Come into a comfortable seated position.
Close your eyes.
Adjust your posture so you feel both dignity and stability.
Observe any other sounds in your environment besides my voice.
And simply let those sounds arise without attachment or agitation.
Now listen to the sound of your breath.
And bathe your breath with awareness.
Keep part of your attention on the rhythm of your breath as you listen to the sound of my voice.
To experience wonder is our birthright.
We each came into this world wide-eyed with wonder.
Wonder is a heightened state of consciousness brought on by something unexpected.
It can delight us.
It can disorient us.
It can do both at the same time.
For wonder cracks us open to the beauty of this one life amidst so much uncertainty.
And we can reclaim our birthright to wonder every day.
You can do so now by being fully here.
Fully here.
Become aware of your body in space.
If you're sitting,
Feel the pressure of your seat.
Keep your attention on that pressure while also noticing the cadence of your breath.
Allow your awareness to extend beyond the bounds of the body to the physical space that surrounds the body.
Whether you are in a room indoors or a space outdoors.
The mind is part and parcel of the body.
The mind extends to the environment that surrounds the body.
Take that in and be here in this physical space.
Now expand your awareness by another ring.
And acknowledge you are here on one geographical spot on the planet.
This spot likely has a name.
The name of a town or village or hamlet.
A city.
A country.
Feel the presence of this mind and this body in this geographical space.
Let's further expand your awareness of being here.
Become aware of the fact that other people may be listening to the same meditation at this moment.
Observe how that awareness affects the way you feel.
The way your mind might feel.
Expand it as your awareness expands.
Feel your body in this place,
On this planet.
Let your breath be steady and easeful.
And imagine your body slowly lifting up and above this room or space high into the sky.
Maybe like a bar-headed goose or a common crane who can fly some 30,
000 feet high.
Just imagine seeing the planet from on high.
And imagine seeing a vast,
Thin net made of light.
Extending across the planet for as far as you can see and beyond.
This net has nodes where the threads meet.
At each of the net's nodes is a radiant gem.
And each gem contains many finely cut facets.
And each facet reflects upon the facets of the other gems.
Creating an infinite,
Interrelated,
Interconnected tapestry of light.
You are one of those gems.
Just observe that fact.
What you do today and how you do it will affect the room and the space you're in.
You will affect the part of the planet you inhabit.
You will affect the other people you interact with.
In person and on the internet.
You reflect on the world as it reflects on you.
For each of us here is one of those multifaceted gems.
Reflecting upon and receiving the reflections of all that is around us.
Now just bring your awareness down from the sky to this ground.
To your body in this room or outdoor space.
Just invite expansiveness.
Invite openness in the mind like the sky.
You are not alone.
Okay.
This tracking wonder meditation was more of a guided visualization than I sometimes offer.
We're not reaching for metaphysics in this meditation.
This meditation is grounded in the biological fact that every human being is interconnected in one way or another.
To other people and other creatures and to the environment.
Sometimes such a meditation can work to trip up our minds default patterns that can be obsessively me centered.
Such a meditation can in fact expand our mind and widen our perception of what is real and true and possible.
So as you go through the day whether you're at work or at home or in the studio take occasional moments to pause and consider the fact that your presence and actions do affect the world you inhabit and it affects you.
You might simply intend to move through the day today with a little more radiance and offer a little more radiant presence to other people and your surroundings.
See what a difference that makes.
So much is possible.
And I'll see you next time for a tracking wonder meditation.
Thanks for running with me.
