And bring your mind in from anything else that's going on in your life and let yourself be really present here to yourself.
That's such a complex dance of what is it that takes us away from ourselves?
And a lot of that is ideas about how things should be or about how we should be,
How life should be.
And so to let yourself come into this moment just as it is and notice if that's good enough.
We arrive in these moments from all kinds of environments,
Some of them very safe and settled,
Some of them very hectic,
Some of them where we have to protect ourselves,
Be really on our guard.
Sometimes we're rushing to start the practice.
Sometimes we're bored,
Just kind of waiting around for something to happen.
Sometimes we have that kind of nice middle ground where we're settled and interested and focused.
We're not too rushed.
We're not sick.
We're just kind of okay.
And we can notice how the mind evaluates that when we turn our attention there.
Where am I on that continuum of comfort?
Settled,
Not settled,
Focused,
Blurry.
As we begin,
We notice what is.
And as we're noticing what is,
We also notice our response to what is.
Do we like it,
Not like it?
Barely tolerating it,
Welcoming it.
Let's take a few minutes now to kind of settle into that inquiry for ourselves.
What's here for you in this moment and what's your relationship with that?
One of the inquiry statements we might look at is something along the lines of,
I'm completely satisfied with this moment,
Just as it is.
And the response to that often comes in thoughts.
And it often comes in a sensation in your body as well.
Maybe a tightening or a no.
Well,
Pretty much,
But if this was to change,
It would be better.
I'm completely satisfied with this moment,
Just as it is.
And notice your response.
And then bring yourself back into noticing your physical body from head to toes.
And let your body relax and settle into the moment.
Notice where your mind is.
It might be on the inquiry questions.
It might've wandered off onto something else.
Gently,
Kindly,
Bring it back.
I'm entitled to enjoy this moment.
Is there anything holding you back?
Especially if it's a good moment.
You're enjoying,
Your body is softening,
Your breath is getting a bit bigger,
You're rejuvenated through the process.
Through your body,
Through that.
It feels good to pause from our engagement in the external world.
Reflect internally,
Let our whole system relax.
And maybe entitled isn't the right word because that has a lot of connotations of privilege.
Maybe there's another word.
It's okay for me to enjoy this moment.
And stay in touch with your body,
With your breath.
And as we're working with perfection,
One direction might be,
I can be happy even if my life is not perfect or this moment is not perfect.
I can enjoy what there is to enjoy,
Even if it's not perfect.
And you might think of specific examples.
I can enjoy being with this person even though they're anxious and it's not a perfect moment in that sense.
There's a reflection on our own resilience.
I'm resilient enough to enjoy this moment or to be present right now.
And the mind might come in with all kinds of associations and evidence and proof that we could look at.
This is our brain that's helpfully giving us all of the evidence about why that may or may not be true.
We don't have to believe it 100% and we don't have to ignore it.
I'm resilient enough to be present and enjoy a moment that's not perfect.
And it's probably not 100% yes or 100% no.
Where are you on that continuum?
Just in this moment.
And notice that it is a continuum.
We're not always in the same place on that.
And another direction is,
I'm good enough to enjoy and to be here in my life.
I do not need to be perfect.
I'm good enough.
Continue to notice your response in your body,
In your thoughts,
Your feelings,
Sensations.
I'm good enough for this life that I have,
For this moment that I'm in.
And I don't have to be perfect.
Continue to notice your body,
Your breath.
Let your breath be smooth and continuous and supportive.
If your mind goes off into some train of thought,
That's okay,
That's normal.
Bring it back into this moment.
Let yourself be very aware of your body.
What it feels like to be relaxing in your body,
Noticing your breath.
And noticing how we resonate with that series of inquiry statements.
In a particular,
I'm good enough for my life.
I don't need to be perfect.
