Start by finding a stable supported seat.
If it's available to you,
You might sit near a fire or light a candle nearby.
You might sit on the floor or in a chair with your seat grounded firmly into the surface beneath you.
Let your awareness move through the body,
Making any adjustments to find greater ease.
Let the spine be long,
The body supported.
You might soften your gaze or if you prefer you might close your eyes.
Finding stillness,
Finding awareness of your body,
Resting,
Supported and easeful.
Drawing your awareness to the fire element,
Agni,
In your environment.
The solar warmth that emanates from the sun.
The geothermal warmth that rises from deep in the earth.
The systems that heat your home and your water.
The stove where you cook your meals.
Perhaps you have a fireplace in your home or yard.
Sending your awareness to the fire element in your physical body,
To your belly,
To the digestive process that transforms food into energy that nourishes and warms your body.
And becoming aware of the fire element in your subtle body.
The processing of sensory input that allows you to understand what is happening in your environment,
Your ability to reason,
Your knowledge,
Your intelligence.
And begin to direct your awareness back to your belly.
Inhaling deep into the lungs,
Sensing the belly expand.
Exhaling sensing the belly contract.
Gently massaging the digestive system.
Inhaling stoking the flame.
Exhaling into awareness of heat and transformation.
Inhaling awareness of the light,
Dry qualities of fire.
Exhaling sensing fires warm spreading throughout your body.
Exhaling and holding that sense of connection to your fire element,
Gently allow your awareness to come to rest on your natural breath.
Riding the rise of the inhale,
Pause at the top,
Fall of the exhale and the pause at the bottom.
Exhaling and falling,
Connecting body and breath.
Exhaling and exhaling.
And gradually begin to extend the length of the exhale.
Allowing each out breath to be longer and slower than each in breath.
Exhaling and falling.
Exhaling and falling.
Now gently allowing the breath to find its natural rhythm.
You might bring one hand to your heart center and offer yourself any words of inspiration and peace that your heart is calling for.
I am intelligent.
I am radiant.
I am passionate.
I am passionate.
Drawing your awareness back to the physical body resting on the earth and gradually deepening the breath.
And if your eyes were closed,
Slowly blinking them open to take in the space around you.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you be safe.
May you be peaceful.
Thank you for sharing your practice with me.
