So let's begin just by sitting quietly in a way that embodies a sense of dignity.
Feeling upright,
But also with a sense of relaxation and ease.
And just beginning in a very relaxed way to notice what's arising in your experience right now.
There are many things we can notice.
There are sensations arising from the outside world.
There may be a sense of space.
Light.
Sounds.
And sometimes people think of sounds as being distractions,
But sounds are simply sensations to which we can pay mindful attention.
So just allow yourself to be aware of any sounds around you.
Gently bring attention to them.
Just allowing them to be.
As best you can,
Just letting go of any desire to change them or resist them.
Simply paying mindful attention to whatever is arising.
And in this spirit of relaxed,
Open attention,
Beginning to notice sensations arising from within our own being,
From within the body.
Sense of touch,
Pressure,
Tingling,
Warmth,
Coolness.
Sensations connected with the movement of the breathing.
And just allowing yourself to notice those sensations.
Just see if you can allow the muscles around your eyes to be soft and relaxed.
Almost as if you were staring into space,
But with a sense of presence and attentiveness.
And you don't need to search for these sensations with a narrow,
Focused beam of attention,
As you might look for something in the dark with a flashlight.
You don't need to make them appear.
Just sitting in this relaxed,
Open,
Receptive way,
Sensations are simply arising.
Just allowing them to come to you.
Some sensations may be pleasant,
Some may be unpleasant.
And whatever is arising,
We just allow it to be.
Not trying to change anything.
Feeling sensations from the body in the same way as we did sounds.
Just allowing them to be.
Sometimes our attention is going to wander.
It may get caught up in stories.
Sometimes we forget we're even sitting here.
And that's okay.
It's just part of the process.
Whenever we notice that the mind has been wandering,
We just gently relax back into an awareness of what is arising right now.
If you notice that there are any particular feelings arising,
Whether they're pleasant,
Like joy or kindness,
Or whether they're unpleasant,
Like boredom or confusion or irritability.
Just allowing those to be there as well.
Neither trying to push them away,
Nor getting caught up in the stories that they generate.
Just allowing ourselves to be at rest with our experience as it's arising moment by moment by moment.
And then allowing the body to move slowly with mindfulness.
And in your own time,
Bringing ourselves more fully into contact with the outside world,
Letting the eyes gently open.
