and clear sky.
Maybe a night sky with sparkling stars or a vivacious,
Colorful sunset.
And as you sit or lay,
Feeling your body grounded in the earth,
Held almost as though cradled by the rich and the fertile soil.
As you sit and breathe amidst the grandeur of this magnificent sky.
Aware of the strength and stamina it holds.
The power and omnipotence.
Sensing,
Knowing in your being that the sky knows all.
Just seeing all there is for all of time.
And when you find that thoughts arise and pull your attention away.
Not a problem.
When you catch this glitch in your attention.
This is a moment of mindfulness.
A waking up.
You might notice where your attention has gone.
And then kindly.
Relax back into the body.
On the next breath.
This is the practice.
Coming back time and time again.
And all the while,
The sky rests.
All the while,
Held in its embrace.
Cradled fully and completely.
As you sit or lay with dignity in this moment right now.
And now if you'd like,
You may experiment with thoughts that arise.
Can you notice a thought?
Planning?
A judgment?
A thought about the past or future?
You may send it up into the sky.
Perhaps on a cloud,
Watching it pass by with the gentle wind.
Or sending it up to be swallowed by the sky.
Like the sea dust of dandelions.
Seeing it dissolve.
Enveloped by the spaciousness that holds it all.
Reach.
Chest sitting,
Breathing.
Breath after breath,
Held in the space,
Aware of the stillness,
Alive in this moment,
Humbled by the grace of the sky.
Fear that the sky is always present,
Always here,
Right now.
Aware of how the sky stays,
No matter what weather moves through,
No matter what arises and falls away,
There's always sky.
And as you sit,
Amidst this grace,
Breathing,
Alive and aware,
Knowing there's no wrong here,
Just practicing,
Coming home to the stillness,
Coming back to know the sky.
And as you sit,
Amidst this grace,
Feeling,
Coming home to the stillness,
Coming back to know the sky.
And aware of your body breathing,
And perhaps offering a gesture of gratitude to the sky that holds it all,
That carries every joy and every sorrow,
Bowing in your mind's eye or whisper,
Thank you.
And taking one last moment,
And tune into the breath as an anchor,
Aware of the breath moving in and out of the body naturally,
Right here and now.
Aware of the posture of your body as you sit or lay,
And perhaps acknowledging to yourself the effort and intention to carve out this time for yourself on this day,
Knowing that taking this time out of the busy outside world to tend to the inner stirrings of the body and heart is a wise and beneficial practice and a gesture of love and care to yourself that will ripple out into your day,
To others,
And to the world.
2 X And 2 X you
