So let's begin by finding a seat that's comfortable,
A posture that has you feel both alert and able to remain awake and lucid and also relaxed,
So you're not trying to hold yourself in any particular way and not creating any unnecessary tension.
So just finding a posture that has you feel this way,
Something that you can rest in for the next 10 minutes or so.
And then when you're ready just closing down the eyes and allowing your attention to turn inwards.
This is your time,
Your space,
Your practice.
You've chosen to lovingly gift this time to yourself.
And so just allowing the attention to turn inwards and maybe starting just with a sense of gratitude that you have gifted this to yourself and knowing that you deserve it.
And also just knowing what it means to you and why you've come to this practice in this time.
And so as you turn the attention inwards,
Just taking a moment to scan through the body to notice if there's any areas of obvious tension and if you can release them.
Just simply going ahead and letting go in any way that you know to.
Maybe by breathing into that place of tension and on the exhale just letting yourself soften,
A sense of dissolving,
Of letting go,
Of deepening.
So scanning through the body and just noticing if there are any obvious areas of tension and just inhale to become aware and exhale to let go.
And then just starting to become aware of what's here,
What's alive in this moment.
As we turn our attention inwards we get to start to notice the more subtle qualities of our inner lives.
So we might notice conversations still lingering from earlier in the day.
We might notice ourselves planning ahead of what needs to be done after this sitting.
We might notice commentary or judgments or expectations for this sitting.
And so with a kind attention and not needing to change anything or be in any other way,
Just noticing what's here.
What's here in this moment?
What are we arriving into?
So just noticing and paying attention to the tone with which you note.
There's no need to judge what's here in any way.
Just noticing with a very open awareness,
Gentle attention.
And as if you could choose to be here just a little more fully acknowledging what's here and allowing yourself to just sit that beside you for now.
As if you could wrap it into a little paper bag and just sit it next to you.
It's just there,
It's nice and safe,
But it's not important and not really going to serve us for this sitting.
And so just placing that next to you or outside the room,
Knowing that you can always pick it up afterwards if you still feel that you need to.
And once that's done and we're starting to arrive a little deeper,
Start to become aware of the play of sensations and sounds around you.
Just noticing the sounds in your environment,
Building a sort of soundscape.
And just starting to arrive and build a sense of place.
Noticing the coming and going of sounds and instead of trying to know what the sounds are or name them or give them a label,
Just noticing the characteristics of the sounds.
The tone,
The pitch,
The volume,
The texture.
And then coming back inward again,
This time noticing the coming and going of sensations,
Of thoughts,
Of emotions,
The aliveness of your inner landscape.
And amidst the coming and going of sounds and sensations and thoughts and emotions,
Just finding your way to the area of the heart,
The left of the chest.
And you might feel your breath right here at the heart.
And with some interest and a kind attention,
Just noticing what the state of your heart is right now.
Does it feel contracted?
Does it feel open?
Does it feel tender?
Just noticing what might want attention.
Is there a mood or emotion or an event or something going on in your life that is living inside of you right now that might be seeking some acknowledgement?
Just noticing what's there.
You might start to become curious again with a compassionate attention about if there's something inside,
A vulnerability that maybe you haven't been wanting to feel,
Maybe wanting to meet just yet.
A vulnerability that may have been lingering and having you feel destabilized or anxious or just bringing with it a sense of dis-ease.
Just noticing what's there.
Quite often it's the avoiding of what's here.
It's the avoiding of this vulnerability inside us that keeps us in our small self identity.
It keeps us from being at home in ourselves as we are and feeling at ease.
And so you might let yourself breathe directly into this vulnerability without needing to know why it exists or intellectualize anything about it.
Just keeping your attention in the body,
Breathing easily and directly into this place of vulnerability.
What's asking for attention right now?
Now that we've given ourselves a moment to catch ourselves,
To practice coming back,
Coming home.
What is it that we most need to come home to?
What wants to be acknowledged?
And it can help to put your hand on your body wherever you feel this vulnerability.
Maybe your heart,
Your navel,
Your throat or some other place.
Just to come into relationship with your body,
With this emotion and your internal life.
And then just breathing there,
Breathing into the palm of your hand in this place.
Letting what's here be here.
Maybe noticing the natural impulse to move away to avoid the real feelings of emotion.
But choosing to be here with it,
Letting it be here and choosing to be here with it.
And remembering of course to have a kind attention,
The smiling eyes,
The smiling heart.
Not to cover over these raw emotions and pretend.
But simply to open to receive and to listen.
Sometimes when we do come into places of stillness to rest,
We notice a sense of either feeling a distance from ourselves,
Not feeling at home in ourselves.
Or may feel a distance to others,
Not seen,
Felt or acknowledged in some way.
Whatever's here,
Just noticing,
Breathing and opening to it,
Knowledge.
And recognizing of course that whilst this vulnerability,
This emotion is not who you are,
It's not you,
But it is a part of the constellation of you.
It exists in the web of your emotions,
Thoughts and sensations.
So to welcome it back in,
To befriend it again,
Let's come in a little closer.
So if you could place your whole awareness inside of this part of you,
As if you could become this vulnerability just for a moment.
And then from within this vulnerability,
Maybe even playing with the words,
Please love me.
Speaking from within this part of yourself,
Inviting love in and then opening to receive.
So keeping your awareness in your body and breath at this place,
Just experimenting with the words,
Please love me.
Saying them from that place of sincerity in you that naturally yearns to be held and loved and cared for and seen.
As we repeat these words and open to receive,
Imagining maybe the presence of love washing over you,
Coming in,
Feeling,
Sensing and imagining this loving energy coming to meet you in this vulnerability.
Maybe you picture somebody who cares for you deeply,
Acknowledging this in you.
Maybe it's a spiritual figure or maybe it's the forming formless loving presence that exists in this universe.
Just imagine it meeting you and acknowledging you in this vulnerability,
Loving you.
So as you sit here in this breathing deeply,
Just notice the energy of this vulnerability shifting as it might.
Is it becoming a little lighter?
Is it loosening?
Is it opening?
And maybe you begin to imagine the love that exists in you also starting to flow out through this vulnerability again.
Beginning with that love you're welcoming in.
Opening back up to both receive and give compassionately through this place.
And then maybe bringing to mind one person whom you care for deeply and just seeing their eyes and just remembering for a moment what it is that you are so grateful for about them.
Why do you care about them so deeply?
And just imagining yourself maybe kissing them on the brow or just acknowledging them in whatever way feels right for you and then maybe mentally saying their name and saying I love you.
And then bring it to mind another person you care for deeply.
Again visualizing them,
Maybe seeing their eyes in front of you,
Remembering why it is you care for them and then saying their name,
Kissing them on the brow or whatever other way feels right and saying I love you.
And then letting go of any other person and just coming back to yourself,
Feeling what's alive in you now.
Just feeling and sensing who you become when you meet a vulnerability with love,
When you open to receive and when you offer love and compassion.
And just breathing as you feel.
And then taking a couple of deeper breaths,
Bringing the aliveness and movement back to your body,
Maybe bringing your shoulders up to your ears and just exhaling them back down.
And I'll close with a lovely quote from Brene Brown.
Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it.
Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy.
The experiences that make us the most vulnerable.
Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.
