To start our meditation,
Let's take three deep cleansing breaths.
A deep breath in through the nose and sighing out of the mouth.
Gently close our eyes and let our breath return to a natural rhythm.
Just be aware of our breath.
We bring our awareness to our hearing.
To the sounds of the day.
Be aware of the sounds as they pass through us.
We're aware of our sight.
The light as it comes through our eyelids.
And the many colors we see throughout the day.
We're aware of our sense of smell.
Odors pleasant and unpleasant as they come in through our nose.
And the feel of our breath as we gently inhale and exhale.
And now we're aware of our taste.
How we sense the flavor of food.
Our fresh fruit.
And finally our fifth sense.
Our sense of touch.
Our hands as they touch our lap.
The feeling of clothing on our body.
The bottoms of our feet as they rest gently on the floor.
Now we turn to the sensations of our body.
In our body.
We feel the muscles in our face.
The softness of our eyes.
Our relaxing brow.
Now let the sensations of our scalp fill our awareness.
Across the top of the head.
The side and the back.
Feel our ears.
And feel the sensations in our neck.
And let it fill our awareness.
Let it fill our shoulders.
A place we hold a lot of attention.
Just let them fall down away from the ears.
And feeling the softening of our shoulders into our awareness.
Moving down our arms.
We're aware of our elbows.
Our forearms rest in hands.
Let the sensation in our hands fill our awareness.
Feel the sensations in your chest.
Down your spine.
Down your abdomen.
And to your lower back.
Let your hips fill your awareness and the sensations of your upper leg.
The sensations of your knee.
Your shins and calves.
And the space within your feet.
Going back up to the legs,
To the pelvic floor.
And the sensations of your intestines.
Your liver,
Kidneys.
And sensations in your stomach.
Up the esophagus.
And into the mouth.
Let the sensation of air coming through your nostrils fill your awareness.
The air as it goes down your trachea and fills your lungs.
And then finally your heart.
As it faithfully pumps blood carrying oxygen throughout your body.
With the next two or three breaths,
Just sit with your whole body.
Feeling the sensations of the body in its wholeness.
Now we turn our attention to our mental activities.
Our thoughts,
Our emotions.
And simply observe them as they float up and float off.
When you notice a thought or emotion,
Simply name it.
There's a thought.
Or I feel sad.
And then focus on your breath.
And watch the thought or emotion.
Observe it.
No judgment.
Just aware that it's there.
It's what your mind does.
And notice the space between the thoughts.
How the thought arises.
And how it fades off.
And now we invite our mind to clear and be quiet.
As we sit in open awareness.
Simply aware that we are aware.
The still point of our awareness is the constant that is always present.
Just aware.
And finally,
We're going to turn our awareness out to the outside world.
To everything around us.
To everyone around us.
And be aware of how interrelated we are and interconnected we are.
With the world as we move through our day.
And with people in our lives.
As we communicate and do activities.
And we'll finish with a loving kindness meditation.
To take the peace and the serenity that we feel in our still point of awareness.
And send it out to the world around us.
Think of the people who are closest to you.
A loved one or family.
And let them be in your awareness.
May they be peaceful and happy.
May they be healthy and safe.
May they be free from suffering.
May they prosper and be one in love.
Think of all your friends and acquaintances.
People you meet throughout the day.
May they be peaceful and happy.
May they be healthy and safe.
May they be free from suffering.
May they prosper and be one in love.
Now bring into your awareness.
Everyone in your country.
Everyone in all of the countries in the world.
And may they too be happy and peaceful.
May they be safe and healthy.
May they be free from suffering.
May they prosper and be one in love.
