Hello.
Thank you so much for joining me today.
My name is Mark Rowland.
Sometimes.
Everything just feels.
.
.
Really urgent.
Even when nothing needs doing this very second.
Maybe you sit down for a moment,
But your mind is already moving on ahead.
You are thinking there are things waiting for you,
Things that you haven't finished.
And that looming,
Uncomfortable feeling that you're now somehow behind.
And even when you try to rest,
You might find part of you is still trying to hurry.
If that sounds familiar to you.
Stay here with me for a few minutes.
You can return to all those responsibilities soon if you need to,
But.
.
.
Right now.
Let's find out what happens.
When you stop.
Rushing yourself.
Make yourself nice and comfortable.
Either sitting or lying down.
Feeling into where your body meets the chair,
The bed,
The floor or wherever you're resting.
Noticing the weight of your legs,
And the fact that something beneath you is holding you up.
Let your hands rest.
And if you're carrying tension in your jaw,
See if you can unclench it.
And lucid it a little.
There's no particular way you need to try to breathe,
Just notice the air coming in.
And going out.
Now see if you can recognise that feeling of urgency.
You may experience it as a tightness across your chest,
A restless feeling in your stomach.
Or perhaps thoughts jumping from one task to another,
You don't need to search for that feeling,
Just notice whatever's already here.
You see,
We often treat this feeling as a command.
Something inside us says,
Hurry,
Do more.
You're going to run out of time.
And then without quite realising it.
We begin responding to that message with the whole of our body.
Our shoulders will rise,
Our breathing can get shallower,
And even the smallest of decisions can start to feel so enormous.
But that sensation of urgency.
Doesn't always mean.
That something is urgent.
See if you can let that sentence settle.
The sensation of urgency.
Doesn't always mean that something is urgent.
You may have real responsibilities today.
And some might be difficult.
And some might need your attention quite soon.
But for these next few moments.
You can just notice the pressure.
Without,
Immediately.
Obeying it.
Listen to the thoughts that appear.
You might hear something like.
.
.
I need to get on with things or I've wasted far too much time already.
When one of these thoughts comes along.
You don't have to argue with it.
And you don't have to reassure yourself either.
Simply recognise it!
Dasa thought about what comes next.
And then return your attention to the feeling of your feet your hand.
Or the support beneath you.
If another fort comes.
Practice in the same way.
Recognise it.
Allow it to pass through your awareness.
And see if you can come back to the body that's here in this moment Notice whether you're trying to make this very meditation productive too,
As though you need to calm down quickly and you must get it right.
Just know there's nothing you have to achieve before the next breath.
Allow that breath to begin when it begins,
And ends when it ends.
Now ask yourself.
Just one.
Quite simple question.
What actually needs my attention?
This moment.
If there's nothing requiring immediate action,
You might find the answer is quite small.
The weight of your body.
The next breath.
The sounds in the room.
Let your attention rest there with what is happening.
Rather than trying to rehearse everything that may or may not happen later.
As we come towards the end of this session.
You can begin to notice the room around you,
Feel the ground beneath your feet,
Move your fingers gently if that's comfortable for you.
There may very well be plenty to do when this recording ends,
But you can decide what matters first.
When you are ready.
And when that familiar rush returns.
See if you can recognise it.
For what it is.
It's a feeling and not necessarily an instruction.
Take one more natural breath.
And then carry on with your day.
Giving the next thing your attention.
When you come to it.
Have a beautiful rest of your day.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
