Sit in a comfortable position.
Arrange yourself so you feel supported.
Feet on the floor or folded underneath you.
And just check your posture.
Your shoulders back and relaxed.
Your spine straight if possible.
Relax the muscles in your face.
Relax your tongue.
And your forehead.
Notice your body in space and feel where your body touches the chair or the couch.
And just sink in a bit so that you feel supported.
And settle in.
You're going to take three deep breaths at your own pace and audibly let your exhale out to release all tension.
Ah.
Ah.
And now just tune into your own natural rhythm of your breath.
Notice the rising and falling of your breath.
And see where it's most prominent for you.
You may notice your shoulders rising and falling.
Or your belly.
Or maybe your upper chest.
Just ride the waves of your breath.
This breath that is always here and present for you like a gift from the moment you are born until the moment you breathe your last.
The faithfulness of this breath returning again and again for your survival.
Just rest in awareness and gratitude for this breath right here,
Right now.
This breath,
This moment.
There's nothing to do,
Nothing to change,
Nowhere else to be,
Just here,
Now.
And here's the most important thing.
Your mind will inevitably wander.
And when you notice that you've wandered,
You just turn yourself gently around with total love.
Just like you were turning a small child back to the path.
Turn yourself back to your breath with compassion and rest again in the presence of right now.
Whatever is here,
Pain or sadness or joy or lightness or heaviness.
Just accepting what is here right now where you are.
In the Torah,
The Hebrew Bible,
There's a story of a bush that was burning but was not consumed.
It was brought out to Moses from inside that bush and Moses responds,
Hineni,
I am present.
And then that voice tells Moses to take his shoes off for the ground upon which he stands is holy ground.
So I invite you to imagine that you yourself are standing beside this bush.
The bush is a flame and you notice it,
But it's not being burnt up.
Imagine that you're just observing,
Bringing your full presence to this awesome sight.
Notice your feet standing firmly on the ground and say to yourself,
Hineni,
I am present.
For whatever is here,
Awesome or fearful,
For whatever is a flame in your world,
For whatever joy is right here,
For all of it,
This right here being fully present with whatever is,
This is holy ground.
You can just sit in this presence for as long as you would like.
Just remembering to bring yourself back to this moment,
To this breath,
To this presence with love and acceptance for what is here right now,
Hineni,
I am present.
