Let's begin with your body.
If you're sitting,
Be sure to sit upright with your spine.
And just imagine the crown of your head rising and your seat grounding so you feel an extension on your spine.
And if you're lying down,
Just be sure that your shoulders are relaxing against your bed or the floor.
And those who are sitting,
You can roll your shoulders up towards your ears and then roll them back away from your ears.
And whether you're sitting or lying down,
Open your palms.
That's a gesture of opening your heart to God.
And now focus on your breath.
If you're lying down,
You can put your hand on your belly and notice the belly moving up and down with each inhalation and exhalation.
And those who are sitting,
With every breath in,
Feel the belly expand but also feel the spine getting longer as you reach the crown of your head towards the ceiling.
And then with the exhale,
Feel the belly contract as you feel grounding.
And those who are lying down,
As you exhale,
Feel yourself getting heavier and heavier on your bed or your mat.
So focusing on the body and the breath gives you an appropriate transition as we begin to look within.
So it takes a few moments.
So you can continue focusing on the body and the breath but also open your ears to hear without judgment these words from St.
Anselm of Canterbury.
Turn aside for a while from your ordinary employment.
Put aside your worldly cares.
Let your distractions wait.
Free yourself for a while for God and rest in Him.
Enter the inner room of your soul.
Shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking Him.
And when you have shut the door,
Seek Him with your whole heart.
Say to God,
I seek your face.
Show me your face.
Just sit with those words for a few moments.
So let's hear this prayer again.
Come now,
Turn aside for a while from your ordinary employment.
Put aside your worldly cares.
Let your distractions wait.
Free yourself for a while for God and rest in Him.
Enter the inner room of your soul.
Shut out everything except God and that which can help you in seeking Him.
And when you have shut the door,
Seek Him.
Now in your heart,
Say to God,
I seek your face.
Show me your face.
So repeat in your mind a few moments,
I seek your face.
Show me your face.
And perhaps use it as part of your breath.
Inhale,
I seek your face.
Exhale,
Show me your face.
Inhale,
I seek your face.
Exhale,
Show me your face.
Inhale,
I seek your face.
Exhale,
Show me your face.
Now see if you can maybe let go of the words and rest.
Allow those words to cleanse you,
But then also just let them go and open yourself.
And then anytime you find your mind drifting away,
Just go back to I seek your face.
Show me your face.
I seek your face.
Show me your face.
So even if maybe nothing was shown to you,
That's fine.
But throughout your day,
Maybe return to those words,
I seek your face.
Show me your face.
And see if maybe God is showing his face somewhere during your day.
Look at things with a fresh perspective.
God is everywhere.
It's a matter of opening our eyes and looking for him.
So just like we took some time to go into our inner chamber,
It's important for us to take some time to turn back to our more active life.
So let's use our breath to transition.
If you've closed your eyes,
You can allow some light to come in.
As you just become aware of the breath,
Notice your state of being right now.
That is always there.
Just a matter of you coming back to it a little bit more regularly,
Tuning into it,
And allowing it to guide you rather than the world.
And then notice your body.
If you're lying down,
Did you feel a part of your body that got stiff,
That somehow got uncomfortable because it tensed up?
Just relax it.
Those of you who are sitting,
Did you begin to slouch?
Did you begin to tense up your shoulders,
Your neck?
And if you're sitting,
I like to end with some spinal twists.
So just kind of roll your shoulders to the left and to the right.
You can use the breath to guide you.
So inhale,
Roll your shoulders to the left.
Exhale,
Roll your shoulders to the right.
And those who are lying down,
I like to raise my hands over my head.
And if there's not enough room for you,
Place your hands behind your neck and move your elbows over your head and stretch away from you.
And extend your legs away from you.
And remember that this state is our most natural.
This is where we cultivate our authentic self.
This is where we meet God.
So why not honor this a little bit more often?
But always in your mind say,
God,
I seek your face.
Show me your face.
Take care.
