So as the bell fades,
Coming into this time of stillness,
Doing that by coming into the body,
Feeling the feet on the floor,
Awareness of the buttocks,
Upper thighs being supported by the chair or the cushion that you may be sitting on.
Gentle awareness of the spine,
Allowing that natural curvature and alignment just to settle,
Bringing us into an upright and steady position for this practice.
Perhaps rolling the shoulders and letting them just settle into a place of ease.
Realising how your hands and arms are placed,
Contact of the hands on the upper thighs perhaps,
Awareness of temperature,
Hands at rest,
Awareness of the neck,
That extension of the spine that provides support for the head,
Encouraging a lengthening at the back of the neck,
Again bringing us into our full height,
Locating the crown of the head where we are at our tallest.
Again there may be that sense of lengthening,
The crown of the head moving upward towards the ceiling and that chin just tucked in slightly.
The soft awareness of the face,
The forehead,
Around the eyes,
The cheeks,
The mouth and the chin.
So coming into your being.
Releasing the sound around at the moment,
There may be sounds within your room,
Maybe beyond,
Just receiving the sound waves,
Part of the environment,
Part of the world we live in.
And feeling your way to the breath,
Your breath just as it is.
Gently experiencing the breath either at the nostrils or the chest area or maybe a little lower at the belly,
The abdominal region.
And of course,
As always,
We're working with the mind,
Thoughts,
Thinking,
Ideas,
Judgment,
Patience.
And so noticing when the mind does slip into the analysis,
Ruminating,
Problem solving,
Commentary.
And just gently coming back to the experience of sitting and breathing.
So moving to the sensations of the breath at the nostrils.
Perhaps awareness of the coolness as the air enters the nostrils.
Is it possible to notice as the breath leaves at the nose?
Warmth or movement?
Perhaps,
Perhaps not.
Just being curious about sensations of breathing at the nose.
And using the imagination now to imagine if it were possible to move the nose to the center of the chest,
Perhaps even smiling at the absurdity of this,
Being playful with it.
So relocating the nose and the nostrils to the chest area.
Realizing the sensation of breathing directly in and out from the chest.
Moving to my now,
Someone who you know of,
Who's having a bit of a hard time,
Who's experiencing difficulty of some sort.
And this may be yourself.
So taking a moment and connecting with this experience of difficulty.
And harnessing the breath,
So the in breath bringing that connection to that person.
This may be yourself and the hard times that are being experienced.
And the out breath with that,
Sending whatever is required.
So this may be sending a hug.
It might be sending warmth,
Love,
A desire that that person or yourself find their way through this hard time.
May they be well.
May they be safe.
So the in breath is that direct connecting with,
Connecting with the suffering of another or yourself.
And the out breath,
That heartfelt desire that things,
That things improve.
So connecting with and sending,
Sending best wishes,
Sending kindness.
Sending the,
The well wish that they're able to find their way.
And with that having a sense that this heartfelt wish lands,
Is received and welcomed.
How wonderful.
And so as this meditation draws to a close,
Simply resting in,
Resting in the practice.
Being with the experience of being open hearted.
Re-existing and recognizing the difficulties that are experienced in life by ourselves and so many others.
And connecting to that heartfelt desire,
That wish.
That life be easier.
That life be kinder and warmer.
And that difficulties may pass.
And that we and everyone,
Everywhere experience peace and ease and find joy in life.
Thank you.
