Namaste.
I'd like to invite you to begin by settling into a comfortable position.
Allow your eyes to close or have a downward gaze.
And for a few moments,
Bring your attention to your breathing.
Not to control it,
Simply to feel it.
The natural rise and fall,
The gentle rhythm that brings you into the present.
You can allow the breath to anchor you into the present moment,
Like a soft tide that steadies the body and mind.
I'd like to now invite you to allow the breath to move into the background.
And notice that you are aware.
There is a quiet place within you,
A steady,
Open knowing,
From which all experiences are noticed.
From this place of knowing,
Awareness can gently move,
Touching different experiences,
Then returning home.
We'll begin by opening awareness to sound.
So let the sounds come to you,
Near or far.
No need to label or judge.
Simply notice hearing happening.
Now allow awareness to shift to sight,
Maybe noticing behind your closed eyelids the play of light,
Shadow,
Or even color.
You're welcome to softly open your eyes and allow a little bit of light in.
Gently move your awareness to the sense of smell.
Gently move your awareness to the sense of taste.
Maybe recalling your favorite food.
Bring your awareness,
Noticing the most evident of maybe your sit bones on the chair or your feet flat on the floor.
Whatever sensations you may be able to notice of your body meeting the floor,
The chair,
Or even the air.
Each sense arises within awareness and dissolves back into it.
I'd like to now invite you to turn your awareness inward,
Towards sensations inside your body.
Starting at your scalp,
Moving down towards your face,
Softening your forehead,
Jaw.
Let attention flow down into your shoulders,
Down the length of both your arms,
To your hands and your fingertips.
Bring awareness to your upper back and chest,
The lower back and abdomen,
To your hips.
Let your attention flow down towards your knees,
Calf muscles,
And toes.
Bring your awareness to the pelvic region and gently to the inner sensations in your abdomen.
Notice the subtle movements of digestion,
The sensations rising up from your stomach,
Neck,
Towards your chest,
Into your throat and mouth.
Sense the breath as it travels through your airwaves,
Through your trachea,
Filling the lungs on both sides of your chest.
And then rest your awareness in your heart.
Allow your entire body now to be felt in totality,
A single,
Unified field of sensation.
From this embodied presence,
Open your awareness to the mind now,
To the thoughts,
Images,
Memories and emotions.
Whatever arises is welcome.
Nothing needs to change.
Notice thoughts as events,
Appearing,
Moving and dissolving.
And then gently rest.
Not on the thoughts,
But in the awareness that knows them,
Open,
Spacious and flowing.
From this open awareness,
Sense your connection.
First,
To yourself,
This body,
This breath,
This moment.
To those physically near you and to people in your life,
Family,
Friends,
Community.
Expand further to your city,
Your country and to the world around.
To all living beings on this planet,
To all sentient beings in this planet,
Feel the web of life that holds us all.
From this connection,
Gently offer these wishes.
May we be happy.
May we be healthy.
May we be safe.
May we flourish and thrive.
Return your awareness to the breath and take a slightly deeper breath in and a slow,
Controlled exhalation.
Feel your body here,
Present in the room around you.
Feel your body in the room.
This practice of awareness,
Of sensing,
Knowing and connecting is always available to you.
Namaste
