A Meditation From Why Being Human Is The Only Way

Being relatively balanced feels to me like a day of possibility. What I notice is that when I’m balanced, when I’m really feeling human - not in survival mode, not activated, not checked out, there’s the possibility that mindfulness will point me towards kindness and compassion, for myself and for everyone.
I also notice it’s circular. When I’m practicing mindfulness regularly, I’m less in survival mode, less activated, and less checked out. And I’m more likely to feel at least as balanced as it’s possible to feel right now. And a little bit kinder.

Transcript

Finding a comfortable posture, Whatever your most supportive posture is for you for today, And one which is also upright and dignified because this is a great thing that you have decided to do for yourself just right now, You know, So taking that in, That some part of you right now is firmly in this human realm, Maybe all of you, Is firmly grounded in this human realm. Finding your breath, The breath in the body, And just relaxing into your experience, This experience of being human, Of breathing, Or if it's more supportive for you, Of attending to the sounds in your environment, And then as the mind-body settles in, The invitation is to see what is happening moment to moment. Where are those moments of being a settled human, Being present, And how do they feel? Maybe on the in-breath, Noticing those moments with a yes, And on the out-breath with a thank you, And if there are other moments, Moments of feeling like being in the animal realm of survival mode, Or in one of the realms of aversion, Or hatred, Or desire, Just notice those as well, And don't follow the storyline, Just notice and let go, And see if it's available to you to come back to the present moment, The sense of just being human right here, Right now. Yes, Thank you to this beautiful mind and body that you have, This beautiful ability to be present, Even if only for one breath, Celebrating any moments during this sit together or during the day, When your feet are on the ground and your heart is open, This amazing human realm, How fortunate we are to have this ability to see and to practice together.