We just sit still,
Setting into the moment,
Just falling into all that is natural and good and sad and bad and optimistic and curious and mysterious and all the things we cannot know in this lifetime.
All that is beyond,
All that is within,
Just falling into that moment of presence,
A spiritual maturity and a generous awareness.
And we breathe,
Deepen our breath,
Deepen our awareness,
Deepen our sense of relaxation and love for self.
Taking a moment to acknowledge the preciousness of life and existence,
And that life can be difficult.
It does have pain and often suffering,
But it is an incredible gift to exist.
Just these hours,
Days,
Years or decades of existence can be enough if we can be grateful.
Not easy.
And it's very fragile and so large at the same time.
Breathe into all of that possibility.
Everything that is right now is so sweet,
So pure,
And the truth emerges from the experience and beauty.
Just breathing,
Just holding on to the precious moments.
The universe calls to us and we respond,
Extend our existence to the existence of all things,
Feel it all interpenetrating.
Maybe you need to yawn or stretch or exhale,
Salah.
Whatever works for you.
Hold your breath,
Giggle,
Sneeze.
Whatever your body needs,
Whatever your spirit is calling for,
Give it to yourself.
Be loving and kind.
And forgive yourself.
Let it all go.
All the dumb stuff.
All the people who have poked you or prodded you or put ice in your bed.
Those silly and irrelevant experiences that vex you,
You can forgive.
Or you can stay angry.
I don't know what that would do for you,
But you could try it.
Just breathing,
Just letting go.
And remembering your thoughts aren't going to turn off.
Even when you're asleep,
Your thoughts are running.
They're just running in a haphazard way that creates dreams.
So you're just starting to let go of logic and coherence.
Drifting into something almost psychedelic,
Bizarre.
You forgive,
Or try to.
Yourself and everyone who's nudged you and elbowed you,
Spat on you or cursed you.
You can hold on to the resentment,
But it doesn't take you anywhere interesting.
And then you know that if bad things have prodded you,
You have done things to other people.
Because that's who we are.
Just bulls in china shops,
Bumbling and fumbling and banging into people.
Just say,
Excuse me,
I'm sorry.
Learn the lesson,
And when you're ready,
Move on.
May that be acceptable.
And as you stretch and yawn and exhale,
Salah.
If your eyes get heavy or a little grainy,
Maybe the light starts to dim.
Or your thoughts start to dissipate,
Wander.
Let your eyelids get heavy.
Let your body get heavy and just sink into gravity.
Sweet.
Excellent.
The light of the whole world is fading around you.
So we take a moment to acknowledge the unity of all creation.
That everything flows out of a oneness and a single mystery that preceded the Big Bang.
That all of existence is a coherent and unique thing.
Unshared and indivisible.
I hope that fills you with love.
And a sense of connection to things greater than yourself.
And you might feel that love at any moment of the day.
You get up when you lie down.
When you walk,
When you sit.
Just connecting to what is pure and beyond.
Heavenly.
And you are protected.
You are sheltered.
You have a refuge and a trust.
Nothing can harm you right now.
Wrapped over in a giant shield.
And covered by eagle's wings.
Nothing to fear.
No evil will befall you.
No plague.
Just the good and the great will surround you.
Lift you up.
And you will be strengthened through rest and sleep.
Freed and sated and honored.
We take a deep breath and answer SELAH.
Responding to the mystery.
Responding to all.
We lie down in peace.
So that we can get up peacefully.
And offer peace to the world around us.
We are sheltered with peace.
And good counsel.
Holiness and wholeness.
When we go out,
When we come in.
When we go out from a conscious day and when we come back in.
After we have rested.
For now we just drift.
In the promise of dreams.
In the hand of a greater universe.
Committing our soul.
Breathing,
Stretching,
Sinking.
Just relaxing into gravity.
Your bed,
Your couch,
Your chair.
Wherever you are.
Just falling in and sinking into yourself.
And through the earth.
You can feel the presence of great and good forces.
Sensing them all around.
Spirit guardians.
Great and good forces that were there for our ancestors.
And great and good forces that will endure and protect those after us.
Just breathing.
Taking a deeper breath when you get distracted.
And exhaling more slowly when you get lost.
And if you start to sleep,
That's good too.
And the universe is sending you blessings and protection.
Just swallow it in,
Take it up.
Blessing and protection.
May it be so.
And the universe is shining its face upon you to give you grace.
Light and grace.
Radiating towards you.
Whatever that means to you.
And the universe looks your way.
Turns towards you.
And offers you the gift of wholeness and peace.
Deepest harmony.
Can you accept these gifts?
Great and good and wondrous forces all around.
During the day we have questions.
Doubts,
Concerns.
Ambivalence.
Uncertainty.
Those are good things.
It's good to wonder and be curious.
But maybe it's not something that's useful for sleeping.
So we can put all our questions on our right side.
Down with the great and good force who will take care of and shepherd our questions.
And during the day we wrestle.
We combat.
We do sports.
We hike.
We lift things.
We strain emotionally.
And all that vigor is so wonderful.
But now it's time to relax.
So we can put our energy at our left side.
With the great and good force responsible for vigor and restlessness.
And a great and good force shines a night light ahead of us.
Beyond our toes.
And behind our head.
A great and good force of healing.
To soothe our egos and sensitivities and tears and grief.
And wounded bodies,
Sore muscles.
Spiritually and biologically a value of sleep.
To be restored.
And above us the greatest mystery of all,
Life.
The power of life and being.
Let it suffuse you.
Any last actions,
Any stretches.
Exhaling with fella.
Yawning.
Seeing if you can get any muscles to pop or open.
Or maybe you're already asleep.
And I'm just talking to myself.
That's great.
And the world is so full.
Expansive and infinite and ultimate.
And existed long before us.
And will be sustained long after us.
And our troubles are important and small.
In the loving hand of this universe.
Carried without beginning,
Without end.
Without compare.
It was,
It is,
And it will be.
And we can leave our body and spirit in the hand of a loving universe of nothing to fear.
Nothing to fear.
