I don't know that there are many teachers that actually cover this,
And it's kind of a whole new focus which has just come in so effortlessly,
And it's actually prior to us being together in this moment now.
It's from the very moment you wake up.
So there's a lot that we can do to gather our energies,
To center ourselves,
And to realize that a lot of the things we've been carrying,
Perhaps from the day before yesterday or yesterday,
No longer applies.
Yesterday's finished.
We have a brand new day.
We've had a sleep,
We've woken up,
And you've woken up virtually a new person.
Because in your sleep,
You as an individual are not present.
Not in deep sleep.
No recollection.
You're in deep,
Spacious awareness,
And there's no identity in that realm of spacious presence.
In the morning when you wake up,
You're actually starting,
If you like,
Your life again as a new individual.
You've left the old self behind because you weren't in your deep sleep state,
And it's up to you to decide if you want to gather all the bits and pieces of your personality,
Your identity.
You want to pick them up all again and be the same person as you were yesterday?
Or do you want to start thinking,
Oh no,
I don't want this part of that.
I don't want that.
I can leave that alone.
Yes,
I should have dropped that a long time ago.
Consciously be present about what you're picking up again,
Which determines who you're going to be for the next day,
For this day,
For you.
And it might seem a strange thing,
But it's actually very practical.
Don't just automatically gather up all the bits and pieces and just assume that you're the same person again.
You can if you want to be,
But if you want to be somewhere different,
Then don't pick up all the bits and pieces.
Leave some of them behind.
Does that make sense?
It might seem radical,
But it's actually very practical.
Where does blindly go again,
Picking up all the bits one after day,
Same day,
Next day,
Year after year,
Lifetime after lifetime?
You have a choice.
Don't let the habitual patterns of your brain,
Your thinking,
Govern your life.
You have a choice.
And it's a very powerful choice because your thinking is not who you are.
Number one,
Your thinking is not who you are.
It's who you believe yourself to be because your thinking becomes so personal,
You believe,
Oh,
That's who I am because I have this particular strain of thought.
And I believe this and I have an opinion about this and this is a narrative of mine.
There is your belief.
All these thoughts become personal and then you believe that's who you are.
But it's not the case at all.
Anything to do with thoughts is a combination of words.
What are words?
They come and go all the time.
They're constantly changing.
As you know,
When you meditate,
They're coming and going,
Coming and going.
And the thing to remember,
Words have no independent authority or power unless you give them that.
Unless you buy into the story and you hang onto that and you claim as yours and that's who I am and this is what I believe in.
That is your filter and that's the way you see the world through that filter.
Does that make sense?
None of this is planned.
Everything that's coming out of these lips is just coming in the moment.
So I'm trusting every bit of it.
And I believe some of you are actually in a place where this is being beneficial to you.
So you have a choice.
Now,
In terms of that choice and how that choice can manifest.
So the way we begin our meditations,
For those of you who are new,
And there are many new people,
And you're very warmly welcome to this space.
I would just simply ask you,
First,
Number one,
Be comfortable.
Always priority.
Be comfortable.
Rearrange yourself,
Whether you're sitting on a rug on the floor,
On a mat,
On a cushion,
Sitting in a lounge.
You might have your cat on your lap.
You might have your dog at your feet.
Your partner might be sitting next to you,
But this is time for you.
Get comfortable.
All right.
Then sit with a straight back.
Really important,
Again,
Sit with a straight back.
If any physical disabilities and you can't,
Sit whichever way it is that you're comfortable.
These are very basic,
But,
And it all goes back to the ancient traditions of yoga and sitting correctly in the correct posture to get the maximum benefit of the breath as it comes into your body.
Because we tend to only breathe into about a third of our lungs.
So all that wasted space is not being utilized energetically.
We're not breathing in deeply enough to actually fully oxygenate our body.
That's why we feel tired.
All right.
Everything's connected.
Nothing's separate here.
Everything flows one thing to the next,
To the next,
To the next.
All right.
So you're sitting up comfortably,
Straight back.
Now,
So what I'd ask you to do is just close your eyes.
Come back to being present where you are here.
There's nothing else in this moment that's relevant.
You've committed to being here.
Therefore,
I want to serve that time with you to give you the best experience possible.
Okay.
So you are present.
