Beginning where you find yourself,
Standing,
Seated,
Or lying down,
Eyes opened or closed,
Or perhaps allowing them to gently fall closed.
Whatever experience preceded this moment of meditation,
Letting it remain behind you in your past.
Arriving.
Settling into this very moment,
This particular experience.
Invite your body to become a little more relaxed,
A bit more still.
Letting your mind slow down and asking your spirit to let go of its troubles.
Check in with your breathing.
Coarse,
Shallow,
Easy,
Profound.
It doesn't matter right now.
Just take note of where you begin.
And then start making your inhale a little longer and your exhale a little slower.
Just a tiny bit.
That's all you need.
Just noting that you can change your inner rhythm.
Giving yourself a little bit of care and tranquility through regulating your breath.
Lift your cheekbones up a little and bring a little smile to your face.
Setting up your breathing across your nose.
Take note of your body outside in.
Is your skin hot?
Cold?
Just right?
Dry?
Smooth?
Somewhere in between?
Feel the weight of your muscles and bones.
Sinking in.
Accepting the pull of gravity as you settle down.
If you find sore spots or tenderness in your joints and tendons,
You could probably direct your breath there as a gentle reminder to let go of that holding.
Breathing into those spots.
With your breath at a comfortable and gentle pace.
Right now,
You are probably somewhere safe and secure.
Either with a roof over your head or the ability to retreat from sun and weather into shelter.
Imagine your place of sheltering.
Your home.
Imagine the gratitude you can feel just for the safety of being sheltered.
Breathing.
Consider your family.
Parents.
Siblings.
Children.
Uncles,
Aunts,
Cousins.
Family comes with traumas and trials and loves and healing.
Not every experience of family is easy or good,
But there are fine and delightful moments therein.
Draw those experiences to mind.
Give gratitude for experiences of nurturing within your family of origin or families you have made by choice.
If any thoughts of distress arise,
Just return to your breath.
Slowen and deepening your breathing.
Consider your friends and communities,
The networks of humans,
Even animals that surround you with support,
Caring.
Another kind of chosen family.
Give off gratitude for the cycle of affection between you and your loved ones,
Friends,
And communities.
Breathing.
Allowing a gentle smile to spread.
Come into your heart and mind,
The neurons and impulses that make you capable of thought,
Emotion,
And action.
Whatever your current physical capacity or restriction,
If you've joined this meditation,
You are in many ways capable.
Give gratitude for the rigor of the mind and the vigor of the body,
Imbued with motive force.
Continue breathing.
Consider the experiences of song and dance,
Music,
And so many other arts to inspire and motivate and surprise you.
We are lucky to live in a world suffused with so many varieties of cultures and arts.
Let that experience fill you up with great joy and gratitude.
Return to your breathing.
Deep inhale,
Long and slow exhale.
In,
Out,
In again,
Out again like a tide.
And as you think of these things,
Home,
Family,
And community,
Intellect,
And art,
Know that it's enough.
Those are the fundamentals of a good life,
A good enough life.
As we draw to a close,
You may want to say to yourself something like enough,
Enough,
Enough,
Or sufficient,
Or full.
As you breathe,
Just repeat a word like that to yourself until we arrive at the closing bells.
One,
Two,
Three,
Four.
