The theme of today's meditation is nourishment.
So begin by allowing the body to be as comfortable as possible.
If for you meditation often means sitting in an upright position,
Focusing in some way on being as still as possible,
Having good posture,
For this meditation you might choose to lie down.
You might choose to be fully supported by the earth,
Surrendering the attention to the nourishment of rest.
If it feels safe for you to do so,
You might close your eyes.
So now applying as little effort as possible to being here and awake.
Begin by feeling the nourishment of gravity.
Sometimes we take for granted that it actually takes no effort.
Tethered to the earth,
Connected to the earth the way we are.
Gravity lovingly holding us in this realm.
Feel now the nourishment of gravity as you allow yourself to be held.
Feel the way the mind nourishes.
So bring your attention to this miraculous capacity to string insights together.
To see patterns in thought and behavior.
To articulate your experience.
And let yourself be nourished by the mind's capacity to think.
To name what's happening.
To have language.
Awareness itself,
Of course,
Is what is aware of patterns,
For example.
But the mind is what can say,
Ah,
That's familiar.
That relates to my childhood.
I don't have to do that anymore.
I can employ my practice of letting go.
So feeling nourished in this moment by perhaps even thanking the mind.
In so many meditation practices,
There can be a subtle sense of,
I need to get rid of the thinking mind.
In this practice,
We're appreciating the mind.
And now bringing attention to the space right below the navel,
You're feeling radar.
The place from which you sense the emotional tenor of a room.
Let yourself be nourished by your capacity to feel.
There might be strong emotions present.
Your emotional life might be particularly quiet right now.
Perhaps something in between.
No matter what's here,
Pausing to rest in the miraculousness of having the capacity to feel.
To recognize our non-separateness with others.
Based on this indicator,
You hurt,
I feel something.
You are experiencing joy,
I feel something.
This miraculous capacity to feel.
And now letting yourself be nourished by the heart of awareness.
Bringing attention to this place of possibility.
This open,
Empty space full of possibility.
Ever alive with being.
Letting yourself be fully nourished now.
By the heart of awareness.
And the heart of being.
Surrender to the nourishment.
It's present.
It's here as we let go.
As we rest.
As we are.
Being nourished by being.
Letting go.
And then bringing your attention to the breath.
Being nourished by breathing.
Notice the lack of effort needed to simply breathe.
Feel the way you are held,
Taken care of,
In the breath,
By the breath.
You are nourished.
You are nourished.
And then gently beginning to wiggle the fingers and the toes.
And the muscles of the face.
And closing out this contemplation by taking three of the longest and deepest inhalations and exhalations you've taken yet today.
Thank you.
