So this quote by the beautiful teacher Tara Brak goes like this.
Stepping out of the busyness,
Stopping our endless pursuit of getting somewhere else is perhaps the most beautiful offering we can make to our spirit.
Stepping out of the busyness,
Stopping our endless pursuit of getting somewhere else is perhaps the most beautiful offering we can make to our spirit.
So let's make that offering together this evening.
Let's step outside of the busyness.
And for our precious time together,
Let's stop that endless pursuit of getting somewhere else.
And so make any adjustments that you need to now,
Either to your body or to your nest.
There's nothing wrong with being busy,
But it does need to be balanced.
We can easily get out of balance.
It needs to be balanced by periods of rest.
So let's bring that balance.
And of course it's not just the outward busyness of our lives,
You know,
The to-do list and work and whatever it might be.
But it's our busy minds that we need to take a break from too.
Our busy minds,
Our critical minds.
We need to step outside of that as well.
So that's what we're going to do right now.
We're going to offer that gift to ourselves.
So before we just begin to breathe together,
Set an intention for yourself of giving yourself a break from all of the busyness of the world,
The busyness of your life and the busyness of your mind.
And without trying to force any of it to stop or go away,
Let's just drop together into a space where there is already a natural surrender to what is,
Where we're putting up no resistance to how we feel,
To how things are.
No resistance even to the resistance.
So let's take a really deep breath together to mark that intention and our transition.
So a lovely deep breath right down into your belly.
And then just let your body go.
And as we begin to step outside of that busyness together,
Let's just breathe.
And let's slow everything right down.
Let's really take our time.
Breathing right down into your belly.
And then exhaling with a long and soft sigh.
I invite you to go even more slowly than you are right now.
And to let your body breathe.
To give yourself space just to be here.
And with every exhalation,
Just letting it all go.
And trust that you've done enough today.
And how does that land in your body?
You've done enough.
And right now you have full permission to do absolutely nothing.
Just feeling your breath is all that's being asked of you right now.
Inhaling really low.
And exhaling right to the very end.
Let yourself off the hook of having to make anything happen.
Trust that your meditation will unfold exactly as it should.
Don't even try to control your mind.
Breathing in.
.
.
Low.
.
.
And slow.
Breathing out.
.
.
Just giving it all up.
All the resistance to what is.
Melting away in your willingness just to be here.
And when your body has taken as many of those low and slow breaths as it needs to settle down naturally,
Then just let your breath be natural.
But see if you can stay with the natural feeling of your breath.
Aware of the in-breath.
Aware of the out-breath.
Aware of the parts of your body that are naturally moving as it breathes.
Aware of the sounds but not getting involved.
Aware of body and however it feels.
Right now,
No judgement.
The natural acceptance of body just like this.
As you just let your body drop into the tender,
Loving care of our shared presence.
Feel where your body makes contact with the surface beneath.
And just let the weight of your whole body fall into that support.
Let's stop the endless pursuit of getting somewhere else.
Just being here now.
Wide open to this whole moment.
It's too much effort to get somewhere else right now.
Just aware of being right here.
That awareness is effortless.
So just giving up,
Trying to find anything,
Achieve anything.
Dropping down into the really gentle space of just being.
Feel where your head meets the pillow.
Just aware of that sensation where your head meets the pillow.
Just aware of the sensations inside the mouth.
The feeling of the tongue.
The inner walls of the mouth.
Just the feeling.
The natural taste inside the mouth.
A softening of the whole face.
The eyes resting right back.
Let your eyes take a break.
From the realm of looking,
Let everything come to you.
The feeling behind eyes.
Softening and expanding in awareness.
Forehead smooth.
Space between eyebrows.
Resting open.
Sensing the brain.
And let your brain take a break.
Nothing to figure out.
Nothing needs to make sense.
Nothing to remember.
Brain.
A life with sensation.
Whole head.
Pure sensation.
Shoulders softening right down.
Welcome the very simple experience.
Arms.
Back of the arms.
Just giving up the weight.
The direct sensation hands.
Let the feeling hands arise naturally.
In you.
An effortless awareness.
Hands.
How do you know right now in this moment that hands are there?
Not looking for anything in particular.
Just the current sensation hands.
