This practice is an exploration in unfiling.
Opening.
Blossoming into the present moment.
Beginning by finding a comfortable seat.
This could be on a chair.
Or a cushion.
Aligning the spine in a way that is upright and enlarged.
While also being open.
And relaxed.
Ready to receive whatever is arising.
The head is stacked on top of the shoulders.
Closing the eyes,
If that's comfortable.
Or else lowering and softening the gaze.
Seeing how it is to simply arrive in the body now.
Notice sensations of contact between the feet and the floor.
Or the hands and the thighs.
And when you're ready,
Shifting the focus of your attention to the breath.
Wherever you feel this most clearly.
Perhaps the tip of the nose.
The throne.
Family.
Or the space between the shoulder blades.
Noticing sensations.
The full cycle of the breath.
Breath coming in.
Breath going out.
This will be your anchor.
Grounding point that you can return to at will throughout the practice.
And if the breath isn't a suitable anchor for you right now.
Choosing a place in the body that feels right for you.
Maybe the feet,
Seat or hands.
Resting attention on sensations in your anchor now.
And if you find that the mind has wandered.
As minds tend to do.
Gently.
Softly.
Guiding attention back.
Sensations in your anchor.
And now expanding the focus of your attention to sensations in the body.
This could be external.
Like the breeze on your skin.
Or contact with clothing.
They could be internal.
Hot,
Cold.
Pressure.
Tingling.
Inviting a sense of curiosity.
To whatever is arising here.
Sensations could be strong.
Was that all?
They could be pleasant.
Unpleasant.
Or neutral.
Seeing how it is.
Bring a sense of openness.
And acceptance.
Whatever it is that you're experiencing.
Knowing that it's okay to shift your position in order to be comfortable at any point in the practice.
And it's the mind who's wondering.
Gently bringing attention back.
To sensations in the body.
There's no need to rush as if you've done something wrong.
Just coming back slowly.
When you're ready.
To notice sensations as they emerge.
Stay for a while.
And eventually fade away.
When you're ready.
Shifting the focus of your attention to sounds.
This could be external.
From your environment.
Or they could be internal.
Like the sound of breathing.
Simply observing sounds as they come and go.
Noticing also any tendency to identify sounds.
And to label them as good or bad.
Seeing how it is to experience sounds simply as sounds.
And if you find that the mind has wandered.
Taking this opportunity to guide attention back.
To experiencing this open landscape of sound.
Noticing also the space between sounds.
The sound of silence.
Now,
Letting go of sounds.
And bring your attention to thoughts.
The practice here isn't to silence thoughts or to empty the mind.
Instead,
You're simply observing thoughts as they arise entirely at their own accord.
Stay for a while.
And then eventually.
.
.
Fade.
Continue their transit elsewhere.
It might be helpful to visualize thoughts as leaves on the surface of a stream or river.
Or as clouds.
Drifting across an open sky.
Just as sounds come and go,
Thoughts come and go.
And if you find that your attention has drifted away on a current of thoughts,
Gently.
Guiding attention back.
To observing thoughts.
Noticing also if there's any emotion attached to mind wandering.
Disappointment.
Frustration.
Perhaps judgment.
And seeing how it is to let those emotions be there.
Allowing your experience to be just as it is.
And now,
Continuing to notice thoughts.
And expanding your attention to include the breath.
Body.
And sounds.
Exploring how it is to hold this rich tapestry of experience in your awareness.
Noticing sensations,
Thoughts,
Emotions.
They arise.
Stay for a while.
And eventually fade away.
Biting a sense of Opening.
Unfurling.
Blossoming like a flower.
Into this moment.
Not needing to change anything about your experience.
Noticing also the space around the body.
Bringing a sense of openness and devotion.
Commitment to experiencing.
Whatever is arising.
In this moment.
In the next.
And the next.
And as you prepare to conclude this practice.
Opening your attention to this vivid spectrum of light and shadow.
And seeing how it is to bring this devotion.
To open awareness.
Into the next moments of your day.
You
