It's going to take a few moments just to settle in to our body.
Your body is your focal point because your body is always present.
And we begin with this little gentle concentration.
That concentration eventually moves into more open awareness,
But it really is as simple as just the moment of presence.
And the moment of presence is oftentimes the moment we notice we've checked out of presence.
And so there's a movement in and out of presence.
And then sometimes the presence just lingers for a while.
Thoughts slow down.
And I know we've talked about this so many times before,
But it's such a misnomer in meditation that somehow our thoughts will stop eventually.
But it's what our mind does.
And we're not even consciously thinking.
Thoughts just arrive.
And the more you try to stop the thoughts,
The more resistance you're giving,
The more you give resistance,
The more resistance eventually causes suffering,
Irritation,
Distraction,
And pain in some way.
And so rather than resisting anything,
It's this open-hearted,
Open-handed receiving in our practice.
So even our body posture,
Settling in with a tall chest,
A tall spine,
Gives us alertness,
But also gives us some openness.
And there are days where you decide,
I just need a little bit of rest.
You need to lay down.
You need to lean back in your chair and get really comfy and cozy.
So there's no right or wrong.
It's just this intentionality of remaining open to whatever comes.
Sometimes it's easeful and restful.
Sometimes it's easeful and restful.
And then there are moments of agitation and irritation.
Sometimes the whole thing is very difficult.
And the more we practice,
The more we land in that spaciousness of softening.
But remembering that every day is different.
Every day you're different.
Just giving yourself permission to flow like water.
Giving yourself permission to feel the heat within your body,
Whether that's digestion happening or some emotion that's causing some heat through your chest,
Some tightening in your jaw,
Some warmth in your hands.
Just allowing yourself to be human,
Allowing yourself to be nature,
Which is exactly what this human body is.
And then somewhere within us,
There's this spark of life,
Whatever that is.
We know that at some point,
These human bodies become animated with the spark of life.
And at some point,
These human bodies,
That spark of life fades and our body goes right back to the earth.
Somewhere in between all of that is joy and pain and moments of ease and moments of difficulty.
And all of it just encompasses this being human.
And those concepts can help us soften any judgment that arrives.
Just taking this concept of being human and then just landing in the presence.
Just notice your breath moving.
Closed eyes or a soft gaze is often helpful.
Just allowing yourself to be.
Let your body be breathed.
Whatever force causes your accessory breathing muscles to expand and contract,
Even when we're not thinking about breath.
Just rest in your breathing.
Give your mind permission to rest as well.
So notice those little spaces between breaths,
Those little spaces between thoughts.
Allow your face to soften,
Your hands to soften,
Your heart to soften.
And just an awareness of presence.
It's awareness of thinking mind.
It's an awareness of breathing.
It's awareness of being in a body.
Our body giving us so many layers of sensation.
And we're not trying to concentrate so hard on those sensations in the body that we're trying to figure them out.
Then all of a sudden,
We're back in our mind again.
It can be helpful sometimes to start to recognize patterns.
Like,
Oh,
When I feel this type of tension in my chest,
It's usually this kind of thought that brings it.
And then we get to know ourselves better.
We get better tools to take care of ourselves.
And it's also so helpful to just notice,
Oh,
I feel something in my chest.
Do I feel an itch?
I feel pressure on my feet as support.
Remembering that pressure is not always a bad thing.
I feel this movement of my breath.
And in that moment of presence,
We let everything else go.
Stories in our mind.
It's just this moment of presence.
On days where our mind is a little busy or a season of difficulty in life,
And sometimes that slowing of the mind or giving your mind permission to rest,
It's a little extra support.
It's something like naming,
What are three sounds that I can hear?
And you notice these vibrations that are carried on the air into your ear canal,
And your beautiful mind makes meaning of that sound.
And we create this connection.
And in that way,
Suddenly,
We're connected to the present again.
And you can take that practice any time with you throughout the day.
What are three sounds that I can hear?
It's an invitation to slow down.
It's an invitation to connect to that air element,
To connect your mind to the present moment.
And also,
Place a hand on your chest.
See if you can feel that steady,
Rhythmic beat of your heart.
Sometimes it's so subtle,
It's hard to feel,
But you can also feel that movement of your ribs as your lungs take breath in and release it back out.
So it's air element.
It's the fire element of your heart beating.
It's the water element as blood flows through your veins,
Just as the sap flows through the trees,
Just as you might sit by the lake and the sound of the waves soothe you.
And it's the element of earth,
Just being in this body,
This body made of earth,
Connected to the earth through your feet,
Through sensation.
Just noticing here again a breath,
And that is enough.
Then when you need a little extra support,
Just notice,
What are three sounds I can hear right now?
Or when it's super,
Super quiet,
Or when you just need a little support,
And place your own hand on your own heart.
Look for that soothing,
Rhythmic movement,
The evidence that your body cares for you.
Remembering just one breath is enough,
Just bringing us right back to the present.
I'll share here.
These are the words of Joanna Macy,
Incredible teacher.
She's a Buddhist scholar,
Ecologist.
She's 96 years old,
And she is passing right now as we speak,
Being so loved and well taken care of in her home.
And her teachings have brought me so much.
One of her famous quotes is,
The most radical thing any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in the world.
We can take that internally too.
The most radical thing any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in our inner world.
And then from there,
We connect with each other.
She also says,
Don't ever apologize for the sorrow,
Grief,
Or rage that you feel.
It is a measure of your humanity and your maturity.
It is a measure of your open heart.
And as your heart breaks open,
There will be room for the world to heal.
I invite you to place your hands on or near your heart.
I'll end with a few loving kindness phrases.
So offering them back to yourself,
Offering yourself your good wishes.
When I am able,
May I allow my heart to be open.
May I allow my open heart to connect with all beings.
May I give myself permission to feel everything I feel.
May I pause today to take one breath and appreciate it.
When action is needed,
May I choose to move with ease and peace.
And may the merits of our practice ripple out and benefit all beings.
Take your time.
So whenever you feel complete,
Open your eyes,
Find a little movement.
Take a moment to thank yourself.
As always,
Thank you for being here,
Supporting each other.
