Let's begin this meditation by taking 1,
4,
7,
8 breaths,
Inhaling for 1,
2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Exhale out through the mouth for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Again inhaling
for 1,
2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Exhale out through the mouth for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
One last time,
Lovingly,
Lovingly breathe in air for 1,
2,
3,
4,
Hold 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
Exhale through the mouth for 2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
And checking in with your body,
Let
your shoulders be broad and soft,
Let your chest be open,
Let the palm of one hand be
beside the other hand resting on your lap,
Let your back be as straight as it can be
and feel free to lean back fully against the chair,
Let the chair support you,
Let gravity
support you.
And let there be a letting go,
Release anything that needs to be released.
Can you let your weight go and feel the earth rise up and cradle you?
The support is there
for your body.
And the support is there in your body.
Your body is supporting your breath,
Your physical sensations.
It's supporting and grounding your emotions.
The body is giving
you access to every experience.
So allowing the body to be the focus of your attention,
Feeling the body's sensations,
And letting the body have the support of your awareness.
Let the energy that your awareness brings rest on your body.
Favoring the breath in the body
with your attention for the next 5 minutes.
Connecting to nothing but yourself,
Your rhythm,
Your body,
And your breath for 5 minutes.
You can do this by feeling the physical sensation
in the nose.
Or you can do this by feeling the sensation and saying the word inhale as you
inhale and saying the word exhale as you exhale.
Coming back to the breath,
You're coming back
to the body.
Coming back to the breath,
You're coming back to the present moment.
Staying with
the sensation of breath and your body that is so alert and awake and at ease for the next 5 minutes.
Being with what is and even being loving toward what is.
The breath,
Sensation,
It's all wonderful.
Opening to the body,
To the breath,
To the moment as it is.
Staying with the breath for another
3 minutes with your warm,
Heartful awareness.
Coming back to the breath again.
Honoring yourself
for this practice of being with what is and what is not.
Loving what is and what is not.
Already an act
of compassion.
Staying with the breath for 1 more minute.
Embracing your body,
Your breath,
Yourself
in this moment.
Opening to our breath,
We open to ourselves just as we are.
Let the muscles of your
forehead release.
Let the space between the eyebrows release.
Soften the eyelids.
Soften the jaw.
Soften
the mouth and the chin and the throat.
Soften again the shoulders and the chest.
And now put both of your hands
on your heart.
This beating heart that beats for us and sustains us.
Taking a moment to appreciate the heart.
Acknowledging our own heart.
Wish for yourself,
May I be filled with kindness toward myself and others.
May I always
find joy.
May I be safe from inner dangers and outer dangers.
May I keep myself safe both inside and outside.
May I be well
in body and mind.
May I be happy and at ease.
And you can release the hand if that feels good or keep the hand there if you prefer.
In the spirit of full awareness and clarity and self-kindness,
Ask yourself,
If I were to pick my path,
What would that path be?
Or if I had to realign with my path,
What would that realigning be?
If I could give my attention to anything in the world,
What would really fulfill me?
What would set my soul on fire?
What would send warmth and joy through my body?
Knowing that you don't need an answer,
Just stay with the question.
So your subconscious starts to see that it's important.
Releasing into the question.
And finally,
Ask yourself,
If I could grow spiritually in any way,
What would that be for me?
Letting that question resonate through your whole body.
Enjoying the questions.
Enjoying the potential of the questions.
And now give your mind the task.
Mind,
Help me find meaning,
Joy,
Ease.
In the moment,
Today,
This week,
This year,
This lifetime.
Setting the intention to befriend our own self.
Befriend our experience,
Our heart,
Our breath.
Befriending our very being.
And this is enough.
Bringing this wholeness,
This completeness into the world.
As a gift to the world.
Thanking yourself for having done this practice.
And if you want to end by placing a hand on your heart and just taking a deep breath in,
You can do that.
And take a deep breath out.
And coming back.
Bringing this peacefulness,
This calm,
This connection,
This Buddha state gently with you.
Opening your eyes.
