Welcome to the journey of exploring our inner senses.
In the next few moments,
We'll aim to identify some of our most frequent thoughts.
Remember,
We're not here to judge or change anything.
We're simply observing.
So start to make your way to your seat if you're not there already.
Perhaps it's on the floor,
On a cushion,
Your couch,
Or a chair.
As you're grounding your sits bones down,
Feel heavy in your body so that you're really rooted and supported.
Let those shoulders soften up,
Back,
And around.
They're away from your ears.
Your head and neck are right over your spine,
Right over your sits bones,
Sitting on this nice long plumb line.
When your eyes are gently closed,
Or maybe you're looking down to the floor with your eyes a bit open,
Softening the space between the eyebrows and the eyelids,
And just letting the mouth and tongue relax in your mouth.
And just letting the jaw and the tongue and the mouth all relax.
Take a nice big breath in through the nose,
Just filling up your body fully with your breath,
Expanding in all corners.
Let the breath go out the mouth in a nice long sigh.
And you'll just take two more like that,
Sipping the breath slowly in the inhale,
Imagining that the breath can expand all throughout your body,
Even all the way down to your feet,
And a nice long sigh of an exhale.
Final one,
Breathing in.
Good.
Let the breath now naturally flow in and out through your nose,
Reminding ourselves that we are here.
In this present moment,
We are simply sitting.
But there will be a moment when we are no longer present because our mind has drifted.
And we actually want that today.
We want to pay attention to the thoughts that naturally arise in our mind.
They might be related to this moment,
Or they might be related to your evening plans,
Or the sounds around you.
As each thought arises,
Especially when I give more time and silence,
Just acknowledge it.
Notice where it's taking you.
Try not to erase it just yet.
Just observe it.
The mind can be a little funny.
The moment we're waiting for thoughts,
It's not going to do perhaps what we want it to do.
The mind can be a little funny.
The moment we're waiting for thoughts,
It's not going to do perhaps what we're intending to do.
With patience and time,
Just stay.
Perhaps the sensations aren't necessarily thoughts.
It can be a body feeling too.
Notice if there's a need for a change in posture or a change in feet or a lot of movements and fidgeting.
In some ways,
Those are manifestations of thoughts.
Without judgment again,
We're taking a mental inventory,
Acknowledging these various thoughts.
As you're taking this mental inventory,
You can notice perhaps the frequency.
You can make note of the tone of negativity,
Positivity,
Or randomness,
Right?
You're just making a couple insightful reflections on these thoughts.
Past,
Present,
Conversations.
Remembering that our aim is not to change anything.
It's merely becoming aware.
As you've now spent some time allowing and sitting with these thoughts,
I'm going to use the affirmation to support us here too.
How human of me.
How human of me to have these thoughts.
How human of me to have these recurring thoughts.
How human of me to have these emotions connected to these thoughts.
How human of me to not want to sit with these thoughts all the time.
Especially the most challenging thoughts or unkind thoughts.
Why would I want to feel that?
How human of me.
And I forgive myself.
I forgive myself.
In this experience,
In all my experiences,
In all my thoughts.
How human of me.
And I forgive myself.
I forgive myself.
Bring your hands now to your heart space.
So one palm flat onto your heart and the other palm right on top.
Just letting this moment be with yourself.
With the experience of becoming aware of your thought patterns,
Current thoughts,
Frequency,
Those familiar friends that live inside of us that make us human.
Take a big breath in through your nose again.
Filling up all of the corners of your body.
When you can't sip the breath anymore,
See if you can just sip a tiny bit more.
And then let the breath go out the mouth and alongside.
Bowing your chin down towards your chest in gratitude for yourself.
Gratitude for yourself.
For showing up to your practice here again and again.
And creating that space for yourself.
For self-inquiry,
Intimacy,
And love.
Blink your eyes open a couple times down to the floor.
Take in the space you're in now.
Looking around the room.
The various colors.
And then when you're feeling ready,
Just going on your day.
Thank you so much and I'll see you in the next session.
