Welcome to this morning meditation for gratitude of life.
I'm on the beautiful island of Jamaica at my home away from home,
The Jamaica Inn.
Finding your comfortable seat,
Allowing the spine to grow tall,
Shoulders dropped away from the ears.
Hands can be in the lap,
On the knees.
And first let's tune into your senses.
When we are perceiving and sensing,
We're out of our thinking.
You can't do both.
So let's tune into sounds this morning.
Sounds of the Caribbean,
The birds,
And the ocean.
Begin to focus on the breath coming in through your nose.
Just noticing your breath.
Feel the air coming in.
Releasing the breath.
And bringing the attitude of beginner's mind.
Imagine you've never breathed before.
What would that feel like for this to be your first breath?
Breath is our life-giving force.
How often do you stop and pay attention to it?
When we notice our breath,
We notice our life.
It's the most important thing we do all day.
What if this were your last breath?
Would you pay attention to your breath then?
How would it feel?
Shifting now to gratitude for the breath.
In my personal practice,
I begin with noticing the breath.
Letting each inhale enliven me,
Calm my mind.
Relaxing,
Surrendering to each exhale.
Following the breath as it flows out of me.
And I just notice this life-giving force.
I allow my body to breathe me.
I'm not doing anything.
But noticing.
Can you just notice the breath?
And from the noticing comes the gratitude.
How can we not shift to gratitude for this breath?
Once we notice,
It is connected.
If we all lived in this place of gratitude for the breath,
So many things we think are problems,
We would realize they really aren't.
Gratitude for this life-giving force.
Gratitude for this life.
I'm here for every moment of it.
And that's how we find true presence.
Staying connected with our breath,
Our life.
And as we come to a close,
Take five deep belly breaths.
Slowly coming back to the space,
Noticing sounds around you.
Noticing how you feel from noticing the breath.
Thanks for practicing with me this morning.
Or wherever you are in your day.
Thank everyone else who showed up.
We are all connected.
One love.
