Welcome.
I'll start this track telling you a little story.
It was Q&A time after a meditation lesson and a student took the microphone and asked,
Could you say that being present and being in your body is exactly the same thing?
I thought it was a remarkable question.
Could one summarize thousands of years of teachings in four words?
Being in your body.
I was wondering what lights our teacher would shine on that statement to mitigate its simplicity as she surprisingly replied,
Absolutely,
The experience is the same.
Being in your body is being present.
It's that simple.
In this meditation we'll do just that,
Entering presence through the doorway of flesh and bones.
I invite you to find a sitting position.
Forget that we're unlocking thousands of years of teachings,
It's too much pressure.
You can even forget that we're going to meditate.
Simply sit where you are in the most simple way you can.
As we start this practice,
You may notice that your mind and your body have different paces.
I know that my mind usually travels fast,
Jumping from dreams to expectations by way of a little planning.
My body has a different pace.
It follows some kind of internal wisdom.
It's as if my mind and my body had two different tempos.
My mind often races like the vigorous summer season of Vivaldi,
While my body is more in tune with the steady rhythm of life,
Listening to what's really happening within me.
Can you notice if there is some kind of asynchronicity between your mind and your body?
If there is,
It's completely normal,
Nothing to reject or fight.
Simply notice it.
Without analyzing from direct experience,
What is your mind telling you?
Similarly,
Through direct experience again,
What is your body telling you?
Does it feel light or heavy?
Rested or tired?
Listen to it very openly.
You might be surprised by what you find.
Trust its wisdom.
If it's hard to feel anything or if the sensations are blurry,
Just listen to it.
If it's hard to feel anything or if the sensations are blurry,
Trust that asking is enough.
Can rest in the mystery of it and trust that your body's language will open up to you in its own time.
Now,
I invite you to connect deeper to the direct experience of your body.
If it helps you,
You can come back to the very simple truth that you too are an animal.
And as an animal,
You rely on your senses.
You sense your environment,
Keep your eyes open on the lookout for movement,
Listen closely,
Noticing any twig cracking or muffled footsteps.
You take in the world with your whole body.
You take in the world without detours,
In a very simple and direct manner.
Feel how your body's always connected to your surroundings,
To gravity,
To space.
It's continuously attuned to both your inner ecosystem and the world around you.
The mind can become narrow,
Closed.
The mind can become narrow,
Closed.
The mind can become narrow,
Closed.
While usually,
Not always,
But usually,
The body remains open and relational.
And it's absolutely fine if for some reasons your body's closed or cut off.
It's your experience and it's valid.
See if you can let your mind rest in your body's rhythm.
Allow it to happen without effort or straining.
Simply steep in the direct experience.
Confide in it.
As you steep in your bodily experience,
See if you can forget yourself and abandon yourself fully to your body and to presence.
Can I fully let go of the exercise?
No matter how this practice went,
Come back to simply sitting where you are.
If you notice any lingering desire to follow instructions,
Let it dissolve gently.
There is nothing more to do.
