I just invite you to find a way to sit or if you're lying down,
Please have your feet on the earth with your knees up.
Just comfortable with position with the posture that allows you to be relaxed but alert.
And if it feels comfortable and safe to close your eyes,
Letting your lids fall.
If not,
Just softening and lowering your gaze so that you're not distracted.
And I invite you to connect with your breath.
And let's start at the nostrils.
And even if this isn't where you find the breath most easily or most comfortably,
Just play along and just notice the breath in your nostrils.
Sensing the natural rhythm of your breath as you breathe in and out.
Just noticing how subtle you can get on the sensations of the breath in your nostrils.
Perhaps sensing the coolness of the air as you breathe in,
Warmth of the air as you breathe out.
Not doing anything to manipulate the breath,
Just noticing the natural rhythm,
The natural cycle of the breath in your nostrils.
Now just focusing in and noticing that pause,
That gap between the in-breath and the out-breath,
That natural gap between the out-breath and the in-breath.
Maybe it's brief,
Maybe it's longer.
Just paying attention,
Minding the gap,
If you will.
I invite you to move your attention on the breath down to the back of your throat.
Again,
Not to manipulate or try to control the breath,
Just noticing the breath as it connects to the back of your throat as you continue to breathe in and out.
Just following the in-breath,
Pause,
The gap,
The out-breath.
Following that out-breath all the way to the end and then that pause.
Now letting your attention on your breath drop from the back of your throat down into your chest,
Perhaps sensing the natural movement of your chest,
Of your rib cage.
Perhaps sensing that gentle expansion as you breathe in,
The easy contraction as you breathe out.
Where's that gap?
Where's that pause?
Just with curiosity,
Noticing between the out-breath and the in-breath,
Between the in-breath and the out-breath.
Now letting your full attention on the breath drop down deep into your lower belly,
Sensing the breath in your belly,
The natural rise and fall as you breathe in and out.
Just paying attention,
Minding the gap,
Allowing the room of your breath to be easy,
Not doing anything,
Just being with it,
Sensing it,
Noticing it,
Letting it be just as it is.
And just as you allow the breath in your belly to be just as it is,
I invite you to bring to mind somewhere in your life where you might create a gap,
Where you might create time or space where you can just be,
Where you can just allow whatever arises to be,
Where you can just sense it,
Just be with it,
Just let it be.
Here in your life,
You might create a gentle gap.
And now we're going to transition to a technique,
A simple technique called the clear button technique.
And this can perhaps help us find and mind the gap.
And in general,
This technique is,
As you breathe in,
You're just going to press your thumb or finger into the palm of your opposite hand.
And then as you let,
As you breathe out,
You're going to let go.
And there's a little bit more to it,
But I'm just going to guide you along as we go.
And we'll do it a couple of times or more so you get the hang of it.
But just to begin,
Breathe in and press the thumb or finger into the palm of your opposite hand as you breathe in and count one.
And as you breathe out,
Let the thumb or finger release and think of the color red.
And now breathe in,
Pressing your thumb or finger into the palm of your opposite hand.
Count two.
And as you breathe out,
Let the thumb or finger release and imagine the color blue.
Now breathe in,
Pressing your thumb or finger into the palm of your opposite hand.
Count three.
And as you breathe out,
Let your thumb or finger release and imagine the color green.
Now just breathe in and breathe out and just let go of thinking of anything,
Relaxing into the gap.
This is a really great technique when we're feeling a strong sense of stress.
So we can do this one or two or three times.
So let's do it again just to let it imprint on our system.
So breathing in,
Pressing your thumb or finger into the palm of your hand,
Opposite hand,
Count one.
And as you breathe out,
Imagine the color red.
Breathe in,
Pressing the opposite thumb or finger into the hand.
You know what to do.
Breathe out and imagine the color blue.
Breathe in,
Pressing thumb or finger into the opposite hand.
Count three.
Let go and imagine the color green as you exhale.
And now breathe in,
Breathe out and let go of it all.
And just breathe in and out.
Let's do that one more time.
I like things in threes.
Breathing in,
Pressing your thumb or finger into the palm of your opposite hand.
Count one.
Let go,
Breathe out and imagine the color red.
Breathe in,
Pressing thumb or finger into opposite hand.
Count two.
Let go,
Breathe out,
Imagine the color blue.
Breathe in,
Pressing thumb or finger into the opposite hand.
Count three.
Let go,
Breathe out and imagine the color green.
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Let go.
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Relax.
Eckhart Tolle says,
Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind,
The light of your consciousness grows stronger.
Every time you create a gap in the stream of mind,
The light of your consciousness grows stronger.
Preparing to open your eyes as I ring the bell.
