Welcome to our practice today.
Together we may take a few moments to settle ourselves,
Finding a position for our bodies that is comfortable.
One where you might have access to feeling able to just let go.
Try out a few different locations or even just body position,
Listening to your own response to each and then settling into what feels right for you.
Perhaps you come to practice today under some level of perceived pressure about time,
A deadline,
Task,
Maybe even aging.
Culturally,
Many of us are programmed to believe that time can run out.
I invite you today to embrace a different perspective,
That time arrives for you.
Now that you have chosen a position that suits your practice for today,
I invite you to draw your attention to your inner experience.
Maybe if it feels right,
You might close your eyes.
Or maybe just notice things around you.
Or even just soften your gaze,
Though you're not focusing on any one thing.
Or perhaps you notice the sounds around you.
Or maybe you notice just the quiet.
Maybe you pick up on the space between sounds,
Like the space between my words.
Notice how you're breathing.
Notice how you were actively breathing even before you noticed.
What a gift it is to breathe.
The breath is always there with us,
Our steadfast companion,
Supporting our existence in this world.
If it's appealing to you,
Open yourself to deepen your breath.
Perhaps you'll come along with me as I invite you to inhale now through the nose,
Deeply and fully,
Expanding,
And then exhaling through the mouth,
Slowly,
Steadily,
All the way to completely released.
And again,
Drawing the breath in through the nose,
Expanding the ribs and the belly.
And hesitate at the top and exhale through the mouth,
Slowly,
Steadily,
Completely.
And allow yourself one more at your own pace.
And let that go.
Now allow your body to choose your breath pace for you.
The beauty about time is that we can choose to tune into the present moment,
Which is always happening.
Just when we think we're out of time,
Another present moment arrives,
Giving us the opportunity to receive it as a gift,
To breathe it in.
You're invited to open that gift.
And if now isn't the time,
You can set it aside and receive the present moment later,
When another one arrives.
When our perception of pressure to complete something within a certain amount of time begins to take hold,
You might see the effect in your breathing,
Your heart rate,
Your mind and thoughts,
And even the tension in your muscles.
If and when you experience that,
I encourage you to take a moment,
Like you are right now,
To focus inward.
The present moment where every other living thing in the universe can also be present.
As vast as that sounds,
It's also quite private and personal,
Available for just you to perceive and receive.
Imagine the infinite reach of the present moment for all living beings.
How astonishing and remarkable it is that another moment always arrives for you.
You might find that when you begin to notice the next moment arriving,
And you sense the space between them,
You begin to empower yourself with choice.
Maybe you choose stillness,
Safety.
Maybe you choose an action,
Or an idea that solves a problem you're facing.
Maybe it's just rest,
Just being.
Whatever it may offer,
The present moment is perfectly designed for your needs when you are focused on it fully.
It's the universal gift that is given to us infinitely,
Repeatedly,
As long as we choose to notice.
In this moment,
You have chosen to notice.
Your breath invites you here.
As the breath moves through your body,
Nourishing your cells and offering respite to your mind,
You know that you are here.
You are alive.
You are capable.
You are connected.
You are love.
Relish the now.
Memorize it,
So that we may take this feeling along with us throughout the rest of our day,
Regardless of the external pace.
No matter what our task lists look like today,
Our interactions,
Our obligations,
We may always rejoin the private,
Perfect,
Present moment to gain our awareness.
The time arrives for us.
I invite you to breathe deeply once again.
In through the nose,
Expanding to full capacity,
With a brief pause at the top,
And then letting it go out through the mouth,
Allowing the shape of your body to change as you exhale.
Again,
Drawing in through the nose,
Widening the ribs,
Filling the belly,
And then at the very top,
Savoring fullness,
And exhaling through the mouth,
Settling the shoulders,
The ribs,
And the belly.
And once more,
Breathe in through the nose,
Deeply,
Fully,
And suspending at the top to enjoy this moment before the release through the mouth,
All the way to complete it.
And let that go.
Slowly draw your attention again to what the outer world contains.
Maybe wiggle your fingers and toes or offer yourself the gift of a stretch or a yawn.
And if your eyes are closed,
Perhaps we open them to take in our surroundings.
As we emerge from our practice and return to what's scheduled next,
It is my wish for you that whatever peace you are able to access during this practice remains present with you from here.
I'm grateful for you.
Thank you for choosing to practice together today.
Be well and thrive.
