Welcome to this meditation Letting the Lovely.
Today's short breathing practice is about developing self-awareness through presence.
Being present means having a better relationship with our body and being able to listen and grasp the messages it's sending.
It means having a better relationship with our mind and the interplay of our thoughts and moods.
It means having a better relationship with our heart and all of its desires and having a better relationship with our voice through which our body,
Mind,
And heart are always communicating,
Sometimes through our silence.
As we nurture the relationship with ourselves,
We nurture it with others.
As we learn to listen better to ourselves,
We become better at listening to others.
And as we learn to take care of ourselves,
We become better caretakers of our world.
The less aware we are,
The less we have to offer.
And we're here because we know we have something important to offer.
Being present also opens the door to mastering who we are.
On the path to mastery,
We gather and release,
We give and we surrender.
The well inside each of us is deep and the space around us is limitless.
So find a place now to sit or lie that's comfortable for you and take a deep breath in,
Slowly releasing it.
Take another breath in and release it,
Loosening any tensions in your hands,
Shoulders,
Jaw,
And forehead.
Allow your eyes to soften.
As you breathe naturally,
Rest your awareness in your breathing.
Feel the breath come and go.
Feel its gentle natural rhythm.
It's easier to be absorbed in something we find pleasurable.
I call this letting the lovely and it can be applied to anything.
Attune now to anything about the breath and breathing and sitting or lying that is lovely and use that loveliness as a way to deepen your practice.
Extend your awareness to your whole body,
Letting the breath come and go.
Your whole body is breathing like a splendid balloon,
Inflating and deflating,
Oxygenating every precious cell.
Lovely stuff.
Now you are breathing your whole body and your whole body is breathing you.
From the core to the tips of your fingers and toes,
To your seat and up to the top of your head and crown.
Let the calm,
The lovely,
The pleasure of breathing deepen your relaxation and as you do so bring your awareness out into the space around you.
Feel the energy that envelops your body.
Feel the space beyond your body.
Feel the energy that envelops the room and the space where you're sitting or lying.
Attune to the energy around the building and the block,
Beyond the park,
Along the river,
Out over the meadow,
The ocean.
Let the lovely be in this lovely place on this lovely planet.
As you relax into your breathing,
Feel that this is always here,
Underneath,
Above,
To the sides and all around you.
Remind yourself that all this is here for you in every moment,
From which to draw your nourishment and to give away to nourish others.
Notice all the loveliness around you now.
Notice the warmth and tone and color and shadow.
Savor the lovely feeling inside you that's radiating out into the world.
When you're ready,
Move your fingers and toes.
Slowly open your eyes.
Notice how through your presence the whole world is lovelier than it was a moment ago.
Rest in this lovely feeling for as long as you like.
