Three Center Practice.
In this practice we'll bring our attention to three areas of intelligence we have.
The mind,
Where we can easily spend most of our day.
The heart,
An area of our emotional intelligence.
And our bodies,
Our area of so much wisdom.
And that's constantly giving us information when we get quiet and listen.
So start by taking a comfortable seat.
Sitting up tall with an active,
Alert spine,
Yet keeping a sense of ease in your body.
Allow your body to be the physical representation of the middle place.
A sense of balance and ease.
And now picture in your mind a bright beam of light.
A bright beam of white light.
A spotlight of your attention.
And imagine you can take this bright beam of light and turn it to direct it inwardly.
And we'll start by highlighting the area of the mind.
A place that can be quite busy and where we can easily spend most of our days planning,
Organizing,
Anticipating,
Or maybe ruminating about a past story,
A conversation.
Maybe that didn't go well.
So let's spotlight,
Highlight our attention on to our mind.
And just noticing.
Nothing to change here.
You don't have to quiet your thinking mind here.
We're just being aware.
Allowing what's there to be there and be known,
Just as it is.
Have we arrived for practice with a particular story,
A concern,
A future worry?
Just noticing how you've arrived in this moment in your mind.
Just allowing thoughts to move through your mind like clouds in a vast blue sky.
Again,
Nothing to change here.
Just noticing,
Highlighting for a few moments this area of intelligence or mind.
Now imagine you can bring that bright beam of light,
The spotlight of your attention,
Down into your heart space.
So highlighting the area of your heart for a few moments.
This area of emotional intelligence.
Noticing any sensation in this part of the body,
In the area of the heart.
If there are any areas of tension or flow,
Tightness or ease,
We're just noticing.
And while we're here,
Let's add a nice slow,
Deep breath.
Taking a nice full breath in,
Almost like you can breathe your heart forward with the inhalation.
And soften the heart space with your exhalation.
Let's do that again.
Nice,
Slow breath in.
A slower breath out,
Softening the area of the heart.
One more deep breath,
Feeling an expansiveness in the heart space with your inhalation.
Maybe your heart comes forward a tiny bit.
And with your exhalation,
Soften the heart a little bit more.
Now keeping your attention here for a few moments longer,
Breathing naturally.
Noticing,
Is there a mood here,
A feeling we've arrived with,
An emotion?
Nothing fabricated.
Allowing what's here to be here and be known,
Just as it is.
And now let's shift that bright beam of light into the belly.
And this is sometimes considered the seat of our somatic wisdom,
The wisdom of your body.
So highlighting the belly to start.
And then imagine that bright beam of light can grow and infuse your entire body as you sit here.
Highlighting the variety of sensations in your body.
Noticing more predominant sensations,
Maybe your hips connecting with your chair or your cushions.
Feelings of clothing touching your skin or the temperature of the air in the room on your skin.
Noticing predominant sensations as well as subtle sensations in your body.
Your body has so much wisdom,
So much intelligence.
And as your companion for this lifetime,
Very deserving of your precious attention.
So very simply,
Giving your body your full gentle attention for a few moments here.
Now imagine you can expand that bright beam of light to include the entire body,
Heart,
And mind.
These three areas of intelligence.
Highlighting these areas for a few moments longer,
Giving your body,
Heart,
And mind your full attention.
A gentle awareness.
Nothing to change here,
Nothing to improve.
Simply noticing.
And now shift your attention to your breath.
And we'll finish with a slow deep breath here.
Taking a nice slow breath in,
You might feel a stretch in the chest.
A slower breath out,
Letting go.
Letting go.
Letting go.
