Let's today explore.
.
.
Well,
Let's explore.
So,
I invite you to settle in,
Perhaps with a bit of a stretch,
Maybe a bit of a movement around,
Just to try and find a nice centre,
Just to get comfortable.
And the invitation is to begin with,
Maybe take a couple of deep breaths and allow relaxation,
If it wants to take place,
If and when.
Okay,
So in essence,
Allow whatever's present to be present.
And if you notice relaxation presenting itself,
Definitely allow that.
Noticing the release that often takes place in the out-breath.
Noticing that the out-breath is a release in itself.
Relaxing into your seat,
Relaxing into your posture.
Noticing perhaps how relaxation may slightly adjust your posture.
That's okay.
Noticing breath,
Noticing body,
The whole body.
Settling into body,
The feet,
The hands,
The belly,
The head,
The back,
The chest,
The shoulders,
The neck,
The whole body.
Sense into its solidity.
And as you do,
Begin sensing into the space as well.
Space between sensations.
Space between different parts of your body and the space around each sensation,
Each part of your body as you experience it,
Not as you imagine it to be.
Perhaps noticing that the space takes up a whole lot more room than the physical sensations.
Wherever there's a physical sensation,
There's space that surrounds it,
That holds it.
And an invitation to occupy that space,
To be that space.
Continuing to allow relaxation to take place,
If and when and where it may want to take place.
Not forcing,
Not trying to be anything,
Not trying to do anything,
Just occupying,
Being present in.
And allowing other experiences such as sound to just travel through this space.
Noticing where there's clinging,
Where there's an experience or a sensation that in some way or another you're holding onto,
Whether it's trying to grasp at it or whether it's trying to push it away.
Resist.
And just if possible,
Notice that this experience too is surrounded by a space.
And if possible,
Inhabiting that space rather than the experience itself.
Allowing the experience to be there,
But not allowing the experience to take over,
To control your experience.
Noticing perhaps the apparent solidity of thought.
How thought is a thing.
And where you notice that and the tension inherent in thought.
Again,
Allow this space that surrounds all things,
To surround thought,
To hold it in a loving embrace.
Noticing where there is striving and just allowing yourself to enter the space that surrounds that striving.
It's nothing to achieve except to be with this.
And through this being,
This being with,
Perhaps seeing your experience in a new,
In a different way,
The core and the solidity of our existence.
Noticing perhaps how big that solidity feels sometimes.
Now we can get very caught up,
For instance,
In thought.
And that becomes our entire universe,
A small universe.
The universe of me,
My experience,
My life.
And how when we occupy the space that surrounds that experience,
That experience of me becomes quite small.
And my universe expands.
Expands to include much more.
You could call it perspective.
Checking in to see where you are.
Noticing perhaps a tendency to want to move into conceptualization,
Theorization,
Thought.
And if that tendency is apparent,
Again,
Just see if it's possible at all to notice the space surrounding that thought.
And if you can notice it to perhaps inhabit it.
I'm trying to stop the thought.
You just don't want to be the thought.
Allowing whatever is present,
Comfort,
Discomfort,
Doesn't matter to be present.
But not to get caught up in it.
Just to occupy the space that surrounds whatever presents itself.
Whatever presents itself in that space,
With that space.
Welcoming each new arrival with an embrace,
A spacious embrace.
Returning to solidity now.
Sensing into hands and feet.
Sensing into your seat,
Or your cushion,
Or your chair.
Sensing to your back and your shoulders,
Neck and your head,
Or body.
Here it is.
And as you feel ready,
Give yourself a stretch or a wriggle along.
Stretch or wriggle along.
Whatever you need.
If your eyes were closed,
Feel free to open your eyes and return.
And thank you so much for your practice.
