Just taking a few moments just to relax.
Getting yourself comfortable whether you want to see it or lie down,
Just practice.
As you're getting yourself comfortable maybe you're already comfortable just bringing some attention into the body.
That sense of being.
Recognising that you're here,
Getting a sense of being supported.
You're noticing the shoulders,
The hips,
The legs,
The hands.
And just resting into those sensations.
Making some gentle adjustments if you're not quite comfortable.
And relaxing,
Resting.
And getting some of that attention now onto the movement of the breath.
Again it's not that idea of trying to follow or catch.
Just watching how the body breathes,
Let it do its thing.
You rest and notice and watch that movement.
Just watching that gentle flow in and flow out.
There's no control needed,
Just noticing.
Watching it change.
And just as I speak,
Just continuing to notice those momentary changes in the breath,
The sensation,
The movement,
The flow,
The warmth,
The calmness.
Just watching the movement as I continue to speak.
This practice today is just bringing some focus to some of the difficulties that's going on in Australia at the moment.
This practice is not about trying to get emotional,
It's ok to feel the emotion about the difficulties and the hardships as we begin to open up our heart towards those that are struggling.
We have that coherence,
That connection.
It's important not to get overwhelmed by it.
As Thich Nhat Hanh says,
You know,
If your heart is filled with anxiety,
How can you help?
That's why the breath is so important,
As you feel that emotion rise,
Meeting that emotion with fear or anxiety,
Just breathing with it.
Just for a few moments I just want you to recognise how many people could be coming together right now and imagining this sort of,
The whole world,
Maybe there's tens of thousands,
All coming together for one purpose and that's just to ease the suffering of those that are suffering.
Ease the suffering of those that are struggling in Australia,
Both human,
Animal or anything.
Maybe worry about the trees or the atmosphere.
Just imagining all these people sitting or lying down together.
Just imagining that in your mind.
If you can't imagine that,
Just maybe feel like as if you're just connecting with this global coherence.
Get this sense of sort of opening the heart towards all these other meditators,
Practitioners,
Spending some time focusing on compassion.
Just trying to connect with that,
Always having that breath there,
If you do find yourself getting carried away,
Just come back and watch that space around the breath,
Watch how it moves.
Just getting a sense of the power that you feel as all these people coming together at once,
The sole purpose to ease the difficulties,
Ease the suffering,
Bring compassion into this time of difficulty for all those people in Australia,
Those animals,
Trees,
Whatever.
As you're seeing all these people feeling,
All these people coming together,
Maybe you're hearing them,
You're hearing the voices of them really coming together and hoping.
I want you to try and imagine as all these meditators are coming together,
These big dark storm clouds start forming,
These big thunderous rain,
Monsoon rain clouds start forming over the fires.
And then just imagining maybe the sounds or the smells or visualising this rain pouring down onto these affected areas throughout Australia.
Like the heavens have just opened and this downpour of rain dousing these fires and falling onto those affected areas and just watching how it continues to rain and rain and rain and imagining this going on for days,
As much as is needed.
The rain soaking into the land,
Watching all these fires getting put out and then connecting with those firefighters and all those people in their homes,
All those people that have been displaced,
Wishing they could get back to their house.
Just watching them celebrate,
Full of joy and gratitude,
Just hands out touching that rain and feeling it running down their face.
And even noticing all the animals just looking up at the sky with thanks and gratitude,
This heavens opening and easing that difficulty.
And just connecting with that sense of wellbeing that every human deserves,
Those brave firefighters that are out there and just imagining them and their families welcoming them with open arms again after their dedication.
And now I want you to see if you can just let go of the image and I just want you to come back onto the breath,
I don't want you to focus on any fire or any rain,
You've done all that work,
You've done amazing.
I'm just now just bringing back that attention onto the breath and just watching that movement,
Easing that sense of,
Maybe there's a sense of anxiety that's there,
Breathing.
And we have one more thing we're going to do,
It's just a little bit of meta,
Just to send out to all those that are struggling at the moment.
And just as you're breathing I just want you to maybe bring some attention in around that heart area,
Almost like you can breathe directly into the heart,
Just feeling the heart expanding and contracting with each breath,
Almost like the heart can breathe.
Just breathing directly into the heart.
And don't worry about if you're not doing this perfectly,
Just the fact that you're doing that is amazing.
It doesn't need to be perfect,
It's this combined coherence,
All these people coming together at once.
And all you're trying to do now is breathe into the heart,
Letting it expand and contract.
And now I just want you to imagine as you're breathing into the heart,
Every breath is this breath of kindness,
And you breathe directly into it and you feel this kindness grow and grow,
And maybe this kindness could be associated with a colour.
You're breathing into the heart and this colour is growing and growing and growing.
Maybe it's gold,
Deep red,
Purple,
Whatever you're imagining,
Just seeing this ball of light just expanding and expanding and expanding until you're totally immersed in it,
You're almost like in this bubble,
This bubble of kindness that you breathe directly into the heart.
And you can feel and continue to feel this bubble just for the next few moments.
I'm going to share this bubble to all those that are affected.
And if you want to share it for people that are outside of Australia as well,
You're very welcome to,
There's no limit.
But just now I want you to imagine again all those meditators,
All these balls of light connecting again and then just firing this compassionate light towards all those who are struggling in Australia.
Not worrying about culture,
Not worrying about who,
Who deserves more or less.
You just imagine this light hitting Australia and covering Australia in this blanket of kindness.
And you're just continuing to breathe and this beam just gets stronger with every breath,
Thousands of people coming together to wish compassion towards these people that are struggling.
And then just offering some phrases,
It could be as simple as may you be happy.
And it's not that you're trying to change the circumstance that they're in,
But you're just wanting to sort of say to them,
I'm here.
May you be happy.
Or may you be healthy.
Or may you find peace.
You're just sending this kindness on towards them.
Imagine this beam of light blanketing Australia and that gift of compassion.
And may you be happy.
Or may you find that joy again.
May you find a reason to smile.
Maybe it's the rains as they pour down out of the sky and the gratitude that those,
That water will provide.
And then just leaving it there,
Letting that beam of light go from the heart.
Again,
Just softening the image,
Softening the vision,
Softening whatever you've got that's there.
And again,
Just noticing your breath,
Watching it breathe.
Noticing the lungs and the stomach as they feel and ease.
And just keep watching that breath.
Knowing that right now you've done everything that you can.
Breathing.
And then when you're ready,
Just allowing your eyes to open if they're not already.
Again,
Just taking a few more breaths as your eyes open.
Getting a sense of the body underneath you,
Around you,
Wherever you are.
The colours and the smells and the room,
The tastes.
And have an amazing rest of your day.
