Welcome to Awakening in Life.
This is Ryan Olke and I'm going to guide you in a short meditation on one of the core practices of Awakening in Life,
The practice of settling.
The practice of settling cultivates and deepens our capacity to clear our mind and our hearts and to let go and relax in our body.
Settling allows us to step outside of our habitual reaction patterns and to create open space in the busyness of our daily lives.
Through this practice our experience becomes more workable and pliable and allows us to dive deeper in other practices of awakening.
To begin,
Sit in a comfortable,
Relaxed,
Yet attentive posture.
I recommend either sitting on a meditation cushion or sitting in a chair with your feet flat on the floor.
Take a moment to shift or even squirm a little as you settle into your seat or cushion.
If you feel like it,
Roll your head and neck a little,
Wiggle your hip bones,
Whatever slight movements help you to arrive in your body in this meditation.
Now let your body come to rest in stillness.
Rest your hands with your palms flat on your thighs or place them in one another in your lap.
Open your eyes slightly to let a little light in.
Relax and soften your gaze.
Take a few slow,
Deep breaths.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
Now let your breathing become natural,
Meaning let your breathing be however it is.
You don't need to control your breathing,
Just notice it.
You might be breathing slow and deep.
You might be breathing fast and shallow.
Whatever your breathing,
Try to relax and accept your breathing as it is.
Continue placing your attention on your breath.
Notice how the breath moves in and out of your nose.
Feel the physical sensations in your nostrils as the breath moves in and out.
Notice the space between the in-breath and the out-breath.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
Inhale,
Exhale,
Exhale.
Continue resting your attention on your breathing as it moves in and out of your nose.
As you breathe,
Notice the effortlessness of your breathing.
Breathing happens easily,
Naturally,
All on its own.
Just your attention in your breathing and in this ease and effortlessness.
If you find yourself distracted by thoughts or getting involved in stories in your mind or being taken away by emotions or restlessness in your body,
Just notice that.
Pause and relax.
Return to your breathing,
Noticing the in-breath.
Noticing the out-breath.
Noticing the space between breaths.
Rest breathing.
If you find or notice yourself controlling your breathing,
Just note that.
And again,
Relax,
Release,
And let your breathing become effortless again.
Accept your breathing however it is in this moment.
Noticing the in-breath.
Noticing the out-breath.
Noticing the space between breaths.
Rest breathing.
If you'd like to continue this practice a bit longer,
Press the pause button and return when you're ready.
Now let go of focusing on your breathing.
Let go and release this practice.
Open your eyes a bit more.
Look around a little and feel into your body again.
If you feel more open,
Clear,
And calm,
Just rest in this experience a moment.
Feel it in your body.
Feel the clarity and ease that is in your mind and heart and body.
If you find you're noticing how distracted you are,
Take a moment to appreciate the space you have given yourself to do this practice.
Give compassion,
Acceptance,
And loving kindness to yourself.
Over time,
This practice of settling will deepen naturally.
You can return to this practice anytime throughout your day and your life.
Even noticing a single breath in a single moment is a beautiful and powerful act of settling.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
