So let's find our place we can be comfortable for a few minutes.
Planting our feet on the floor,
Our knees comfortable,
Our ankles comfortable,
Allowing our hands to rest somewhere.
Straightening our back a little bit as we inhale and softening into our seat a little bit as we exhale.
And seeing if there's a balance between alert and relaxed.
A little bit of both.
Taking our attention into the internal world,
Seeing how that feels.
Noticing how I am right now.
Just noticing if I'm able to accept as I am right now or if there's grumbling,
Would rather it be different.
Trying to push away how we find ourselves,
Push away the present moment.
Just noticing.
I invite you to use a cleansing breath now.
So when you're ready we're going to blow out these slightly pursed lips,
As much air in our lungs as we can without discomfort.
And when we're ready we're going to inhale as deeply as we can without discomfort.
So in your own time exhaling fully,
Inhaling when you're ready,
And exhaling again comfortably.
And just taking your dignified seat again and resting because that can be quite invigorating.
Just noticing if that feels any particular way on your body.
So now you know where we're going with the cleansing breath.
As you exhale you can imagine any sort of detritus,
Any stale air,
Any negative energy if you would like to use that.
You can imagine it leaving with your breath and then you can draw in fresh revitalizing energy,
Prana as you inhale through your nose.
So when you're ready,
Exhaling,
Inhaling and visualizing filling our bodies with fresh air and prana.
Exhaling comfortably and resting,
Observing the breath in the body,
And if you would like to we can do that once more in your own time.
Exhaling,
Removing stale air,
Negative energy,
Inhaling fresh air and positive energy,
And resting.
It's quite a useful breathing exercise if you're about to start some exercise,
Or if you've just experienced some cloud of noxious gas like a horrible car exhaust or something and you want to get rid of it.
So let's use the Soha mantra to find our relaxed,
Comfortable state of mind.
So when we inhale we can either externally or internally say so,
And as we exhale we can say to ourselves hum.
Inhale so,
Exhale hum,
So hum,
So hum.
And if your mind wanders we just return because they wander,
They do that,
It's not a problem.
Return to the focus which is the mantra.
Having a comfortable breath as we use the mantra.
You So we can release the mantra.
I invite you to rest with your body and your breath as Rumi guides us into a more relaxed,
Healthier state of mind.
This being human is a guesthouse.
Every morning a new arrival,
A joy,
A depression,
A meanness.
Some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all,
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture.
Still,
Treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought,
The shame,
The malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
Can we sit with that awareness open to whatever comes in this moment?
Whatever thought wanting us to act,
Judging ourselves or other people,
Or of something pleasant yet to come or in the past.
Whatever the internal distraction,
Weather,
Whatever the external distraction or environment.
Are we able to sit in the center and offer peace to this moment?
Not forever,
Not all the moments of the rest of your life,
Just this one.
Part of us may react and say,
No,
No,
No,
I don't want this.
I don't want this for the rest of my life,
But that's not the idea.
The idea is despite the difficulties,
Can we still become friends with this moment?
Relax into this moment.
Offer compassion to ourselves in this moment.
Resting in the center.
That awareness open to the present moment.
We do not know how the universe works.
We cannot control it or predict what will happen tomorrow.
We can sit and breathe and make peace with the present.
Have the strength of the oak tree to bend in the wind.
Growing our roots down into the earth.
Connecting with the earth to share immense strength.
And imagining our branches,
Our energy spreading above our head.
Connect with the universe above us and the possibilities it contains.
So for the last few moments we check in with ourselves.
In this space,
How is my body?
Is there peace with it?
How is my mind?
Can I be at peace with it?
All my emotions.
Can I accept what I find?
So we can take a few deeper breaths and invite the energy into our bodies.
And feel the energy move into our arms and legs and our hands and our feet.
Give them a wiggle.
And move our feet and our hands and our arms and our legs.
Have a little stretch.
And slowly return to the external world.
Thank you for practicing with me.
