Hi.
This practice is called Home Base.
So I'd like for you to close your eyes and come right inside into that very familiar place that you've known when you were two or three,
And five,
And seven,
And 12,
As a young adult,
As an adult.
Just come right inside and feel yourself in your very private,
Intimate space.
No one else can go here.
This is yours.
If you need a private room,
This is it.
And I want you just to begin to relax your eyes.
Let your eyes drop back in their socket a little.
Let your jaw drop and your mouth.
Wiggle your jaw and let your tongue fall back a little.
Let your shoulders drop and your throat.
Your arms relax.
Fingers.
Just watch as your lungs and your heart begin to slow down.
You can even take a little breath here,
Breathing in.
And just relax.
Take another breath.
And relax.
Let your belly drop.
Let the muscles in your hips and legs,
Shins,
Your feet,
Let it all become limp.
With your awareness,
Come back up.
I want you just to begin to observe your breath moving in and out.
What I love about this process is that from a wild,
Spinning mind,
And sometimes a negative,
Thinking mind,
What do you have to do?
The past,
The future,
All of these thoughts enlivened.
Following your breath brings your awareness to one thing.
One thing.
This is called echagrata,
One-pointedness of mind.
So sit here as your mind follows your breath up and down.
My friend Denise calls this a sterling silver thread of awareness.
Just follow.
It's super subtle.
You're not forcing your breath.
It's actually a short journey up and a rather short journey down,
Maybe a little bit longer.
Don't control your breath.
Just observe.
How nice does this feel,
Right?
You're bathed in a focus.
You're bathed in one-pointed awareness.
You're resting.
When you feel ready,
As you observe your breath going in and out,
Just want you to make a gentle pause at the bottom,
An awareness at the bottom that your breath is at the end of the bottom before it moves into the inhalation.
So at that turning point at the bottom,
Before you inhale,
Just observe.
You're doing nothing.
You're observing the whole time as the breath goes up and then down and then pauses,
Then up and then down.
And there's a gentle,
Quiet pause.
Continue.
I want you to feel like this is home base,
That you can come here during your day and rest while being in life,
In a classroom,
In a stressful office,
Following the path of your breath up and down,
And the pause at the bottom.
It's like your cushy chair,
Pillows.
It's a resting place.
You can do this when you're walking.
Just follow your breath.
From one place to another,
You can do this standing in line.
You can practice for five or 10 minutes before going to work or school and when you get home.
This will calm down your entire nervous system and your thoughts and your heartbeat.
From fight or flight,
You will be in calmness.
Here,
You have no past or future.
You're just observing one movement of breath up and down.
So as we come out of this meditation,
Which is really the most powerful meditation of a tradition that I'll tell you about,
I want you to begin to wiggle your feet and your toes a bit.
Just let your mind relax now and take a regular breath in.
Just begin to come out of this meditation.
I'm sure you feel quiet now.
Just open your eyes.
You are perfect here.
You lack nothing.
You are an exquisite creation.
Regardless of whether you have money struggles or relationship struggles or job struggles,
This is where you're whole in this place.
You lack nothing.
So thank you very much for being with me today.
We will do more meditations and come home here whenever you feel anxiety or stress.
It'll make a world of difference.