You are here.
You're comfortable.
And you're sitting with a straight back.
Your eyes are closed,
And you're going to be breathing in and out,
If this is comfortable,
Through your nose.
Okay.
Now,
Let's begin with a simple sigh.
So breathing in long,
Slow,
Deep,
Relaxed.
We're not in a hurry.
A long,
Slow,
Deep,
Relaxed.
Deep breath in.
And as you reach the top of the lungs,
You'll automatically be aware that your chest is expanding.
And you filled your lungs.
Pause.
And then.
Again.
A long,
Slow,
Deep,
Relaxed,
Quiet.
Breathe in.
At the top of the breath.
Use the outgoing breath to free yourself of anything that you wish to be free of.
Any energies,
Any feelings,
Any emotions,
Whatever it might be.
Use the sigh as a mechanism to release with intention,
Release anything that you wish to be free of.
Stress,
Overwhelm,
Whatever it might be.
I'll do it again.
Long,
Slow,
Relaxed.
Deep breath in.
You are present in this moment.
Deep breath in.
Lungs are expanding.
Chest expanding.
At the top of the breath.
Deep breath in.
Pause.
And then.
Now,
Before the day takes shape.
Before the mind begins to gather momentum.
This is a unique moment.
To simply be aware of something new.
To notice what is already here.
To begin the day with a fresh perspective.
Now.
Attempt to begin each day without the habitual drive of looking ahead.
Focused again on our incoming breath.
A long,
Slow,
Relaxed,
Deep breath.
The lungs are expanding.
The chest is rising.
At the top of the breath,
You pause.
And then exhale.
And as you exhale.
Try to make the outgoing breath longer than the incoming breath.
Again,
The outgoing breath is quiet,
Relaxed,
Nothing forced.
You have all the time in the world to breathe quietly in a nice,
Relaxed manner.
And then at the bottom of the breath.
Pause again.
And then inhale again.
Top of the breath.
Pause.
And then exhale.
Now as you lengthen the outgoing breath.
You are also stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system.
Which automatically shifts you away from the thinking,
Planning,
Wanting to do mind.
To the stillness,
Presence and peacefulness of the meditative mind.
The present mind.
The aware space of infinite awareness.
And the breath is like a pointer.
To this spacious presence.
Which hasn't just arrived.
It is eternally present.
Behind all activities.
Behind all doings.
Unmoved.
Untouched.
And in this realm of spacious presence.
There is no person.
There is no sense of identity.
Because the mind is not being engaged.
Thinking has been put aside.
And any thoughts that arise.
And they will be there.
There's not a problem.
Just don't take any notice of them.
Let them pass.
Perhaps you could visualize yourself sitting on a beautiful water-worn boulder in the middle of a clear mountain stream.
You're just gazing into the stillness of the forest.
And out of the corner of the eye you notice a leaf being carried by the water as it flows around the boulder.
And as it flows it's in front of you.
You see it.
And then it continues on its journey.
But your focus is in the stillness vastness of the forest.
You haven't allowed your energies to focus on the leaf.
And we don't give thoughts permission to distract us.
They come and go.
And the more that we develop the discipline to let them go,
Pay them no mind and no attention,
Their power fades away.
Until they're virtually not even noticeable.
So in that space when thinking is not present,
There is no person.
There is nothing of identity.
There is nothing to identify with.
It's just open,
Spacious,
Presence.
Whole,
Complete and perfect just as it is.
And this spacious presence is known to the heart,
Not to the mind because it is unknowable.
Because there's nothing in this spacious awareness that is identifiable.
Because there are no things within this spacious presence.
It's open and free,
Boundless,
Eternal,
Our true nature,
The true essence of our being.
And this spacious presence is calm and peaceful,
Loving,
Compassionate,
Creative,
Intelligence,
Wisdom.
This is the source.
So in this spacious awareness,
We are present in a way that there is nothing of mind that has been conditioned,
Of any limitations.
All is fully open and available in the now.
Everything is now.
Nothing.
There is nothing in the future.
No one has ever found a future.
It is a concept.
It is not reality.
We only have now,
A constant process of nowness.
Everything is held and given from the space of now.
There's nothing to attach ourselves to.
There's nothing to expect in the now.
Because all is spontaneously unfolding in the now.