Palms of hands.
Tingling and alive.
Palms of hands.
Not thinking about your body but feeling it directly.
Palms of hands.
Thumbs.
Second fingers.
Third.
Fourth.
Little finger.
Left and right.
Both arms.
Alive.
With sensation.
The whole back of the body.
The whole front of the body.
The chest.
Aware of your heart as it beats.
Aware of the movement of your chest as it gently rises and falls.
As your body breathes.
The abdomen.
Just welcoming whatever sensations you find.
Comfortable or uncomfortable.
Just be the loving tender space.
That welcomes everything in itself.
As itself.
The hips.
Giving up their weight.
Both legs.
Thighs.
Knees.
Shins.
Calves.
Souls of feet.
Anytime you leave,
Forgive yourself instantly.
And just keep coming back to now.
Souls of feet.
The current sensation.
Right now in this moment.
Souls of feet.
The whole body.
The whole body.
Whole body.
Alive.
With sensation.
Take a moment to check in.
And notice if you might give up a deeper layer of holding.
Notice if your body might soften.
Just a little more.
So,
Dear friends.
I invite you right now.
To give up that last trace of effort.
To be aware of something.
Just being.
Aware.
Aware of this whole moment.
But without interfering.
Without meddling.
Without directing.
Just here.
For life.
However it unfolds.
Surrendering.
That endless pursuit.
Of getting somewhere else.
And just being right here.
Right now.
Together.
As one.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Let's just be here.
Aware.
Present.
But without any doing.
Just being.
In this space of not doing.
Everything is welcome.
Tears are welcome.
If they want to flow.
All the feelings that we've held back in the busyness of life are welcome.
So let yourself just be here.
With whatever wants to be felt.
And seen.
It's so easy to get caught up in the doing.
That we so often overlook the being.
Remembering that we are human beings.
Not human doings.
And just to keep coming back to that space of just being is so healing and restorative.
This space of not doing anything.
Just here.
And knowing that you are here.
Welcome the feeling of your whole body.
Whole body relieved.
Of having to do anything right now.
Holding a compassionate space.
For this body that may be a little overworked.
Feeling where your body makes contact with the surface beneath.
Sensing that support.
And maybe yielding to that support a little bit more.
Feeling the sensation in the palms.
Hearing the sound of this voice.
Aware of breath.
And movement of mind.
There's nobody doing it.
Just aware of this whole moment.
And let's take a few more of those slow and low breaths together.
Just taking time to breathe.
You've got all the time in the world.
For the in-breath.
And you have forever for the out-breath.
Let your breath flow with ease right down into your belly.
Wide into your chest.
And out with a long and soft sigh.
Taking your time,
Slowing your breath right down and enjoying,
Savouring that long slow drink of breath.
Nourishing every cell of this body.
Every exhalation.
An invitation.
To drop a little deeper into the tender loving care.
Of just being.
That space takes care of everything.
And as we breathe slowly and deeply.
Let's call forward a prayer for our lives.
Checking in with your heart.
Listening to that small voice that can so easily get lost.
Ignored.
Or overlooked.
In the busyness of life.
Just giving some space for that voice to be heard.
What really matters.
More than anything in this life.
To you.
Asking for any help that you may need.
Right now.
For whatever challenges you may be facing.
In your life.
Asking for help.
And trusting that that help will come.
And then calling forward what you're grateful for.
How is your life blessed?
Just taking a moment to acknowledge the blessings of your life.
What you're grateful for.
Who you're grateful for.
I find those three practices really powerful.
Checking in with what your heart longs for.
And what you value most in life.
Asking for help.
And gratitude.
When I say that the space of just being takes care of everything,
I know that that doesn't necessarily mean that it makes things easy.
But it does give us access to a strength and a clarity and insight and courage to deal with whatever life brings.
That's what I mean by taking care.
Not that all our problems go away.
But that we find that strength.
That courage and that insight.
So,
Let your body move whenever it's ready or maybe your body just wants to continue to rest.
And go easy on yourself.
I'm really grateful to have spent this time with you.
So taking that peace,
Strength,
Courage.
All those inherent principles of your deepest being.
Taking them into the days ahead.
Go well friends and sleep well.
