Welcome,
Friend.
I'm so glad you found your way here to your seat.
Thank you for joining me.
This practice will be one of arriving here again and again.
We'll be nurturing the faculty of mindfulness,
Reflecting upon our shared common humanity,
And intentionally inclining towards kindness and friendliness,
Towards ourselves and our moment-to-moment experience.
So let's begin by finding a comfortable position for our body,
One that maybe gives rise to a sense of vibrancy,
Aliveness,
Connectedness.
In intentionally inhabiting our body,
We might discover this inherent sense of integrity and dignity there.
And when we connect to these qualities of heart and mind,
That they allow the body to be held even more gently,
Maybe with greater openness and receptivity.
And then we can begin orientating to the space that we're in through the object of hearing,
Simply recognizing that hearing is happening in this moment.
Listening to the sound in the space or outside of the space,
And letting them simply come to us as we sit peacefully amidst them,
Noticing their impermanent nature,
And how even within the cacophony of sounds,
There can be a steady point within,
Somewhere we can land,
Where all things gather.
And now noticing your body inside this space,
Perhaps welcoming yourself into this room,
Into this moment.
Greeting yourself with an inner smile,
One of warmth,
Of kindness,
And welcoming yourself here.
Feeling both the physicality of your being,
And your beingness itself.
And with each mindful breath,
Maybe sensing how it's a generous act of kindness.
How with each breath that we attend to,
It helps to support this sense of care.
In this practice of abiding in awareness,
We're learning how to care for our beingness,
Just as it is.
So inclining this quality of awareness towards yourself,
As you would towards a dear friend or a loved one.
Someone whom you care deeply for,
And that you can feel this embodied sense of compassion for.
Genuinely caring for your own well-being,
Like you would a friend.
Caring for whatever raw spots are there,
Pain points.
And gaining a visceral sense of the body,
Allowing your awareness to turn towards the physical sensations in the body right now.
Are there any pleasant sensations?
If so,
Can you take a moment to really appreciate them,
To savor them,
To enrich them?
Are there any unpleasant sensations?
If so,
Can you make space for them?
Allowing them to be there.
Caring for them,
If only for this moment.
Remembering that you're not alone.
The uneasiness and discomfort,
The pleasure and the joy are all part of the human condition.
We all share in these experiences.
So if there is some noticeable discomfort,
Whether it's physical,
Mental,
Emotional,
Can you let your heart soften a little bit more,
Becoming a little more tender?
Simply because this is so.
Simply because compassion is the natural response of the heart.
When our pain is met with mindfulness,
The pain of being human,
All the heartaches,
All the elation,
As Jon Kabat-Zinn says,
Full catastrophe.
And lastly,
What would it be like to offer yourself whatever it is that you need in this moment?
Maybe it's a few more mindful breaths.
Maybe it's an easing of tension in the body.
Perhaps it's some kind words,
Words of affirmation,
Words of goodwill,
Good nature,
Encouraging yourself,
Supporting yourself,
Caring upon yourself.
And then finding that place within where all things gather and settle,
Especially the mind and heart.
Just as it is.
And let's close this practice by spreading thoughts of goodwill and sharing any merits that have come from our time well spent here.
Just wishing all being to be well in body,
To be happy in heart,
And to be free in mind.
May all beings feel the ease and joy that comes from taking care of themselves and taking care of one another.
Thank you,
Dear friend.
Thank you for your practice and your presence.
Take the best care.
