Welcome,
And thank you for joining us in this meditation.
Please find a way to be in your body that feels alert and yet relaxed.
Maybe that means sitting,
Maybe that means standing,
Maybe it means laying down.
Just for a second and just notice what your body might be wanting.
And when you find yourself in a way that feels appropriate,
I encourage you to close your eyes or to look down at a fixed spot.
To perhaps place a hand on your chest,
Maybe a hand on your belly,
And to begin to settle into yourself,
Into your body,
Into your breath.
Breathing in and breathing out and allowing the breath to guide you and to offer you all that you need right now.
Allowing your breath to be an anchor for your focus but also to perhaps soothe and settle your nervous system.
And as you notice your body moving within the rhythm of the breath,
Perhaps you can begin to acquaint yourself with how your breath and your body work together to offer you everything that you may need at any given moment.
And as we continue to settle into our body and into our breath,
See if you can maintain a focused mind in so much that it is noticing the body,
Noticing the moment,
And not getting lost in thought or rumination.
But if you find that that happens,
That's okay.
We'll just continue our practice by bringing our awareness back to our breath and our body.
And in this way,
Honoring that at every moment that we can bring awareness,
We can see how everything we need is provided.
We can see how we are held by our presence,
By our breath,
By our body.
And it is this deep and intimate awareness that we want to tap into as frequently as possible in a way surrendering all the busyness of our day,
All the questions,
And all those things that preoccupy our mind,
Surrendering them to all that holds us in this moment.
And it's this understanding,
This embodied knowing that we can tap into in particular during those times when we feel like we're not enough or we don't have or are in need,
A need for time or support or encouragement.
And it's not to say that those things are not valid desires or needs that we should have,
But it is to say that in a way our breath and our body and our awareness,
Our presence,
Can also offer all those things even if just for a brief moment,
A brief pause.
Good to go.
So,
While I certainly wish for you to get all the support,
Love,
And all the conditions that you find yourself in are supportive and encouraging,
While I certainly hope all of that,
I also know that sometimes those things are not available to us externally,
And yet our practice,
Our deep and intimate knowledge of our body and our breath,
Our commitment to bringing awareness and compassion to every moment that we can remember may be enough to support you in that instance when you need it most.
Maybe pausing,
Perhaps holding yourself,
Acknowledging that your breath is offering you that life sustaining energy,
That your heart,
In conjunction with the rest of your body,
Is supporting you in doing the work that the living do,
That might be enough so that you can continue what it is that you must do until you can find the support that you need.
Ultimately the balance of turning inward with the need for community can be a tricky one for most of us,
In particular if we feel like we are in dire need of support or attention.
But if we can remember to bring awareness even to those moments,
It can sustain us until our community and all the people around us and all the ways that the world shows up for us can gather and give us the support that we need.
So we began by connecting to our body and our breath and acknowledging that it is offering us so much and hopefully you have a felt sensation and understanding of what that is like within your own body so that when challenges arise you can turn to it.
But I also want us to not ignore the community of support that we have available to us both live and in person and through meditation recordings and communities that we are part of that are not always with us.
I want to also connect us to that in this practice because although we are enough in our body and our breath and our mind can be resources that offer us what we need,
It's also important that in community and in relationship we see how we are supported and how we support others.
So bringing to mind all the people in your life who help you big and small from making sure that you need the things that you need for survival and for fun and for enjoyment through your meditation teacher,
Your family members,
Your loved ones,
Your friends,
The stranger who holds the door open for you,
Pays you a compliment,
Colleagues at work,
Even those folks who sometimes get on our nerves.
You can bring to mind those networks that you belong to,
Those groups that you identify with,
Those people who value you and hold them close to your heart the way you might hold yourself.
It might also help you feel full and fulfilled.
And as we come to the closing of this meditation,
I also encourage you to give thanks to them in whatever way feels right to you either by sending kind wishes,
As in you wish all those that support you to be happy,
To be healthy,
To feel loved,
And to feel peace or by simply imagining yourself hugging them or by simply wishing everyone in the world peace,
Even in the face of challenge.
May you also find peace in the face of challenge.
May this meditation support you in your practice and in your felt sense of understanding that you have all that you need every instant that you can bring presence to the moment.
And a deep breath,
Maybe letting out a sigh,
Fluttering your eyes open.
Thank you so much for your practice.
I am grateful.
