Let's begin with the bell.
You're welcome to do this meditation standing,
Seated,
Or lying down.
Whatever posture is relaxing,
Opens you up to quiet and stillness and a meditative stance.
Whatever suits you.
I believe in making meditation as easy as possible.
Letting go of ideas that you're going to clear your mind or disappear.
You're just going to sit.
You might even get bored and learn to appreciate boredom.
That would be a fine thing.
When you get distracted,
Because you will get distracted,
That's the nature of the mind and brain.
To fire at random.
To move to and fro.
You could just return to my voice and the tempo and structure of this meditation.
You could cue yourself on your breath or even listen for your heartbeat.
We're continually returning from the cognitive to the sensory in meditation.
Start by getting heavy.
Just settling in.
Becoming part of the moment and the world around you.
And at the same time,
Retreating a little from it to become introspective and reflective.
Slowing down into a greater stillness,
A deeper quiet.
Never silent or completely unmoving.
Not possible in the living world.
Take a moment to be grateful for meditation and proud of yourself that you are making time and and space in your life for this kind of self-care.
This kind of awareness building.
It's good.
It's not easy to do and you are doing that.
Take a couple of deep breaths just to slow down,
Just to get deeper,
Just to relax.
And you guide the breath into tight spaces.
Body heavy,
Mind light.
Isn't that nice?
Always kind to yourself.
Always forgiving.
Using a generous awareness and floating around your body like a bird or a cloud or a vapor.
Just notice your body.
How are you doing?
Tight,
Stiff,
Energetic,
Sluggish,
Whatever.
Just take stock.
It's a good practice for getting anxious in a meeting or getting overwhelmed by tasks.
Just pause and take stock of your body.
How am I doing physically and spiritually?
Take a moment to think a strange and mysterious thought.
That everything that exists came from a singular origin.
And here's where I'm going to leave you.
Everything that exists came from a singular origin and shares a common structure of matter.
A common energy source.
Unified and united in a way we can barely perceive.
Breathe into that amazement.
Attend to it.
Notice the possibility that all things are still connected.
And that mind and body,
Spirit and matter are not different things.
That share a common origin and a common destiny.
All as one.
Breathe into that possibility,
Strange as it might seem.
As such an awareness might fill you with wonder or doubt,
Faithfulness or love.
We're going to focus on that joy and compassion towards the world.
Knowing that it all was once together and can be again.
Breathing,
Staying slow,
Mentally relaxed.
Thoughts will drift and you just come back to this meditation.
My voice,
Your body,
Breathing,
Pulse,
Whatever cue you need.
Come back.
No shame,
No embarrassment.
Send some of that universal love to self.
All that you are and all that you possess,
Literally and figuratively.
Everything that is you.
Know that it is loved by the universe and you love it as well.
Even if sometimes our thoughts are of self-loathing or anxiety,
There is love.
Take it in.
That deeper reality of connectedness.
And that deep connection.
Think about children,
Parents,
Siblings,
Family,
Friends,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Loved ones,
Friends and loved ones.
Could you model and demonstrate this kind of love and connection with them?
Even your pets.
Sending it out and letting it in.
Drawing it into the places you live and the places you work.
The buildings in which you dwell.
Homes you make.
And the homes you wish you had.
The buildings in which you dwell.
The homes you make.
And the homes you wish you had.
Sharing love and connection.
Allowing yourself to feel more connected to family,
Friends,
Loved ones.
Places.
Spaces.
Spaces.
Take a few breaths,
Just settling in.
Feeling that sense of universality and belonging somewhere and everywhere in your body.
When you are in relaxed states like meditation,
Or sleep,
Or rest,
Napping,
You can feel it.
And then even in more active states,
Like walking,
Talking,
Working,
Exercising,
You can still take moments to notice it.
Love and affection.
Absorbing it and giving it out to any and all,
Because they are all part of it.
Breathing,
Getting heavy in body,
Light in spirit.
Inhaling more deeply,
Exhaling more slowly.
Becoming more slow and still.
And enjoying that.
Settling.
Becoming deep.
And feeling that love in the things you do,
And the things you think.
And the things you will do,
And the things you might think.
And feeling affection for all parts of your day and your works.
Isn't that precious?
Returning to this sense of generous attention and awareness of the commonalities in the universe.
Maybe you want to make a seal,
Some sort of mental seal,
Or something that you can hold onto for the rest of your life.
Maybe you want to make a seal,
Some sort of mental symbol or image,
Around your space,
Making it holy.
As we begin to close the meditation,
You might want to sanctify the moment.
Holding sacred space for love and connection,
Affection and attention,
And an understanding of deeper unity that may seem almost implausible,
But is there.
Seal yourself into that as you prepare to end this meditation.
Holding it.
Breathe into it.
Take care of it.
Nurture that sense of specialness and uniqueness in you and the world.
Take this with you as you go through the day.
Blessings.
Take this with you as you go through the day.
Blessings.
