Hey everyone,
Welcome to this 10 minute guided practice.
This is an environmental practice.
And what that means is that we'll just notice what's around us,
What's inside of us,
In this very moment.
So you don't need any special tools.
Just find a place where you're comfortable that could be seated,
Walking,
Standing,
Anything that makes you feel safe and comfortable.
Once you've found that spot,
Know that you can deviate from this spot.
So if you decide that you want to sit at first and then you notice that you want to stand and move,
You can do that.
This practice is yours.
Once you find that spot,
Start to just look around.
Start to notice,
We'll start this practice with eyes open so we can notice,
But start to notice what is around you in the room,
In the space,
Maybe you're outside,
Kind of scanning the area with awareness.
So you might have been in this space 101 times before,
But what is it like to notice and be aware?
What is it like to bring this awareness to this space in a new way?
Maybe you see something in the space that you're in that you've never noticed before.
Maybe there's a new quality to it.
And then once you've oriented with your space,
Start to let your eyes close if that feels safe and comfortable.
If it doesn't,
Find a fixed point on the floor,
On a wall,
On a tree,
And just gaze softly at this point.
And then we'll start to bring this awareness into our bodies,
Noticing the breath traveling in and out.
Notice how the body moves as your breath travels in and out.
Notice your body seated,
Moving,
Standing.
Notice parts of the body in touch with the floor or chair.
Feel the earth,
The ground supporting you here.
And then maybe you bring awareness to sounds right here inside the body,
Noticing your breath,
The sound of that.
Maybe noticing your heart beating or blood flowing,
Her organs doing their thing,
Being with all of the sounds that you can perceive in this moment of the body.
And if mind starts to wander,
Notice that thought and then gently bring yourself back.
And you can do this as many times as you need to,
Returning over and over again to these sounds right here within the body,
Allowing your awareness to move from sound to sound to sound as it happens.
And maybe you start to notice judging mind or critical mind.
Notice that,
Be with that sensation.
And then maybe you bring yourself back by saying,
It's okay,
Or I hear you,
Bringing some compassion in for those judging thoughts.
And then let your awareness of sound move to outside of the body,
Maybe in the room that you're in.
Just noticing what you can perceive and again,
Being with each sound as it occurs to you,
As it's brought into your awareness,
Moving from sound to sound to sound,
Allowing them to come and go.
Maybe the sound of a fan,
Maybe you've got an animal or another person in the room.
Maybe there's no sound.
Maybe you perceive silence or kind of a white noise,
Be with that as well.
And then allowing your awareness to float one layer deeper,
One layer further from where you are.
So perhaps you notice distant sounds,
Sounds outside of the room or the space that you're in.
And again,
If you're noticing a quality of neutrality or silence,
Being with that as well.
And again,
As mind starts to wander,
As you notice thoughts start to appear,
Present them,
Ah,
A thought,
And then bring yourself back.
I'm listening to sounds.
And then start to travel back in towards the body.
So you can stop to notice the sounds as you travel closer.
Maybe some of the same sounds may be different sounds.
And then once you've made your way back to your body,
Coming back to your breathing,
Being with the inhale and the exhale,
Noticing the body as it moves,
As it allows the breath to move in and out.
Slowly start to open the eyes if they're not already open.
Start to scan the room again.
Looking from side to side,
Up and down.
What do you notice that's different,
That's the same?
And then finding some gratitude for yourself for this practice,
For showing up to practice being with what is.
Thanks for joining me.
