Let's get comfortable.
I am going to invite the bells,
And I would like you to focus on the sound of the bells as well as you can.
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And if you feel comfortable doing so,
And if it's safe to do so,
Close your eyes and just relax a little bit more.
This is your time.
Give yourself full permission to be here.
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And we're going to take three deep breaths together in a moment.
But I invite you to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
And make the out breath just a little bit longer than your in breath.
So here we go.
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And now,
Just let your breath settle back into its natural rhythm.
As you get more and more comfortable.
More and more relaxed.
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And I would like you to bring your awareness to what's currently going on in your mind.
What's coming up for you as you rest and shift from the doing mode to the being mode.
Just have a little exploration through your mind.
What shows up?
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It may be a lot,
It may be a little.
It could be comments people have made.
It could be things on your to-do list.
It could be anything.
Don't judge it.
Let it all come up.
And strike up a gentle conversation with your mind.
And tell it that you've got this.
This is your time.
Thank your mind for being busy,
For doing the work.
But there is no need to be overly busy right now.
Hi mind,
I love you.
I've got this.
Thank you.
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And even if you're an experienced meditator,
The mind is always sending you information.
Always ruminating,
Always busy.
That's all good.
But right now,
We invite the mind to slow down.
Not shut down,
Slow down.
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There is a very beautiful word called Samatha.
And it's a Buddhist word,
It's a Buddhist concept.
And what it really means is concentration.
And it's about calming down the mind enough so that we can concentrate and appreciate this present moment.
And there are many ways to do that.
You can use your senses to fully embody this moment.
Your senses can keep you grounded in the now.
Or you can focus on your breath,
Which will always anchor you in the now moments.
Samatha taming the wild horses in our mind.
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Just be fully wrapped in this beautiful moment.
It is the only moment that matters.
It is the only moment that is.
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Be with yourself.
Be with the most precious person in this world.
And that is you.
So be with yourself.
With the beginner's mind.
As if you are meeting yourself for the first time.
This calm version of yourself.
And experience what the calm version of you can offer you.
Be with yourself.
Without judgment.
Judgment belongs to the doing mode.
We are now in the being mode.
Experience yourself judgment-free.
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Be with yourself.
And call back those parts of you that you have somehow been giving away,
Consciously or unconsciously.
Parts that really belong to you.
Call back your power.
Call back your joy.
Call back your uniqueness.
Be with yourself.
I invite you to place one hand on your heart gently and with the greatest respect for your own body.
And the other hand on your belly.
Feel that uniqueness.
There is no other body on this planet doing this in the exact same way that you are breathing.
You are you.
And we're going to invite trust into the dialogue.
The dialogue between you and you.
For it is time to restore more trust in yourself.
Trust in your uniqueness.
Trust in your skills.
Trust in your mind.
Trust in your heart.
Trust in your body.
And trust in the people you connect with on all the very many different levels in your life.
Comfortable or uncomfortable.
Trust that every person has something of value to bring to you.
Something they can teach you.
Trust the learning.
And trust the trusting.
I'm going to give you a few moments to fully appreciate what being with yourself can really feel like.
Falling awake more and more to your uniqueness.
And not a single word that we shared today was exaggerated.
All this is true for you.
And during meditation we remind ourselves of these important truths.
We make time an energetic space.
This lifetime,
This journey,
Your path,
An incredible experience.
It is not always easy and it is certainly not always straightforward,
But when you call back your courage,
And your power,
And your authenticity,
Things become a lot easier.
And you deserve that.
So remember that.
And in a few moments I'm going to ring the bells and I invite you to gently bring yourself back to the room and open your eyes.
So thank you for your practice.
It's been an honor and a joy to spend this beautiful moment with you.
I trust it has been helpful.
Thank you for your presence.
Bye for now.
