Welcome.
This is Allison with Mindful Pause Center,
And today I'd like to share an elemental practice with you related to fire.
We often relate to fire through warmth.
A cup of tea.
A hot shower.
A well-loved quilt.
Crackling logs in a wood stove.
And sometimes the heat of fire is generous and welcome in these ways.
At other times,
Fire arrives like a lightning bolt,
Its transformative qualities sudden and intense,
Possibly unnerving.
Fire is always an agent of change.
We remember,
In reflecting on fire,
To enjoy the pleasant changes without clinging,
And to hold the unpleasant changes with curiosity,
Knowing they too will be fodder for what comes next.
Choosing a posture that will support you for the next 10 to 15 minutes.
This may be seated in a chair or on a cushion.
It may be standing,
Or it may be lying down.
Allow your awareness to fill the body and sense what this posture is like.
Where do you notice points of contact between you and that which is supporting you?
If it's available,
See if you can relax into the support.
Let it hold you.
For this practice and this moment in time,
You no longer need to hold yourself up.
The earth element is here,
Ground,
Foundation.
Allow your awareness to include the body breathing,
The felt sense of the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation as it moves through the body.
For you,
This may be strongest at the belly,
Or perhaps at the chest as the ribcage expands and contracts.
Or maybe it feels better to bring your attention to the way air comes in over the lip,
Through the nose and out again.
Feel this dynamic,
Cyclical nature of breath.
As the body breathes itself,
Begin to notice areas in your body related to temperature.
Where do you sense coolness?
Can you bring your awareness to this coolness and become curious about the quality of cold?
How do you know cold?
And bring your awareness now to warmth,
Scanning the body for areas of warmth.
How do you know warmth?
What sensations make it known to you?
And then scanning the body one last time for areas of heat.
What is the quality of hot?
What is its felt sensation?
How is it that you know heat?
Consider now the heart pumping blood,
The heart,
This vital organ working in concert with the lungs to circulate nutrients and oxygen throughout the body.
Feeling both the temperatures of the body and this rhythm of breathing.
When we are well and at rest,
The rhythm of breathing is cyclical,
The rhythm of the heart consistent,
Both still in the service of change,
Transforming the body at a cellular level.
Can we trust that we do not always need to be the one in charge?
That we,
In fact,
Often receive support and care without our conscious awareness in the same way that we do not tell our lungs to breathe and our hearts to pump.
Rest for a time in the body breathing.
Perhaps you can imagine breathing into your heart center.
Can you sense the heat of fire warming and expanding the heart?
Building your capacity to show up for others.
As you breathe,
Even now for yourself.
In a moment,
You'll hear the bell.
And as the sound of the bell begins to fade,
You can move your body in a way that feels good.
And as your eyes open or your gaze lifts,
Taking a moment to look around at the space you're in,
At forms and colors,
The quality of light,
Letting the nervous system know through the senses that the practice is complete.
Thank you for your practice.
