This is a brief practice of arriving where we are.
Finding a posture where you can be relaxed and alert will be in practice for about 10 minutes.
You're welcome to sit on a chair,
On the floor,
On a cushion,
Lie down,
Or even stand up.
Whatever way your body needs to be comfortable for this practice is just fine.
Let's connect to the earth.
If you find that you're uncomfortable,
For a moment just notice the discomfort and work with it mindfully for a time.
And then just feel free to change your posture or move and allow yourself to mindfully make that adjustment.
So right now let's keep the invitation open for presence,
Allowing yourself to look around the space where you are,
Opening mindfulness,
Awareness to the body,
Awareness to the senses,
Seeing the colors in the room.
And if you're on a computer or a digital device like a phone or a tablet,
Even seeing the screen or their windows,
Noticing the quality of the light.
Is it light or dark in the room?
And as you look around,
Relax and just take in your environment.
Then when you're ready,
Bring your attention right back to yourself,
Relaxing more fully,
Allowing your eyes to close and letting the eyes and the face be soft,
Noticing the jaw and releasing tension there and letting the shoulders relax,
Allowing the arms and the hands to rest easily.
And while there's a deep invitation of presence and relaxation,
You're arriving with a sense of dignity and alertness.
Begin noticing the experiences as you practice quietly,
Noticing sounds and allowing them to come to you and drift away.
You can also notice if there's any smell in the room or a taste.
Do my words activate the senses of smell and taste?
Noticing the body and sensations,
Perhaps areas of ease or tightness,
Sensations of warmth or coolness,
Noticing any vibrations or stillness,
Pain,
Pleasure.
The feel of the body received with kind attention,
Even noticing the state of the heart.
Is there a sense of gratitude or interest,
Sadness or grief,
Excitement,
Tenderness?
Does the heart feel open or closed?
No judgment,
Just noticing and noticing the state of the mind.
Is it planning the shopping list,
Excited or relaxed,
Doubting or questioning,
Remembering,
Obsessed and feeling your body in this quiet state with this presence and dignity,
Noticing all of the experiences that you have within this spacious and kind attention,
Noticing that you've come more fully present.
Sounds come and go.
The body sensations and vibrations open,
Move and change.
Our moods and states of the heart will rise,
Get stronger and change.
And the states of mind and thought stream through.
This is the reality of our human experience.
As we quiet,
We find a stillness in the attention and at the same time,
The ever-changing stream of thoughts,
Sounds,
Feelings,
Sensations.
And as you relax and open your senses,
You open your eyes to the world around you as well.
There's a blessing to be able to pay attention to yourself,
To your own body,
To the environment around you,
To the states of your heart and mind.
And this is where we begin,
Exactly where we are.
Thank you.
