Let's begin with the bell.
Just settling in.
Growing calm,
Finding stillness,
Noticing quiet,
And the small interruptions of quiet,
Whether it's shifting of your body,
Outdoor noises,
Squirrels and birds chittering,
Air conditioning,
Or heat running,
Mechanical sounds,
Natural sounds,
Just notice it all.
Sounds inside of you,
Maybe your stomach rumbling,
Or the volume of your breath going over your nose.
Just use your generous awareness to experience your world without judgment,
In an almost subconscious way.
Drawing in.
You get distracted,
You come back,
You get distracted,
You come back.
There is no life without the mind whirring and getting distracted,
And the work of meditation is just to still ourselves amid the passing weather.
Breathing deeper,
Exhaling slower,
As a reminder to calm down,
To chill out as they say.
You can even navigate that breath towards sore and tight spots,
Maybe in your spine or joints,
Or even in your head or face.
Caring for yourself,
That could even be one definition of meditation,
Just kind of caring for yourself.
Growing easy.
Notice the spaces within you that are withdrawn,
Covered up,
Stonewalled,
Or reserved.
It's okay,
We need protections,
We need evasions and reservations.
Human beings need defenses,
That's normal,
We learned them in childhood,
And some of them serve us still.
Notice where in your body you feel that shielding,
That covered-over-ness.
What's good about that?
Where might you want to draw down the shield,
Open the curtain,
So to speak?
Play with that possibility.
You might even feel it somewhere in your body,
A need for release.
Feel your breath and your blood.
Just feel it all,
Without doubt or questioning or judgment.
When you get distracted,
You come back.
Listen to my voice,
Notice your body and your breath.
Keep coming back.
Leaving is natural,
But coming back to the moment is the work of meditation as well.
Imagine your heart,
Or the space of your heart,
It could be the literal heart,
Under your ribs,
Or a metaphoric heart,
An internal space,
A private space,
A place unique to you.
The center of yourself and your compassion and love and passion.
However you understand the word heart.
Draw your breath there,
Inhaling deeply,
Exhaling slowly,
And giving it space.
Just noticing.
Maybe the heart wants to open a little,
Expand.
Become more vulnerable,
Even fragile and delicate.
Give it permission,
Invite it out.
No pressure,
Just possibility.
Openness.
Drawing in and letting it out,
Letting your heart shine and expand when it's ready.
Beyond your defenses.
Through your reservations.
As much as you want,
As much as you can,
As much as you need.
Not forcing.
Feel the heart drawn.
Hold out.
Feel the world calling to you,
To your heart.
Seeking you.
Inviting you to become greater and more aware.
Listen for it.
Attend to that possibility and notice it.
That the world desires you,
And desires your gifts and your calling.
All of your passions.
Feel yourself being pulled past your limitations,
Through your open heart,
Drawn outward into the world.
Called forward to a deeper and richer life.
Breathing expansively.
Inhaling deeply,
Exhaling slowly.
And feeling the world draw you out.
You are needed.
You are loved.
You are important.
Blessings.
