So we'll begin with the meditation and come into a posture that's comfortable and relaxed.
Now sitting with your back straight,
Maybe let your hands rest comfortably in your lap or on your knees or on your thighs.
Maybe inviting the shoulders to relax,
Letting the chest be open so you can breathe easily.
And if you're comfortable you could let your eyes gently close,
Let your attention come inward.
Or if you prefer you can just keep your eyes open with a soft unfocused gaze.
And you might find it helpful to just take a few longer deeper breaths.
It's a nice full deep in-breath,
Filling the chest,
Filling the lungs.
And then a long slow out-breath,
Releasing,
Letting go on the out-breath.
Breathing in,
Calming the body.
Breathing out,
Calming the mind.
Letting the deeper breathing help you just to settle into being here.
Being here and open to whatever is present for you right now.
And if you feel comfortable you might invite a smile or a half smile,
Activating the muscles around your eyes and around your mouth.
Maybe thinking of someone or something that brings you some joy or happiness.
Just inviting the smile,
Maybe inviting the smile down into your body,
Into the heart area.
When we do this we gladden,
Gladden the mind,
Gladden the heart.
We bring,
You know,
Create the conditions for happiness,
Joy to be present.
Or it can be helpful as we begin the meditation.
Just letting the breath be as it is,
Returning to its natural rhythm.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
As you breathe in,
Just know you're breathing in.
And as you breathe out,
Know you're breathing out.
We can see this practice as a,
Really a practice of attunement,
Attuning ourselves like we would when we find,
You know,
The dial on a radio.
And tune in to a particular station.
We can tune in to different aspects of our experience.
So you might just tune in to your body right now.
And just notice anything that stands out for you.
Maybe there's some tension in a particular area of the body.
You can just let your awareness come to that area and notice what feelings are present.
And just let them come.
Let them be.
When they're ready,
Let them go.
Maybe you notice something in another area,
Maybe some excitement or some energy.
And just let your attention kind of tune in to that.
Maybe there's a feeling of pressure,
You know,
Where the body touches the chair or the feet touch the floor.
You can tune in to that,
Just letting the sensations come and go in their own time.
Just allowing whatever is present to be here to come and go in its own time.
So we're not holding on to anything,
Not pushing anything away,
Not judging our experience,
Resisting it.
We're simply being aware of it with kindness.
And in the same way as you tune in to the body,
You might now tune in to your mood or emotions.
Notice what's present,
If anything,
Right now.
There might be a sense of peace.
Or there could be some sadness or some tension or worry.
See if you can again make space for whatever is here right now.
And again,
Letting whatever feelings,
Sensations,
Thoughts,
Whatever's present,
Letting them come and go in their own time.
You might,
If you feel ready,
Tune into the mind.
You know,
Tune in to noticing whether there's a lot of thinking in the mind or whether the mind is fairly settled and calm.
However it is,
Just allow that to be as it is.
So we're putting this,
Putting our awareness at the center.
Making our awareness,
Or resting in awareness,
Maybe a better way.
And tuning it to where we want to pay attention.
And if you find yourself pulled into a lot of thinking,
Just choose to let the thoughts go,
Not follow them.
And just come back to the awareness.
Notice the difference between awareness of thinking and being caught up in thought,
Pulled along by our thoughts.
So just resting in this attitude of accepting with kindness whatever is arising.
You might find it helpful to just let your attention rest on your breathing,
In-breath and out-breath,
And let that be your home base.
Where you rest your attention.
Something strong calls for your attention,
You can move to that.
Be aware of it.
When it passes,
Just come back to the breath again.
Just notice where your attention is right now.
And any time you notice that you're caught up in thinking,
Planning,
Or remembering,
Or daydreaming,
Just gently and kindly let your awareness come back to the body,
Come back to the breath,
Come back to this moment,
Being here.
You might just take a moment to check in with your body and notice if there's any area where there might be some tension or some kind of unconscious holding,
Resisting,
And invite that area to relax.
Just relax into being here,
Nowhere to go,
Nothing to do,
Just simply to be here with your experience as it is.
And just noticing where the attention is right now.
Knowing that you can begin again in any moment,
No matter how many times the mind has gone off,
Or for how long,
Can always just come back to this breath,
This feeling,
This sound,
This moment.
