Much as we want to practice and hope for its benefits,
We often feel strong resistance.
Today we will investigate the hope that brings us to practice and what to do when we feel this natural,
But very much changeable resistance.
Let's start by sitting,
Feeling our breath,
Right at the base of our belly.
Settle in,
Let your awareness come to rest on the steadying breath.
If you're here,
You probably have some trust in practice.
Let yourself feel into that now.
Think about the possibility that this feeling of hope and trust,
This feeling of faith,
This is a capacity,
Not a state.
It is something that you still have when situations change.
Feeling is a sense of possibility that you will be all right.
It's not a sense of hope for a particular outcome.
Really,
It's the sense that regardless of what happens,
You will be all right.
See if you can have that feeling now.
If not,
Just sit with your awareness on your breath,
Being with what is the breath.
Oh,
Possibility.
There's nothing else you need to do right now.
See if there are some subtle states of calm,
Of contentment.
Let yourself however be with whatever is feeling into this moment,
This breath.
And then the next.
That's all you need to do.
You may come across some familiar uncomfortable states,
Which make it hard to get to the cushion.
These states bind our energy.
That's why they make it hard.
If we feel into them,
The energy is freed.
And then it's there for us.
And then we can sit.
The point here is the energy does not have to be created.
It's already there.
And it's yours.
You're feeling it subtly anyway.
But if you really put your awareness on it,
Just gently kind awareness,
Then it becomes freed.
And you feel better.
And see if that's possibly happening now.
Feeling in whatever is true.
This moment,
This breath.
And then again,
For the next.
Let yourself see these states as dynamic,
As mutable.
You're not the definition of who you are.
So just feel into the energy with kind mindfulness,
Wisdom,
Will come and do the rest.
This is a bit of calm.
Is there a bit of contentment?
Perhaps some patience.
As you notice them,
They become familiar.
And your mind knows how to see them more clearly.
Your mind knows how to find its way back.
So sit this moment,
And the next with each moment feeling into what is just awareness,
Kind mindfulness.
Bring in to any state of your mind of your body,
Letting it arise and pass away.
Kind mindfulness in this moment,
And the next.
Now we dedicate merit,
Sharing fruits of our practice,
Sending the wish that all beings feel happy and safe and protected.
Just as we wish to feel happy and safe and protected.
You can share this wish with all others.
Thank you for your practice today.