No attachments,
No expectations.
And when we begin to recognize there is such a lightness,
And a spontaneous joy that arises in this self-recognition.
And be still and silent.
Where there is nothing one can attach to,
Mind has absolutely nothing to do.
So we are left free,
Uncluttered,
Spacious and open.
To simply be.
And the mind will feel really challenged by this.
But you have to be doing something.
No you don't.
But there's no you either.
No identity.
No person.
Just be still.
And as Francis of Assisi famously said,
And many others in a similar way,
What you are looking for is where you are looking from.
There is nothing to be found.
There's nothing to seek.
There's nothing to realize.
Everything is here right now.
And this for many will go against everything that you believe.
That's good.
Don't take my word for it.
Challenge it.
And you will come to recognize.
Nothing more has ever been needed.
We are conditioned into the belief that there is more.
That there is something missing.
That we could be better.
There's more to do.
There's nothing more to do.
Because there are no things to do anything with.
The mind is constantly projecting.
And in that state of projection,
Which can go on for year,
After year,
After year,
We're never present.
Sit back,
Relax.
It's okay.
Spend time.
Timeless time.
Be here in the timeless.
Still,
Open,
Vast.
And this space is full of potential.
Boundless opportunities.
Now with clear seeing.
There's nothing to interrupt.
But what it is in internal inspirations or messages that will come to you about something that you could be doing.
That is the true nature of your essence.
This is what you are here for.
Rather than thinking you should be doing this.
Let all that go.
In the silence will come the pointings.
Then you are able to be the truth of the self.
The unique expression of that.
Whatever it might be.
Let go.
Be in the moment of joy,
Of love,
Of compassion,
Of discernment,
Of respect and clarity,
Compassion.
Self-giving.
This is the source.
Without any filters of mind saying,
Oh no,
You shouldn't do that.
Or what about that?
No,
No,
No.
That's all been left behind.
You're now fully available.
To be whatever you are guided to be.
And if you have passion for it,
Then go for it.
Whatever it is.
Give it 110%.
And never look back.
That is your path.
The pathless path.
You wonder what your calling is?
Be still.
Be surrendered.
Be patient.
Be self-giving.
And never give up.
Nothing will change.
Unless you change.
As you change,
You begin to shine brighter and brighter.
That is an energetic field which attracts corresponding frequencies.
And alignments.
You become a magnet to all that is possible.
Absolutely free in the space.
To be inspired.
And whatever it is that comes into that space will not only be for your benefit,
But for those also around you.
So start the day recognising this potential that you are.
Don't be caught by the old patterns of habitual thinking.
The old stories that have been there for so long.
The old narratives that have been there for so long.
You are not your thinking.
But you believe that you are.
Well,
That is a lie.
Perpetuated by society.
Perpetuated by ego.
To keep you doing more so you don't have the recognition of the purity and stillness of your own being.
That's the illusion.
And it may seem,
Wow,
Is that possible?
Yes.
Be still.
Develop the discipline.
In the West,
Generally,
We are not disciplined.
Establish the stillness.
And in those comments I made earlier,
Begin the day quietly.
Be still and present.
Not consumed by habitual doing and planning.
Plan,
Yes,
But be in the moment.
Every moment with it.
Be light.
Be joyful in the experience of now.
Don't get bogged down in future thinking and planning.
Do what you have to,
Then pull back.
Then be back in the presence.
Don't get caught in that perpetual state of projecting.
And this is so simple once you recognize what is actually going on and what you are yourself.
You wear the garment.
You play the role.
Whatever it is in this lifetime,
That is what you have been called to do.
That's not what you are.
That's the character you are in the play.
Behind all of that is the unmoving background,
The essential nature of your being.
And everything that you do react with,
Converse with,
Have experiences with,
Travel with and around and whatever it is,
All of that,
All of them are appearances,
Temporary appearances within the unmoving,
Grounded presence of your being.
We are born aware.
Then comes thought.
So thinking is an appearance in awareness.
Awareness doesn't arrive in the mind.
The mind is an appearance in eternal awareness.
Your heart knows this.
Your mind will be challenged by this.
But recognize true happiness is when the heart feels quicker than the mind thinks.
Be still.
Be here.
Everything is fully available to you.
Just let go.
