Hi,
This is Scott.
See if you can sit comfortably,
Your back straight without being strained or over-arched,
And close your eyes.
See if there's a place you feel the breath most distinctly.
Maybe it's in your nostrils or chest or abdomen.
If you find that place with a breath strongest for you,
Clearest for you,
You can bring your attention there and just rest.
See if you can feel one breath without concern for what has already gone by,
Without leaning forward for even the very next breath,
Just this one.
And if images or sounds or sensations arise and they're not very strong and you can stay connected to the feeling of the breath,
Just let them flow on by.
Your breathing,
It's just one breath.
And if something comes up that is really strong and pulls your attention away,
You get lost in thought or in fantasy,
Don't worry about it.
We say the most important moment in the process is the next moment,
After you've been gone,
After you've been distracted.
We practice letting go gently of whatever has taken us away,
And we shepherd our attention back to the breath.
To begin again,
Letting go,
And beginning again,
Letting go,
And beginning again.
Now,
Allowing your breath to focus down on your heart center.
Allow your heart to open with gratitude about the most important relationship you have in your life,
The one you have with yourself.
In this moment,
Allow yourself to remember your essential goodness.
You may remember times when you've been kind or generous,
Remembering that you indeed are worthy of happiness and joy.
And just rest with this feeling of open,
Unconditional love for a few moments.
We have all traveled this road in 2020 as if it were a journey of epic proportions.
Back in early March,
We didn't know what would be ahead of us on this trail,
But we ended up in a new wilderness,
Traversing new terrain every day.
So take a moment and place yourself on a winding trail.
In your mind,
Maybe it's in the mountains with cool,
Foggy air around you,
On your skin.
Maybe it's along a coastline with shimmering water on one side and a winding trail below your feet.
This trail is the time we have spent in pandemic since mid-March.
And while we have all traveled,
This path is yours.
See the trail ahead of you,
The terrain below you.
You're walking,
Breathing,
Traveling.
And as you travel this trail,
You're beginning to think about the milestones that you encountered during this 2020 journey,
The moments,
Big and small,
That you experienced.
Some joyful,
Some challenging,
Frustrating,
Liberating.
Like each milestone is a marker along the way of what we have encountered.
And as you travel,
I will share a few questions.
First,
Let your mind move to the question of loss and gain.
Once March,
What have you lost?
Now,
Let your mind reflect on the difference between where you were and where you are now.
How are you different now than you were at the beginning of 2020?
Now,
As you traverse this path,
What did this past year teach you?
And finally,
What opportunity presented itself during this time?
What was your silver lining,
Something that would have never happened at any other time?
What gift did you receive?
And as you reflect,
Can you let a feeling of gladness expand that amidst a journey of the unexpected,
You found something of real value?
And as your meditation comes to an end,
Taking time to appreciate and feel what's been generated through this practice.
And when you're ready,
Letting yourself again feel your physical presence,
Sensations of your body,
Your feet,
Upper torso,
Neck,
And your head.
Being grounded and stable as you sit,
Beginning to notice again the movement of your breath,
Bringing aliveness and nourishment to your body.
And when you're ready,
Open your eyes.
