Settle into a posture of quiet dignity,
The spine upright but not rigid,
Hands resting naturally,
Eyes gently closed or softly lowering the gaze.
Begin by taking a slow conscious breath in through the nose,
Now releasing and again a long slow in-breath,
Then releasing,
Letting go,
Allowing the breath to return to its own natural rhythm.
There is nothing to achieve here,
Nothing to become,
Nothing to reach,
Simply allow yourself to arrive.
Softening the body,
Allowing the muscles in the face to relax,
The jaw unclenching,
The tongue resting easily,
Let the shoulders soften,
Softening the chest,
The belly,
The hands.
If there is tension anywhere in the body,
You don't need to fix it,
Simply allow it to soften and now allowing the mind to soften.
No need to push thoughts away,
Just let the grip around them loosen and rest your awareness in the rhythm of the breath,
Not controlling it,
Not following it closely,
Just simply resting with its natural flow.
The word Hesakia means stillness,
Not the stillness we try to create,
But the stillness that becomes apparent when effort eases.
So there is no need to force quiet,
No need to silence the mind.
Thoughts will arise,
Let them come and go,
Like clouds moving through an open sky.
Each time you notice thinking,
Gently return to the body and to the rhythm of the breath.
The stillness is already here,
Beneath the movement.
Now gently allow attention to move from the head down into the chest,
Into the inner space of the heart,
Not the physical heart alone,
But the deeper center of awareness,
The place of listening and receiving.
And rest your attention there,
As though awareness itself is settling downward,
Coming home.
The breath continues on its own,
You simply remain present.
Silently,
Inwardly,
Let a simple phrase arise,
Not as something to repeat constantly,
But as a gentle orientation.
Very softly,
Inwardly,
Be still and know.
Allow the words to dissolve back into silence,
Return again to the heart and to the quiet rhythm of the breath.
Rest in simple awareness,
Open,
Receptive.
Thoughts may continue,
Sensations may arise,
Sounds may come and go.
Let everything be included,
Without following,
Without resisting.
If attention drifts,
Gently return to the heart or onto the feeling of breathing.
Knowing is not something you do,
It is something that reveals itself as effort softens.
There is a stillness in all things moving,
A rest in all things striving.
God is the stillness beyond time.
The breath beneath breath.
The silence within sound.
As we begin to draw towards the close,
There is no need to leave the stillness behind.
Allow it to remain in the body,
In the breath,
In the heart.
Begin to notice the simple sensations of sitting,
The contact with the chair or the floor,
Supported by the earth,
Noticing the sounds around you.
And when you're ready,
Gently opening the eyes and bringing this quiet awareness with you.
Be still and know.
