So just bring yourself here into this present moment and imagine that you can just move from your head down into your heart.
So often we are like these floating heads,
Disconnected and disembodied.
So just make that gentle journey from the head into the heart and the head into the rest of the body.
So breathe in and then just breathe out.
You can release that breath,
That exhalation down into the earth.
I'll just do this a few times and when you breathe in,
Just breathe in naturally.
You don't have to force anything and just breathe out and imagine that you're just exhaling down into the earth and just make a connection to the earth,
Mother Earth.
Wherever you may be,
You are on the earth and this earth has supported you from the very moment you arrived here.
Whatever happens in life,
This earth will always be here for you.
She will always offer you her unconditional presence and support.
Now I'm gonna invite you to just connect with your body.
This body that is made of this flesh and blood and bone but also something so much greater than that.
So let us do a very very simple scan of our body and the intention of this is to simply look with love at these different places in our body and allow our body to relax just through our own presence and awareness.
So if you like,
You can just put your attention at the very top of your head and imagine that all of the hair follicles,
All of the pores in the top of your head are just relaxing.
You can imagine that they're like a clenched fist that is just opening in the sunlight,
Relaxing your scalp and relaxing the top of your head.
Imagine that you can just breathe through the top of your head in and out,
Just softening this brain,
This mind,
This head that works so hard and then bring your own awareness,
Your own attention down into your eyes.
You can connect to your forehead and if there's any squinting of your eyes or squinting your forehead just allow it to just become soft and relaxed.
Let your eyes rest in their sockets and just let your eyes relax.
Soften your ears.
Our ears are like a very feminine organ.
They can only be receptive to sound.
You can't go out and get it,
You just have to receive it.
Imagine the depths of your ear canal just relaxing,
Softening your throat,
Your jaw,
All of the muscles around your mouth and your nose,
Just letting them just be soft.
We hold so much tension these little places in our face that we're not aware of.
Just look at them with the light of awareness,
Allow them to soften.
The key,
Like any meditation practice,
Is to just observe without any judgment,
Without any labels or any opinions.
Just to look and just say,
I see you,
I see you,
I see you my throat.
Send this love and attention and awareness to your throat,
Imagining that all the muscles in your throat are just softening,
That more space is being created.
Allow that space to extend down into your chest.
Allow all of the muscles in your chest going into your shoulders and down your arms to just become more soft.
Let go of that rigidity.
Awareness is like the sunlight in the late afternoon,
A golden light.
It's really easy to be in that light.
So just let that light pour on you,
Let that light fill you,
All the way down your arms through your fingertips.
Let that light fill your heart,
The muscles of your heart.
Just send that awareness,
That deep relaxation down into your diaphragm and into your belly,
Home to so many precious organs.
Breathe into your belly and just offer love to all of the organs,
Imagining that as you offer that love,
That more space is being created.
Imagine all of the organs in your belly just harmoniously and peacefully coexisting together,
With lots of space to breathe,
With lots of light.
And sending that awareness up and down your spine and into your pelvic bowl,
Creating space.
And allow that awareness to go all the way down your legs,
Out your feet,
Whatever way you want to envision that.
And just make a connection to the root,
To the lower part of your body.
And now let us feel and sense that all the tissues in our body,
All through our whole body,
Are full of a light.
You can imagine it all the way down to the subatomic level,
That your whole being,
Every atom of your being,
Is radiating and pulsating with some kind of light.
And that light is very,
Very sacred.
That light that makes up this body is worthy of our greatest,
Greatest respect and caring.
This body that we have contains all the mysteries of the whole universe.
In the tantric philosophy,
Our physical body is like a microcosm for the greater whole.
All of the mysteries of existence,
All of the beautiful things in this cosmos,
They are contained here in this body.
So let us love this body and treat this body with respect,
Knowing that as we do that,
We are also caring for the earth.
As we tend to these bodies,
We help the waters in the world flow clean and pure.
As we see ourselves through the eyes of reverence,
We help the forests to be healthy and strong.
With our own mind,
We may not understand this connection.
But deep inside,
That knowing is inherent in us.
It's an ancient knowing.
So just take a moment to offer some gratitude to this body,
To the feminine presence in this body.
Feminine qualities,
Extend that to yourself.
Compassion and empathy,
Understanding,
Love,
Patience,
Care.
Extend that to yourself.
See if you can have the feeling or the sense that your being,
Your own being,
Is very sacred.
Whatever that means to you.
When you have something sacred,
How would you treat that thing?
How would you see that thing?
How would you talk to it?
How would you be with it?
Can you be that way with yourself?
Let us feel the presence of this ancient mother,
The source of life that birthed us here,
That carries us,
That is with us always in every cell,
Telling us,
Reminding us to love,
To be kind,
To care for ourselves,
For this temple that our soul resides in.
May we all see ourselves through the eyes of love,
Like a mother sees a child.
May we all treat ourselves with reverence and respect,
Knowing that it begins with us.
If we can see ourselves through those eyes,
Then we can see one another through those eyes.
And we can see the earth that way too.
Thank you.
