Let's begin with a bell.
Settling into our own bodies,
Our own health,
Our own self-care.
Any anxieties or joys that float around in our sense of self,
In the depth of our body.
Aches and pains,
Strengths and releases,
Whatever you notice,
Whatever you are beginning this meditation with,
Embodied.
Drawing breath in deeply and out slowly.
Feeding your muscles and bones and sinews and organs with nurturing oxygen.
As if you could will healing,
Releasing from stress,
Going deeper into quiet and stillness.
You might close your eyes if you haven't already.
Settling into the most comfortable position for your body,
Letting everything droop,
Giving in or giving up.
Taking a pause from the external day and just coming inward.
Moving from thinking to sensing,
A generous awareness and a noticing.
That's all this needs to be.
You could yawn or stretch,
Fidget,
Adjust.
Taking care of your body,
Noticing what it needs.
And grateful that you're giving yourself this time for a little support,
A little self-love.
Grace and kindness.
Attending to yourself and your wishes and your needs.
Body and spirit indivisible and commanding your attention.
What do you notice?
What do you need?
What can you give to yourself?
How could you be more supportive,
More kind to yourself?
Breathe into that.
Just sense it.
You might not have words or images or facts.
Just know that you can give yourself more as we move on.
Feel that concern for self.
Breathing deeply,
Exhaling slowly,
Coming back when you're distracted as we always get distracted.
Such is our fate to be distracted.
That's okay.
We're going to expand our circle of attention to include our friends and family.
Drawing outward to those we love.
Imagining giving more,
Looking out more carefully for them.
Those who are family by blood,
Those who are chosen family.
What can we offer?
How can we be more expansive?
How could we stretch our attention and our care out to those we love?
Perhaps even some that we are estranged from.
Can we open a window or a door for them to return?
Can we open ourselves to those we love?
Breathe into that possibility.
Be aware of that potential.
To give more,
To share more,
To be more.
You get distracted,
You come back.
You get distracted,
You come back.
Listen to my voice.
Breathe deeply.
Find your seat.
Just use a sensory cue to come back to this meditation at this moment.
Stretch,
Yawn,
Relax.
Expand your circle of concern to your town,
City,
Community.
Those around,
Those like you,
Those who disagree with you.
Those you see often,
Those you just see at the grocery store.
All the people who make you feel good.
Make up your immediate community.
Send love,
Affection,
Caring,
And attention outward towards those in this broader circle of community,
Homes,
Network.
Breathe in for them,
Breathe out for them.
Imagine ways you could be more expansive and open and giving.
When you walk,
When you drive,
When you sit.
Would you be more ready for those around you?
Breathing in deeply,
Out slowly,
And expanding your circle of concern.
Caring for self,
Caring for family and friends,
Caring for community.
You will certainly get distracted in this meditation.
You will just come back.
Use my voice as a tether.
Use your breath.
The positioning of your body.
Just notice what is real and immediate and sensory,
And what is just real and immediate.
Cognition and neurons moving at random,
Spiraling,
Fixating.
Coming back.
Breathing deeply,
Letting your care and concern expand and expand.
From self,
To family and friends,
To community,
And then even broader still,
Nation and world.
All those people you can't see.
They agree with you.
They don't agree with you.
They look like you.
They don't.
They pray like you.
They pray differently.
They eat spicier or less spicy foods.
Barely at the edge of your imagination of what human existence could be.
Extend your consciousness,
And your openness,
And your love even that far.
It won't be easy,
But it is possible.
Breathing,
Sending your concern,
Sending your attention far and wide.
To all those in need.
To all who are vulnerable or undefended.
Send kindness and care.
Continuing to breathe deeply as you send waves and currents of kindness and attention.
Outward and outward,
As if to guide you.
Infinity.
Stretching yourself,
And all that you give,
All that you are.
From body,
To self,
To family,
To friends,
Community,
Nation,
World,
And on and on.
Blessings.
