So let's begin by finding ourselves in a comfortable position,
Whether we're seated or reclining,
Bringing some loving awareness to our body's posture.
Just noticing if we need to make any adjustments or movements to the position that our body is in to feel both comfortable and alert.
And opening up with three cleansing inhales and exhales,
Breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
We'll do these together.
Breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
Again,
Breathing in through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.
And once more,
At your own pace.
Allowing your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
And noticing in this particular moment if the most grounding and centering experience for you is your breath or sounds around you,
Or perhaps sensations in your body.
So giving yourself a moment to identify right here,
Right now,
Which of those three feels like the most accessible,
Available experience to you.
Your breath or sounds or bodily sensations.
The moment in which everyone feels most alive for you,
We use this as our centerpiece of practice.
Opening ourselves up to the experience of that particular centerpiece,
Whether it's breath or sound or bodily sensations.
For example,
If it's breath,
We may be present to the experience of our inhale.
What does it feel like as we inhale?
What is that experience?
And what's the experience of an exhale?
Continuing that gentle awareness,
Our experience of that in the present moment.
And if we feel more called to sound,
We can be aware of the experience of the sounds around us.
Perhaps there are certain ones that are near or far,
Soft or louder.
If that feels more accessible than choosing that and being present with the experience of the sounds in the present moment.
And finally,
If it feels like bodily sensations are the one that are most alive for you.
And being present with the experience of your body right now,
Noticing if there are certain areas of tension and calm.
Maybe there's a feeling of buzzing or feeling of pressure.
Allowing yourself to be present to the experience of your body right now in this present moment.
And as you choose that and begin to enter into that gentle awareness of that chosen centerpiece.
We'll allow some space and time for self-guided practice where we are able to stay with that centerpiece,
Whether it's breath or sound or sensations.
And then if we find our attention wanders,
Which it will inevitably do,
Then we can direct ourselves back to this centerpiece of breath or sound or sensations.
And we'll begin that self-guided practice right now.
.
.
And as will inevitably happen if we find ourselves drifting off to some thought or memory or future idea,
Then we can always label that to ourselves as thinking.
Even say to ourselves thinking,
Thinking,
Thinking.
And then returning back to the centerpiece of breath,
Sound or body.
.
.
.
Really beautiful.
.
Give ourselves a moment of appreciation and gratitude for showing up.
Both for practicing together and creating the time for this.
And also for showing up in all the ways that we do in our lives.
Whether with friends or family,
Coworkers,
Community,
And most especially showing up for ourselves.
And in a moment I'll invite three sounds of the chime and then you can no longer hear the third chime anymore.
You're welcome to blink your eyes back open to close the practice.
.
.
