Hello everyone and welcome to the class,
To your daily path practice.
I invite you to find a comfortable seat,
Take a breath,
Exhale completely,
Close your eyes if it feels comfortable,
Give yourself permission to spend the next few minutes not rushing anywhere but exploring,
Tuning into,
Feeling and listening to this moment.
Being with what is,
What arises.
As one of my teachers Jack Kornfeld says that sometimes practice is simply sitting with your own thoughts,
Being with what's present.
I invite you to recognize the posture,
Connection to the chair,
The weight of your body,
Support beneath you.
As you're settling in,
Into your body,
Maybe notice if there's any tightness,
Anything that draws your attention and needs a bit of air,
A bit of softening.
As your body comes into stillness,
You notice the movement of your breath,
The flow in and out,
Steady and predictable.
You notice if you can soften muscles of your face,
The shoulders,
Allow your hands to be heavy and yet there's alertness,
Attentiveness.
You're not drowsing,
You're present,
You're attuned,
Listening.
And it may be that when you came into stillness,
A certain state of your heart,
A certain emotion is obvious,
It arises.
Maybe a bit of sadness or anxiety or anxiousness or joy and excitement.
It may also be a neutral state of heart and there's nothing really to notice.
Then you simply pay attention to your body.
But whatever arises and if there is any emotion that draws your attention,
Wants your attention,
See if you can do this important step of acknowledging it,
Recognizing it.
Sometimes simply naming it,
Ah,
This is me feeling sad this morning.
Me feeling a bit anxious.
It's like you're making it real,
Objective.
And see if you can allow whatever you feel to be felt.
You give permission to yourself to feel whatever is here,
Regardless if it's pleasant or unpleasant,
Whether you want it or not.
Just brief moments you give permission.
You say yes.
And from here,
Maybe,
See if you can explore it,
Investigate it.
What's the state of your heart and mind and how does it feel to experience what you feel?
Invite it into the laboratory of your experience and explore it.
How does it feel in your body?
What thoughts arise with it?
And you're not lost in it.
You are aware of your exploration and investigation of this state.
You are aware of sensations in your body when you allow yourself to feel a certain way,
Anxious or joyful or in love or neutral.
And you allow yourself to see what causes it and what comes after it,
What thoughts arise,
Desires,
Resistance.
And perhaps the most important part is see if you can attempt to it,
Allow it and be kind to the state of your mind and heart that you are experiencing.
It's like you're turning volume on a kindness scheme and you may whisper,
Say to yourself something along the lines of this too belongs.
This too is part of being human.
This too is here.
This too is kindness and this attitude of what would you say to a child who'd experienced that and to a very good friend of yours.
So you allow same words and same attitude to yourself.
This too belongs.
This too is part of being human.
This too is here.
And now see if again you are aware of your body in the chair,
Support beneath you the weight of your body and you are aware of the sounds around you,
The space around you.
In your own time perhaps take a deep breath and exhale completely.
If your eyes are closed,
You open your eyes,
Welcome the light,
Notice your state of mind and set intention.
Set intention what is the next thing you will be doing,
What's important.
Thank you and I'll see you next time.
