Just noticing,
Just noticing what is present right now in our experience.
Bringing attention to the flow of the breathing,
That gift of life that is constantly sustaining us moment to moment.
And resting in that,
Resting in that silent field,
Which accepts,
Which dwells with the experience as it arises.
Notice if the mind and the heart wants to rely on something else,
Wants to move out of the presence and into some other thing that arises in our inner map of thoughts and feelings.
No need to push it away,
But rather just to be the accepting loving presence of what is arising.
And rest in that presence,
Rest in that silence.
You can do it.
And let's take the bodily pose for the letter Samech,
Which is the letter indicating this sense of being supported,
Of the foundation,
And bring our hands to connect with the support below us.
If you're standing,
You can just bring your attention to your feet connecting with the earth.
But if you're sitting,
Putting your hands down on the chair beneath,
Feeling the physical support.
As an outer hand to this inner support of resting in the silence.
And let's do a.
.
.
Chanting of the affirmation for Samech,
I am relying?
I am supported.
I am stability.
Chanting on a long out breath,
Deep breath in.
I am relying.
I am supported.
I am stability.
One more time,
Really letting your voice vibrate in your body.
Don't just listen to me chanting it,
Chant it along with me so that you can plant the seeds of this inner attitude of relying on the foundation of silence.
I am relying.
I am supported.
I am stability.
And our chant for Samech.
Samech lecho hanofalim.
Oh Hashem,
Blessed Holy One.
The more we fall from the grace of presence,
From the grace of this inner spaciousness and relying on the silent field,
Which we are at the base of it all,
You support us.
You support us to return.
In this act of teshuvah,
To the truth of this moment.
That is,
Even though our experience moment to moment is like shifting sands,
Like Fluid.
Watery.
It seems like it's not supporting us.
You give us the power to shift our attention,
To shift our looking.
Where are we looking for support?
And to find that support again and again in that which is not changing.
What is not changing?
It's the open space within which all the change is happening.
How do we know that things are shifting and changing?
How do we know the Mayim?
We know it because we are this open,
Silent presence.
Let that be our Samech,
Our Samech,
Our support.
Singing together.
Samech Lechol Hanoflim Samech Lechol Hanoflim Somech lechol hanofalim,
Somech lechol hanofalim,
Roka haaretz al hamayim,
Roll call.
Aretz Al Hamayim Shalom.
Shomech lecho hanoflim S'omech lechol hanofalim S'omech lechol hanofalim roka Ah,
Let's Alhamayim Brokaw Am I Him?
Shomech lechol hanoflim Shomech lechol hanoflim Shomech lechol hanoflim Shomech lechol hanoflim and preparing for meditation,
Checking to let your body be in a comfortable,
Alert,
And unencumbered position.
Letting your eyes be closed.
Or at least just letting go of the field of vision,
Unfocused.
Hands relaxed and unencumbered.
Being in a position conducive to stillness best you can.
And bringing forth an attitude of generous,
Loving offering of your attention,
Which is a quality of this silence.
This silence is so,
So loving and generous because it allows whatever needs to be,
Whatever needs to be expressed,
It allows all of it.
To be that loving presence to whatever is present.
Bringing your right hand to your heart.
With an attitude of generous offering of attention.
Giving that attention with L'cha on a long out breath.
Deep breath in.
L'cha.
And bringing your left hand to your belly as awareness flows down,
Filling your belly with consciousness.
Awareness permeating your organs,
Bringing healing and gratitude to all of your cells,
All of your life systems.
Awareness flowing down from your belly,
Down through your legs.
Down to your feet and toes connecting with the earth below.
And the tension rising up from your belly into your chest,
Upper back,
Shoulders,
And neck,
Releasing any excess tension that might be there.
Awareness flowing down through your arms,
All the way down through your hands and fingers,
Connecting back to your heart and belly.
Bring your attention more deeply into the sensation of the flow of your breathing.
Awareness rising up,
Face,
Facial muscles,
Brain and nervous system,
Bringing a little smile to your lips.
Being that loving,
Benevolent,
Indwelling presence,
Life in the body.
Naase,
On a long out breath.
Deep breath in.
Naase.
And bringing your right hand up from your heart to lightly touch your forehead as awareness opens up to the space around you.
Resting on the sounds vibrating in the air,
The shape and feel of the room.
The closeness and farness of the different.
The different objects,
Beings,
The walls,
Ceiling,
Everything.
Recognizing that the world as it appears is appearing within the field of consciousness,
The same place that your thoughts and feelings are appearing.
There's one field,
One awareness,
And you are that field.
You are this spaciousness.
Affirming with vinishma.
Deep breath in.
V'Nishma.
Kissing your fingers,
Relaxing your hands.
Ribono Shalom as we prepare to dive into the field of consciousness to allow everything to be dissolved into that spaciousness.
Help us to be strong in our intention to remember moment to moment.
This fundamental act of being,
Openness,
Of resting in the foundation of silence.
As we.
Chant the sacred words,
Atah Hu,
You who are not separate from anything or anyone,
You who are not separate from this awareness that we are,
Atah Hu,
You are Hashem,
You are the divine,
You are reality,
You are existence itself.
Atau,
Atau A-ty-ah-oh,
A-ty-ah-oh Atau,
Atau.
Atyaho Atyahe Ataho Ataho Atyaho Atyahe Ataho Ataho A-T-Y-A-O A-T-Y-A-O Atta and coming into silent meditation.
Atyahu Atahu.
Amen.
Coming back from the stillness,
Bringing some movement to your body.
Taking a nice stretch.
May it be your will.
That we integrate this inner power we have to rest in the spaciousness of the silence,
To let the silence be our foundation upon which all the other elements of our lives are built within.
Amen.
Shalom.
I hope you've enjoyed this Torah of Awakening.
I'm Rabbi Brian Yosef Schachter-Brooks.
Until next time,
All blessings.
