Okay,
Welcome.
Welcome to today's meditation.
Go ahead and settle in.
In a moment I'll ring the bell and that'll be the signal to begin this meditation.
Go ahead and take your posture.
Sitting upright,
Relaxed but alert.
Okay,
Go ahead and take a moment to arrive in your space.
Begin by bringing the attention inward into the body.
Take a moment to recognize the seated position.
Begin to sense the body.
Sense the upright posture.
Perhaps sensing the chair seat cushion beneath you.
Your feet resting on the floor,
The ground supporting your weight.
Take a moment to soften and relax the face,
The eyes,
The cheeks and jaw.
Take a moment to relax the arms.
Allow the neck and shoulders to drop.
Let the arms feel heavy.
Not resisting gravity,
Just letting the arms hang freely.
Softening the lower back.
Relaxing and releasing any excess tension you might be holding in the body if you notice any tight spots.
See if you can allow them to soften.
Imagine releasing those muscles and then just being with whatever remains.
Softening the belly,
Relaxing the hands.
And when you're ready,
Begin to bring your attention to your breath.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Connecting to the feel of the breath.
Feeling the breath falling into the body.
Flowing through the nasal passages,
Through the windpipe into the lungs.
Maybe noticing movement at the rib cage,
The abdomen,
The belly button.
This breath is a reminder of our connection to the earth and all other living beings.
Like an umbilical cord.
This breath connects us to Mother Earth.
Breathing in,
Breathing out.
Feeling the natural rhythm of the breath.
Allowing the wisdom of the body to dictate how quickly or slowly we're breathing.
Just allowing the body to breathe itself.
Not trying to make it any particular way.
Feeling the breath coming in,
Feeling the breath coming out.
I'm going to be silent for the next minute or so just so you can connect to the breath.
Be Office Word 7 rotate the body.
Okay.
Very good.
I'm going to now open up the attention now,
Creating a sense of spacious awareness.
Still aware of the breath.
Now letting the breath fall into the background,
Opening our attention up to whatever is arising now.
Aware of all of our senses and in this context,
Thoughts are also a type of sense.
Aware of thoughts,
Thinking,
Aware of sounds,
Hearing,
Feelings in the body,
Maybe a smell,
Maybe a taste in the mouth,
An emotion,
A fleeting feeling.
Just noticing it all coming,
Going,
Arising and passing away.
Trying to see this is the nature of our experience,
Phenomena arising,
Perhaps lingering and then fading away,
Moment by moment.
Getting and going like clouds in the sky,
Like ocean waves.
Let's see if you can begin to welcome.
This phenomena,
Whatever phenomena,
Like a welcome house guest that you've invited to your home.
Can I get on the way in?
Hello?
Okay,
Now we're going to take a final minute to practice our metta or loving kindness practice.
Let's take a moment to direct a moment of loving kindness to ourselves.
May I be safe,
May I be well,
May I be happy May I be free of suffering.
May I be safe,
May I be well.
May I be happy,
May I be free of suffering May I be safe,
May I be well,
May I be happy.
May I be free of suffering.
Take a moment to offer our loved ones a moment of loving kindness.
May loved ones be safe.
May they be well.
May they be happy.
May they be free of suffering.
May my loved ones be safe.
May they be well.
May they be happy.
Maybe free of suffering May my loved ones be safe.
May they be well.
May they be happy.
May they be free of suffering.
And now wishing distant beings,
Strangers,
Even some of the more challenging people in our life.
Taking a moment to direct love and kindness outwards to all,
Including all non-human beings.
May all beings be safe.
May they all be well.
May they all be happy.
May they all be free of suffering.
May all beings be safe.
May they all be well.
May they all be happy.
May they all be free of suffering.
And finally,
May all beings be safe.
May they all be well.
May they all be happy.
May they all be free of suffering.
May all beings one day be free.
Thank you for joining us for today's meditation.
I hope you can come back.
Be well.
