Expanding Appreciation

Learn how to deepen your experience of being in the state of appreciation. Commitment 7 of the 15 commitments of conscious leadership

Transcript

As we begin this meditation on commitment number seven, Appreciation, I invite you to allow your attention to come down and in. This simply means bring your attention to the space in the center of your torso. Your attention is something that you can move from one place to another. You can imagine having your attention out ten feet in front of you. If there's an object out there ten feet, What's it like to place your attention on that object? And then imagine bringing your attention to something that's about 18 inches in front of you as though you were reading a book. And then bring your attention to a point in the center of your torso about midway between your, The front of your body and the back of your body, And between your neck and your pelvic floor. We call this bringing the attention down and in. So often our attention is up in the head and out into space or into the future or into the past. Presencing is allowing your attention to be here now. So just find that spot at the center of your torso and rest your attention there. You might even notice that as you bring your attention down and in, There's a quiet that arises to meet you. This quiet, This spaciousness or imperturbability is actually always here, Always now. It's just that the mind gets more interested in things that are up and out. So as you bring the attention down and in, Often you find a peace just by the placement of your attention. Now in this month's meditation, We're going to do a simple practice of appreciation. Appreciation is another attention move. Whenever we choose appreciation, We're choosing to place our attention in a certain way. Again, The mind often hijacks our attention and takes it to something we don't like, Something we want to change, Maybe something we're complaining about or blaming ourselves or others about. Certainly our attention goes to things that we're worrying about or regretting. In appreciation, We consciously choose to place our attention on something we're appreciating, Just like you consciously choose to bring your attention down and in to that point at the center of your torso. So to do this practice, Simply allow your attention to find one thing in this present moment that you appreciate. Now don't make this too complicated. You might appreciate the feeling of support that you're receiving from the chair you're sitting in. Or you might appreciate the temperature of the room that you're in or the cool breeze on your face if you're outside. You might appreciate a place in the body that feels spacious and relaxed and open. You might appreciate the sound of a bird or the gentle hum of your heating or ventilation system. Just allow yourself to place your attention on one thing you appreciate that's occurring actually in this now moment. And as you rest your attention on that which you appreciate, Simply allow yourself to experience the appreciation. You might notice how appreciation is showing up in the body. Where do you feel the appreciation in the body? Is it in the heart space? Is it in the belly or the abdomen, The pelvis? It could be different for everyone. Just notice where you're experiencing appreciation in the body and welcome that. As best you can, Just open fully to the direct experience of appreciation. And then let the appreciation flow through you. Let it go. So often we try to hold on to something we appreciate as though it's precious and irreplenishable. And if we let it go, There won't be anything to take its place. But as we practice consciousness, We notice that if we're willing to place our attention in the now moment on something we appreciate, There's a constant source of appreciation that arises. We don't have to hold on to an old appreciation, Even appreciation that's one minute old or five minutes old. We can let it go and we can find the next appreciation. So go ahead and do that. Check in this now moment and find something about this moment you're appreciating. Again, Look especially for any sounds or any images if your eyes are open. Maybe you're appreciating the tree outside your window or the face of someone sitting across from you in the bus. Or maybe there's a picture on your table of a loved one. Maybe there's a sound that you're appreciating or a sensation in the body. Just find something in this moment you're appreciating. And again, Breathe with that appreciation and allow yourself to feel the appreciation in the body. And feel it all the way through to completion. There's no hurry here. You can take your time to experience appreciation. And then when you're ready, If you haven't already, Just let that appreciation go. No clutching or clenching. No attachment. Just let it float through. And now we're going to broaden it out just a little bit. Allow yourself to place your attention on one thing in your life that you currently appreciate. One thing that's happening right now in that story that bears your name called your life. Don't work at this too hard. Just take the first thing that arises. And that might be a relationship that you're appreciating or an opportunity, An experience. It might be that you're simply appreciating the freedom you're currently experiencing in your life. Just let come into consciousness one thing about your life that you're appreciating. And now go ahead and let the image of that play in your mind's eye. Go ahead and see it. If there's sound that accompanies this thing that you're appreciating, Hear the sounds. So let the images and the sounds come up. And as they arise, Let the body feel appreciation. And again, Just notice where you're sensing appreciation in the body. It might be in the way you're breathing. It might be in. . . Sometimes it's an effervescent kind of bubbliness that rises up the front of the body or tingling on the back of the neck. Sometimes it's just a quiet, Peaceful spaciousness. However this appreciation is showing up in your body, Just welcome it. Allow it to be here. Breathe with it. And then when this wave of appreciation has completed itself, Just let it dissipate. Let it release. Let it go. Almost like a wave that builds and crescendos and then kind of releases itself onto the shore. Just let the appreciation release itself. And come back to presence. Come back to the down and in spot in your torso. And then we'll do one final appreciation. For this appreciation, Think about something in your life story that you actually would like to be different. Something that you'd like to change. And go ahead and allow that situation or relationship to play in your mind. See the pictures and hear the sounds. And actually allow yourself to welcome that you want it to be different than it is. You want it to change. It might be a person you want to be different than they are or you want them to change. It could be something about yourself you want to be different. You want to change. Or about a situation. Just let the movie play. See it. Hear it. And again, Just welcome that you want it to be different. And then see if you'd be willing to find one thing about the situation just the way it is that you'd be willing to appreciate. This doesn't mean that you don't want it to be different or you don't want it to change. See if you can find one thing about the relationship or the occurrence, The situation that you could appreciate for it being just the way it is. And when that one thing arises, See that in your mind's eye. Allow the experience of appreciation for it being just the way it is. Allow that to be experienced in the body. Again, Just noticing where you feel the appreciation in the body. And welcoming it. And then when you're ready, If it hasn't already, Just let that wave of appreciation, Small as it might be, Complete itself. Let it release. Go ahead and let go of it. And come back to center, Connecting with that point that's down and in. This tri-fold practice of appreciation can be done throughout your day. First, Find something in the actual now moment that you appreciate. That's always going to be a sensory experience, Like a smell. Maybe you appreciate the smell of the freshly brewed coffee or the smell of the fir tree that's here right now. It could be a sound, It could be an image or a picture. It could be a sensation in the body, Something that's being felt, But it's in the now moment. Start there and appreciate that. And then step two, Think of something about your life that you appreciate. And let yourself experience the appreciation in the body. These don't need to be big things, They can be very little things. Like you appreciate having a wonderful bicycle that transports you in a wonderful way to work each day. And then third, Think of something about your life you want to change or want to be different. And then see if you can find one thing about that situation that you can appreciate for it being just the way it is. And in all three cases, Feel the appreciation in the body. You want to ground the appreciation in the body. Breathe with it, As though you're just giving it space. As though the breath is like billows on embers, Kind of welcoming the fire of appreciation. And then don't try to hold on to it or stay attached to it. Just let it ripple through the body and let it go. Come back to center and do the practice again. This appreciation meditation is a delightful way to apply commitment number seven of the 15 commitments. Enjoy.

Reviews

What a wonderfully simple and grounding practise. Thank you

I loved this & appreciate you sharing it with us. Thank you 🙏🏾💛

Awesome new practice. I already practice daily and moment-by-moment appreciation, but this meditation taught me to let the feeling of appreciation come and go in the body, like an ocean wave against a cliff. I love having this additional focus!!

Truly delightful to listen to. Thank you very much.

Brilliant. Also, read the 15 Commitments if you haven’t heard of it. Life changer.