Close your eyes or lower and soften your gaze.
Get comfortable.
As you sit or lie here,
Notice what you notice.
Any distractions,
Thoughts,
Sounds,
Feelings.
Perhaps there's the sound of traffic or the wind in the trees.
Maybe you can hear other people's voices as they go about their day.
Perhaps there are thoughts of things that have happened in the past.
Five minutes ago,
Five days ago,
Five years ago.
Or thoughts of what needs to happen in the future in five minutes,
Five days,
Five years.
Perhaps there are feelings.
Joy,
Discomfort,
Anticipation,
Anxiety,
Frustration,
Enthusiasm.
Whatever you notice is okay.
As each distraction arises,
Whisper to yourself,
This too,
We're allowing everything to be just as it is.
We're not trying to ignore or stop the thoughts.
We're just letting them drift on by.
The same for any sounds.
Just notice them.
There's no need to follow them.
Just let them drift on by.
And so it is for any feelings that arise too.
Just as when we journal,
We allow whatever arises to be present while it is present.
Allow them all and come back to your breath and the sound of my voice.
Simply notice and allow this too,
This too is here.