So let's begin by coming into a position that is at ease and awake.
That might be with your eyes closed or your eyes open.
And that might be a seat,
A laying down,
Or even a standing.
Just situate yourself in your body and where you're choosing to put your gaze point.
Then as the body settles itself,
Maybe you can find a bit of ease in the face.
Just softening the space in between the eyes,
Easing the jaw,
Finding some softness in the skin of your shoulders.
And then just noticing if there are any places in the body where there's gripping,
The hands,
The muscles of the stomach.
See if we can soften and settle into whatever posture we're in.
Notice the life in this body,
Places of sensation.
Where are you aware of tingling or vibration?
Maybe you can feel the beating of your heart.
Maybe you're noticing your breath.
Maybe the sensations you're aware of are outward.
Maybe the temperature of the air against your skin or the feeling of your clothes.
Just some noting and awareness of sensation.
The awareness of the sensations in the body is the awareness of this present moment.
So I'd like to ask a question.
Do you have the time to be aware?
And if your answer is yes,
Then invite in this awareness of sensations.
Of course,
The answer might be no.
And maybe that's a wisdom to step away from the meditation because you always have a choice.
And so if you're choosing to say yes,
Then choose also to make the time right now to be aware of this body and the life inside this body.
It's likely that the mind will wander even with you saying yes.
And so give yourself grace and compassion to return to the awareness of sensations,
To the life inside this body in this moment,
This choosing,
This saying yes,
To making the time to be present is courageous.
To slow down,
To notice,
Because maybe we've been so busy thinking,
So caught up that we haven't taken the time to simply be with ourself.
And how beautiful it is to take the seat or stand or laying down posture to simply be with you to notice the sensations of your own precious body.
It's from this space of practice,
When we make the time,
When we say yes to being right here with ourselves,
That we can enrich the intimacy that we have with ourself to get to know the life inside of us.
And then we can begin to fully be present with others.
And so we practice here as a way to cultivate this beautiful presence in our own bodies and our own hearts,
So that we can deepen the relationships with others.
What are you aware of right now in your own body?
What are you aware of in your own heart?
And maybe you take a hand to that heart as a way of simply nurturing and extending compassion to yourself for taking this time,
A way of saying to this heart,
I'm here with you.
You have my attention,
This courage to be present breath by breath,
Sensation by sensation.
I'd like to end tonight's meditation with an invitation from Mary Oliver.
Oh,
Do you have time to linger for just a little while out of your busy and very important day for the gold finches that have gathered in a field of thistles for a musical battle to see who can sing the highest note or the lowest or the most expressive of mirth or the most tender,
Their strong blunt beaks drink the air as they strive melodiously,
Not for your sake and not for mine and not for the sake of winning,
But for sheer delight and gratitude.
Believe us,
They say.
It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world.
I beg of you,
Do not walk by without pausing to attend to this rather ridiculous performance.
It could mean something.
It could mean everything.
It could be what Rilke meant when he wrote,
You must change your life.
And as we pause here,
What are you aware of?
What might you know now that you did not know before?
Together taking a breath in and a breath out.
And if your eyes have closed,
Let them gently open.
