Okay,
Mindfulness story.
A senior monk and a junior monk were traveling together.
At one point they came to a river with a very strong current.
As the monks were preparing to cross the river,
They saw a very young and beautiful woman also attempting to cross.
The young woman asked if they could help her cross to the other side.
The two monks glanced at one another because they had taken vows not to touch a woman.
Then,
Without a word,
The older monk picked up the woman,
Carried her across the river,
Placed her gently on the other side,
And carried on his journey.
The younger monk couldn't believe what had just happened.
After rejoining his companion,
He was speechless,
And an hour passed before a word between them.
Two more hours passed,
Then three.
Finally,
The younger monk could not contain himself any longer and blurted out,
As monks were never permitted to touch a woman.
How could you then carry that woman on your shoulders?
The older monk looked at him and replied,
Brother,
I set her down on the other side of the river.
Why are you still carrying her?
Resisting to what life is trying to tell you is exhausting,
But resisting to what life has already told you is guaranteed to be in vain.
What's done is done.
If you feel guilty,
It was a mistake.
You can fix it.
If you feel ashamed,
It was a mistake.
You shouldn't repeat.
But regret,
That's just dragging a past even into the present.
It's a toxic attempt to twist reality,
And it quite normally backfires.
Thank you for listening.
And now let's bear ourselves to get a little bit closer to ourselves.
I'd like for you to please,
When it feels right,
Just to find a comfortable position,
A position just for you,
Just right,
Sitting,
Standing,
Lying down,
Whatever's right for you.
Find that position right now.
And once you're in that position,
I'd like you to take a deep breath.
Let's write a deep,
Deep,
Clearing breath into your lungs,
Full lungs now.
And exhale,
Full lungs now.
Push the excess air out of your lungs.
And now deep breath again,
Deep full breath,
Deep full breath.
That's it.
And now out.
That's right,
Expel,
Expel,
Expel.
For your body,
Your lungs,
The capacity of you.
Get any moment,
Give yourself life everlasting,
Just in one moment.
And so just witnessing that breath.
That breath is the seat of your practice today.
So just settle in with yourself just now,
When it feels right.
Perhaps we'll take just a clearing,
Clearing,
Look around the room if you have the lights on.
Allow yourself to just fall into your eyes,
Fall into the pitch of your reality.
Pick up what you can with the light.
The light on the inside of us.
Listen to that light,
That feeling of it,
Not the sight of it,
But the feeling.
Can you hear things off in the distance?
Interesting the textures,
The tones.
Just be here right now.
Can you hear the sounds of the wind?
And of course,
In a mindfulness meditation,
You'll feel great lapses between prompts and talks.
It's because in those spaces,
Those are the best parts of the mindfulness meditation.
It is there that you find yourself and what arises so much clearer,
Easier to feel and see.
So perhaps allow the tension in your shoulders to just dissipate,
Evaporate.
And then come to rest.
Relax your shoulders,
Tension free.
And just witness your breath and witness where you are right now.
And then take comfort in that right now as you were as it were.
Careful.
Notice that you are the observer of the body and the mind.
Relax your shoulders.
You you Just witness what your mind wonders to where does your mind go?
It feels right please continue to breathe deep and witness where you are right now Now is all that truly exists So perhaps we are expected with acknowledgement right now you you as we near the end of our practice say perhaps just take an account Where you are?
In a way that is reconciling,
Forgiving,
And empathetic And if you might repeat with me a mantra that I enjoy These are the good problems these are the good problems these are the good problems Sing with me may I have peace may I be at peace May I have peace May I be at peace May I have peace May I have peace.
I feel good.
Now take a deep breath.
And exhale out.
And say with me,
May the world have peace.
May the world have peace.
May the world have peace.
May the world have peace.
May the world have peace.
Thank you again for your practice.
I am Calvani now.
Thank you for your practice.
