So take a posture that's comfortable,
Upright,
And also relaxed.
Rest the hands in your lap or on your knees,
Wherever is comfortable.
Allow the breath to be natural and then begin turning the awareness towards the breath.
If and when the mind wanders,
Treat what arises with kindness,
Without judgment,
Letting go of the thoughts gently and then simply returning to breath awareness.
Now let's consider the air in each inhale,
Thinking about how much oxygen comes from plants and trees.
As they release oxygen,
We are able to breathe,
Survive,
And thrive.
As we exhale,
The carbon dioxide in turn fulfills their needs,
At least some of them.
We are breathing in the forest,
And the forests are breathing in the animal world.
Interconnection,
Interdependence,
Through every inhale and every exhale.
I invite you now to turn your attention to what you are sitting upon,
Whether it's a cushion,
A chair,
Or the floor.
Allow the body to feel the connection,
The support.
You are not falling,
You're being held,
And not just by the cushion itself,
But by the building,
The ground,
The earth.
Who made this cushion,
Grew and harvested the buckwheat inside,
Cut down the trees,
Turned them into lumber,
And built this house?
The people that took these materials and combined with their effort and their energy are supporting us today,
At this very moment.
Interconnection,
As we sit,
On what we sit.
Turn now,
If you will,
Your attention to what you have consumed today.
Nourishment with food,
Hydration with water.
These bodies we inhabit require both food and water to live and thrive.
Yet,
We most likely did not grow our food or fetch and purify our water today.
Hundreds,
Maybe thousands of people are connected to what we consumed today alone,
If we could trace back to the origin of everything we ate or drank.
And even with this being so important,
Most of us could not name a single person involved in the growing of our food or making our water safe to drink.
In every direction of our lives,
We are supported by multitudes.
Consider the millions and billions of people,
Animals,
Insects,
And plants that have helped,
Nourished,
And supported you in your lifetime.
Imagine being on the International Space Station,
Looking out that window,
And having the realization that we are connected,
In one way or another,
To everything and everyone.
And with that understanding,
We try to open our heart towards all of them,
Offering thanks for their efforts,
Even though they don't know you,
Even though they will never meet you.
And then try and imagine all the beings that you have somehow helped or supported,
Both knowingly and unknowingly.
And you can let the contemplations go,
And pay attention to what's present in the heart now,
Or what you notice in the body.
