So greetings and welcome to today's virtual meditation on the lawn.
So great to have you all join me for this practice from near and far.
Today I will be leading us through just a sort of,
I guess I could describe it as just a practice of self-care,
Of turning inward and cultivating an orientation of friendliness toward yourself.
So the first thing I'll actually invite you to do is just for a moment imagine that a dear loved one is sort of maybe coming into the house and you see that maybe something's just a little bit off and all of a sudden your attention is just going to focus on them,
Right?
You're just going to really begin to pay attention to that loved one and check in with them,
Right?
I'm here for you.
Talk to me.
Tell me what's going on.
And through that attention,
What you're communicating is care,
Is love,
Is that kindness.
And so we're probably all familiar with that experience and what we're going to explore with today's practice is what it might be like to do that for ourselves,
To check in with ourselves in that same way.
So I'll invite you into your comfortable meditative posture.
Feel free to close your eyes if that feels all right for you.
You're going to be comfortable but upright and able to maintain some alertness.
And the first thing I'll invite you to do is just take a few deep breaths.
And then you can allow the normal pace of your breathing to return and continue throughout the practice.
And then next,
Let's see if we can just begin to move from the thinking mental space where we spend so much time down into the feeling body.
It's beginning to ground our attention a bit.
So see if you can just notice or connect with some bodily sensations.
Maybe it's the soles of the feet on the floor,
Maybe some sense of connection to whatever you're seated on.
Feeling clothing on your skin,
The temperature of the air in the room.
Or just noticing I have a body that's with me right now.
It's taking up some space.
Again,
Just pay attention to whatever sensations you can notice or connect with.
And then we'll begin to sort of turn a bit more fully to the body with some caring,
Compassionate awareness and just sort of checking in.
Asking,
How are you today,
My body?
What's it like for you right now?
I'm here for you.
And just tune in.
Sort of listen or hold space for whatever your body might want to communicate.
Maybe there are spaces in the body that are calling out for some extra attention,
Spaces of maybe some discomfort,
Pain,
Tension.
Maybe also some spaces of ease and softness.
Whatever you find,
You don't need to judge it or rush to fix it.
Just notice,
Just become aware.
And then next,
Let's check in with the heart space.
Maybe you can put a hand or two over the heart.
Just begin to tune in there.
How are you today,
My heart?
Talk to me.
See what you find.
And next,
Let's just take a look to that mental head space.
But more of as an observer,
Not so much as a participant,
Not getting caught up in all the activity there,
But just sort of checking in,
Just seeing.
What's going on up there?
How are you today,
My mind?
What's it like for you?
Just having a look,
Whether it's restless or calm,
Scattered or focused,
It's all okay.
We're just noticing,
Just checking in.
And then finally,
Just zooming out a bit and taking in this whole being,
This human being,
Body,
Heart,
Mind.
Just tuning in,
Attending to yourself.
How are you today,
My dear?
I'm here for you.
I care for you.
And then you can take your time just opening your eyes,
Coming out of the practice.
And perhaps some need or experience was communicated to you that you may now respond to,
Or maybe not.
Maybe just showing up for yourself in that way was enough.
All right.
Thank you so much for joining.
Thank you so much for practicing with me.
And hope to see you this Wednesday for a special,
Extended virtual Meditation on the Lawn with George Mumford.
All right.
Hope you all take care and have a great rest of the day.
