And then finding your comfortable seated pose in which you can be upright and relaxed at the same time.
And if you like taking a few deep exhalations through your mouth,
Maybe two or three deep exhalations through the mouth,
And with every exhale seeing if there's a way for you to relax a little more and really arrive with your awareness in this moment.
And then starting to breathe through your nose and allowing the belly to move with the breath so there be an expansion of the belly on the inhale and the relaxation of the belly on the exhale.
And you're in this moment actively trying to breathe a little deeper,
Maybe prolong the exhalation a little more.
And then bringing awareness to what's present for you in this moment.
Maybe it's been a busy day.
Just noticing what you bring into this session of sitting from your day.
And just acknowledging in this moment there's no need to change anything or fix anything,
Solve it.
Just allowing whatever today has been,
Whatever stayed with you in your mind right now,
To just be fully aware of what is happening.
And from here gently shifting your awareness to your body.
Maybe you feel your breath in your body,
Could be in the nose,
Chest,
The belly.
Maybe you're feeling the contact with your chair or your cushion,
Contact to the floor,
Your feet or your knees.
Maybe you feel your hands.
And as you're bringing your awareness to your body,
Notice how the mind is arriving in the same place as the body.
Maybe you notice how the mind has a tendency to travel into the past,
The future.
And as you bring awareness to your body,
The mind arrives in the present moment.
Maybe there is a sense of homecoming after a day,
Maybe of business,
Either of a lot of doing or a lot of thinking,
Both.
There may be a sense of the mind coming home into the body.
And whenever you notice the mind travel again into the past or the future as it does,
Very gently bringing the awareness back to the body,
Could be feeling your breath,
Maybe your hands,
Your feet,
Contact with your seat.
Maybe you feel your entire body sitting here.
Maybe have this experience of now-ness,
Of presence,
The mind and the body in the same place.
Whenever you notice that the mind is travelling again,
As it does,
Just acknowledging that it does,
Maybe acknowledging where it's travelling to,
What happened in the day or maybe what's coming up next or what you have to do tomorrow.
And just acknowledging that that's what the mind does and very kindly inviting it back into the body,
Into the present moment.
The awareness of your breath,
The contact with your seat,
The floor,
Maybe your hands on your lap.
And noticing how the body is always in the present.
Maybe noticing that the body feels tired or agitated.
Maybe you're feeling tightness,
Or tingling,
Stinging,
Warmth,
Cold,
Any other sensations in the body,
Just acknowledging those,
Allowing them to be.
And unless there's strong pain,
Just accepting the sensations.
And in case there is pain,
Maybe very tenderly and kindly adjusting the pose so you can stay with it.
Maybe you like the image of your mind coming home into the body,
Like you're coming home after a long day,
Either outside your house or if you're working from home these days,
From the connection maybe through the internet to the outside world,
Coming home to the comfort of your home or your family or pets,
Your friends.
And like the mind is coming home into the body from all the activities on the outside.
And noticing what that feels like.
Maybe you feel like that there is a,
Maybe a gesture or a word or an image that would be helpful right now for you to feel at home in this moment in your body.
And so you can choose to make that gesture.
Some like to put their hand on their chest or in the belly.
Maybe there is a phrase or word you like to hear or an image of a beautiful landscape or nature you would like to think of that makes you feel at home,
Fully present,
The body and the mind in the same place.
And if that's been pleasant,
Just simply pleasant,
A gesture,
That word,
That image,
Maybe you can do that again or repeat it,
Think of it when you later go to bed,
Actually do close your eyes and just reconnect for a little moment with that particular experience.
So depending on what you still have to do this evening,
I invite you to prepare yourself for what comes next.
Maybe already bed ready for bed.
Maybe you still have dinner waiting for you.
Just preparing yourself for the next step.
Then very gently,
You know,
Getting ready to open your eyes and do what you would like to or need to do.
Maybe keeping some of the awareness in your body as you close the day.
Maybe remembering your little word or your image or your gesture just before you actually fall asleep.
And then opening your eyes when you're ready.
