We seek answers to make meaning.
To understand our reality.
Often,
So we can change something.
Create something.
Make an informed decision to do something.
Or not to.
Perhaps we're seeking growth and expansion.
But this pursuit of knowing can often overwhelm,
Drain,
Or bewilder us,
No longer allowing the clarity that we seek.
In the litany of outcomes and our desire to choose the highest one.
Perhaps we're overlooking.
That our choice is not in what we should do in the future.
Or what we should have done in the past.
But perhaps the most powerful and discerning moment.
Is right now.
What if what we're seeking is best realized through a state of being?
Full presence that is still,
Unattached,
Observant,
And attuned.
There is no question that it's important to name and explore our experience.
For it helps to shape perception and therefore a way forward.
But not everything can we think ourselves out of or into.
Stillness allows us to open up the window wide enough to get a full view that will more authentically inform our understanding.
Let's explore the now using our breath,
Gentle noting.
An observation.
I invite you to find a position that feels comfortable for you.
You can choose to sit or lie down while remaining alert.
Before you get settled,
I invite you to bring some gentle movement into your body.
If you are in a chair,
Maybe slowly rolling your chest in a circle.
Starting from the front,
Moving to the side,
Back,
To the other side,
And front.
Or your shoulders,
Making full rotations in one direction.
And then the next.
If you're lying down,
Maybe gently bending your knees,
Anchoring your body by spreading both arms out into a T,
And slowly rotating your knees from left to right.
Back and forth,
Releasing the lower back,
Inviting energy to make its way through our channels and continuously moving through our bodies.
I invite you to find stillness in your body,
Reverting back to the natural position where you started.
And when you're ready.
Gently close your eyes,
Settling into the space.
Let's start our practice with a couple of deep breaths together.
Inhaling deeply into the belly.
And slowly exhaling out of the mouth.
Again,
Inhaling,
Expanding the chest.
And exhaling with a sigh.
Now allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.
Inhaling and exhaling without force or control.
Gently bringing your attention to the rise of your chest on the inhale.
And the fall of your chest on the exhale.
Notice the sensation of breathing.
Noticing the temperature of the air as it enters your nose.
And the whisper of air underneath your nose as you exhale.
Noticing the body expand on the inhale.
And soften on the exhale.
We're going to bring a count to our breath.
On the first inhale,
You'll silently count one.
And on the exhale,
You'll count two.
On the next inhale,
3.
And on the exhale,
4.
You'll count each inhale and exhale until you reach ten.
And then you'll start your count over,
Starting again at one.
You may notice that your mind may wander.
That's okay.
When it does,
Label it thinking and gently bring yourself back to the sensation of breathing.
And start your count again at 1.
On the next inhale,
Begin your count at one.
I invite you to sink deeper into your breath.
If you expand your awareness,
You may notice your heartbeat.
If you're sitting up,
Perhaps you feel a slight back and forth sway in your body as your heart pumps blood throughout it.
Continue counting your breaths.
You can now let go of the counting technique and allow your mind to invite thought.
Don't try to control or judge your thoughts.
Just be present with them.
And observe.
Don't try to form meaning or logic.
Allow your thoughts to be.
Noticing how you feel.
Perhaps you feel grounded and steady.
Or maybe curious and receptive.
Perhaps you feel assured and content.
May be grateful.
Continuing to let your mind wander.
Noticing the sounds around you.
Noticing the temperature of the room or environment you're in on your skin.
Gently beginning to wiggle your fingers and your toes.
It's a great act of self-trust to sit with yourself and find answers from within.
This wisdom transcends the details,
The analysis,
The external validation that we may seek.
The now asks us to stop looking to the future or to the past and enter the realm of acceptance.
A paradoxal state where what to do next is informed through inner stillness.
Inviting ourselves to slow down and release the urge to fix,
Control,
Or reason allows us to clear our channel and attune to the most confirmative information that we have.
That of the present.
Not so we can take action.
But so we can see it all and then discern our truth before we do.
Thank you for joining me today in exploring the Eternal Now.
