Taking this moment now to check in with yourself.
Taking a full deep breath into the lungs and slowly exhaling out your mouth.
And again,
Breathing in deep into the lungs.
Slowly exhaling out,
Letting go.
Whatever tension is there,
Tightness.
Anything that's holding on and willing to let go.
Dropping into your body in this moment.
Letting go of any thoughts from earlier or thoughts about afterwards and just pausing to be to notice what's here right now.
And you might recognize,
Perhaps particular emotions or thoughts.
Perhaps some concern or charged thoughts of worry or irritation or fear.
Whatever is here,
Just allowing it to be to include it in your awareness of your experience right now.
Nothing to change,
Nothing to make different.
Just sitting with what's there.
And perhaps bringing to mind if something is feeling alive for you now,
Working with this for a moment.
Bringing mindfulness and compassion to it.
So this could be some difficulty,
Some emotional pain or unpleasant feeling of doubt or sense of imposter syndrome,
Not good enough-ness in some area of your life.
Might be a stress or fear,
Some concern about yourself or someone else in your life right now.
Not choosing anything too intense or trauma in this short practice,
But just noting whatever vulnerability is here and seeing if I can cultivate a sense of acceptance.
Because it's here,
Bringing compassion to it right now.
Just as the sky can be filled with clouds or storms,
Thunder and lightning.
So can your mind at times be filled with thoughts and your body with sensations and emotions.
This isn't a problem.
This is the human experience.
See if you can in these few moments,
Allow whatever is here some space to be held and loving awareness and heard with your kind attention.
Just asking yourself,
Can I be with this?
Just letting it be.
Just giving this experience permission to be as it is without judgment,
Resistance or trying to change it.
Perhaps imagining in this moment all the other humans in your community,
Your country or even the world who also feel these similar struggles.
These thoughts and experiences that you're noting right now.
Just inviting in a sense of this isn't personal.
This is part of being human.
Notice how this feels in your body.
When you invite in a larger perspective,
Sort of scanning out the lens,
Imagining the many souls alongside you.
Alive or perhaps even passed on and ancestors,
Perhaps who've endured a similar hardship.
Accessing their courage and their strength in this moment,
If you can.
You may wish to place a hand or both hands on your heart,
Noticing the warmth from this gesture,
The message of kindness and care that's transmitted in doing so.
And now it's communicated with this touch and just allowing yourself to receive it.
And you might ask yourself now if you wish.
What do I need?
What does this feeling this vulnerability need?
Are there words that I long to hear?
And just opening up and letting go and listening to an answer.
Sometimes it's just a sense.
So not a searching and a striving with your mind,
But rather dropping this question.
What does my heart need?
What does this vulnerability wish to hear?
To remember or to know,
And just letting it drop.
And just notice what comes up for you might be in words,
If words come or perhaps a gesture is allowing yourself to receive.
You might whisper the words aloud in your mind.
I'm here for you.
For example.
It's okay.
It's tough,
But it's okay.
I love you.
Or perhaps I can be with us.
Some other words or gesture.
Whatever fits.
And just whispering what fits over and over,
Like a mantra.
Aware of the breath rocking your body from the inside out,
Like waves of the ocean.
Like gentle soothing and care.
It's okay.
I'm here.
And if you find no specific answer comes up for you today for what you need.
Just testing out words and gestures to see if it can fit.
And not worrying or judging yourself.
Not judging yourself at all.
There's no right or wrong here.
Just allowing yourself to be with what's here with kindness and attunement to yourself.
If saying,
I can be with this feels too far for you right now,
You might try.
May I learn to be with us.
May I be held in loving awareness.
May this serve my awakening.
And in this last moment before the sound of the bell.
Just acknowledging your courage,
Your kindness and showing up for yourself in this way today.
No matter what you noticed during this sitting,
Regardless of any outcome or experience,
You paused.
Right,
You slowed down your life to turn your attention inward.
You tuned in and listened to yourself.
And that alone is a gesture of self compassion.
Thanking yourself as much as you're able right now for treating yourself with this love,
This compassion,
And for taking this pause to connect with your soul.
Blessings to you.
Namaste.
