Breathing Space: Meditation & Story Reading Day 1

Welcome to Breathing Space for meditation,

Storytelling,

And poetry.

I'd like to invite you to use this series of meditation and readings from different storybooks and poetry books to find your own breathing space when you feel like you're going to start first.

Just bring us into the present and forgetting everything that we just left behind us today.

To just look around your room and just see if you can connect yourself with five different things.

Just five different things.

It could be something on the wall,

Whatever that might be.

Just notice that around your room.

Just single out and count five different things.

And now as you're sat there,

Bringing these things to your attention,

I want you to find four things that you can feel without necessarily moving too far away.

Sitting on a chair,

It might be the pressure of the chair on your bum or your legs.

It might be the soles of your feet in contact with the ground.

It may be even your clothing on your body.

Just identify four things you can feel.

Once you've had the opportunity to do that,

Just three things you can hear now.

If there's a sound outside,

Maybe your computer.

Three sounds.

I'd like you to just find two things you can smell.

Two things you might be able to smell.

It could be your own smell off of your own clothing.

It could be scent in the air.

And then finally,

Just one thing that you can taste.

If there's any taste lingering in your mouth.

Okay,

So if we just sit erect with an alert posture.

Just relaxing the body by erecting the spine.

And we'll begin our breathing.

I'd like to start by asking you to bring your attention to your breath.

Just as it is.

Without a natural breathing rhythm.

You may notice as you breathe in the air just noticing as it enters your nostrils.

Is it cooler?

Is it warmer?

Just noticing how it feels,

The temperature as it enters.

As you breathe in your nostrils,

You might notice it's a little faster,

A little slower.

However it might be for you.

Just tuning into the natural rhythm of the breath as you breathe in.

I'd like you to misnotice your body as you breathe in.

Just notice the air filling your lungs.

Just notice the subtle movements in your body to silence for a moment.

You may notice your stomach expanding.

You may notice your chest rising and falling.

Just notice as you breathe in the air flowing straight down into your belly now.

Each breath you take,

Completely filling your body with life force.

In this moment,

There is no need to change anything at all.

Just noticing the natural rhythm of the breath.

As you exhale,

Just notice your stomach contracting expelling the air.

Just notice your stomach contracting expelling the air.

Each breath tuning in into each inhalation and exhalation.

You may notice your breathing rhythm beginning to change.

You may notice your breathing rhythm beginning to change.

You may notice yourself taking deeper,

Longer breaths.

You may notice feeling more relaxed.

Just gently nudging the mind back into full awareness of the breath.

Gentle awareness.

As you breathe in,

Just noticing any relaxation that now be ensuing.

Just noticing any tension dissolving with each breath.

Being present with the breath,

Anchors us in the present moment.

Knowing that at any time,

We always have the breath.

Whenever you are ready,

Just notice yourself in the room.

You might want to wiggle your toes.

Wiggle your fingers.

You might want to move your eyes around in your eyelids.

Just bringing yourself gently back.

Whenever you're ready,

In your own time,

You can open your eyes.

Okay.

So this story is one of my favorites.

It's called The Pot That Was Cracked.

And it starts with a water bearer who had two large pots.

One hung on each end of a pole,

Which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it.

And while the other pot was perfect,

Always delivered a full portion of water.

At the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house,

The cracked pot always arrived only half full.

For two years,

This went on daily.

With the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master's house.

Of course,

The perfect pot was proud of his accomplishments,

Fulfilled in the design for which it was made.

But the poor,

Cracked pot was ashamed of his imperfections and miserable,

That he was unable to accomplish what he'd been made to do.

So after two years of enduring this bitter shame,

The pot spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream.

I am ashamed of myself and I apologize to you.

Why?

Asked the bearer.

What are you ashamed of?

I've been able for these past two years to deliver only half my load,

Because of this crack in my side causing all the water to leak out,

All the way back to your master's house.

And because of my flaws,

You have to do all of this work,

And you don't get full value from your efforts,

The pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old,

Cracked pot,

And in his compassion he said,

As we return to the master's house,

I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.

Indeed,

As they went up the hill,

The old,

Cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wildflowers.

They lined the side of the path and he was cheered somewhat.

But at the end of the trail he still felt the old shame because it leaked out half of its load.

And so again the pot apologized to the bearer for his failure.

The bearer said to the pot,

Did you not notice that there were flowers only on your side of the path,

And not on the other pot's side?

That's because I've always known about your floor,

And I took advantage of it.

And I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,

And every day while we walk back from the stream you've watered them.

And for years I've been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table.

And without you being just the way you are,

He would not have this beauty to grace his house.

I'd like to invite you now to reflect on the meditation,

All the stories or poetry that you may have heard.

When reflecting on the meditation,

Bring a gaze of non-judgment to your experience.

If you had difficulty during the meditation,

Whether it was pain,

Discomfort,

Or a flitting mind,

Just appreciate that.

And if it was a great meditation,

If you deem it as a pleasant experience,

Just appreciate that equally as well.

Any thoughts or ideas to contemplate on from the storytelling and poetry,

I'd like to encourage you to take that with you for the rest of the day.

And I look forward to seeing you in the next breathing space.