Welcome,
And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.
In the movie The Matrix,
The character Morpheus says to the character Neo,
There's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.
And that sentiment is so true in so many different areas of life.
There's a difference between knowing a part and acting a part.
There's a difference between knowing what's right and doing what's right.
Examples could be endless.
There's often a difference between knowing something and putting that knowledge into action or practice.
So saying that there's a difference between knowing the path and walking the path is a very true statement.
Now picture with me,
If you will,
That you're looking at a topographical map of a path that's going through woods.
The map will most likely show you every twist and turn of the path.
It may well show you the small stream that parallels the path and crosses it at one point.
Depending on the detail of the map,
It may also show you the location of an old cabin along the path or where there's an old well.
You could study all the minute details of the map,
All that knowledge,
And studying the map would probably give you a knowledge of the path.
But you would never truly know that path until you walked it,
Until you experienced it.
Without walking the path,
You would never know that there's a den of foxes 300 yards from the beginning or that there's a nest of baby blue jays in a towering oak tree in the middle of the path.
So while studying the map would give you a knowledge of the path,
Only by walking the path do you truly come to know it,
Truly come to understand it.
And ultimately,
Knowing the details from the map will only be marginally helpful because you can only come to know that path by walking along it many times.
What's my point?
Well,
It's that your practice and my practice of meditation and mindfulness is also a path.
You've heard me refer to it that before.
It's a path that leads us to being more centered,
A path that leads us to be more calm and tranquil,
A path that can lead us to live more in the present moment,
And it's a path that can lead you to finding peace within yourself.
And the map in this case consists of all the knowledge of this path,
And that is massive.
So much knowledge coming from so many places and spanning thousands of years.
So many disciplines,
Much of the language in Sanskrit,
And so many people each telling you how to sit and how to breathe and when and how to exhale.
So now please make sure that you have silenced all your devices,
Your computer and your tablet and your phone.
Just put everything on do not disturb.
This here now,
This is your time.
We'll get back to the world in just a little bit.
Close your eyes now.
And let's get in touch with our breath as we continue to explore this path of mindfulness.
It truly doesn't matter if you're sitting down,
Lying or standing.
The only requirement is that you are comfortable,
That you begin to relax and begin to focus on your breath.
Breathe deeply.
Breathe long and then exhale slowly letting out a sigh.
Just breathe normally and don't force anything.
In your practice,
You need to breathe so that you are comfortable.
Our breath is our anchor.
It's a constant and it's ever present in our lives.
So just tune in the steady flow of your breath,
One breath at a time.
Just continue to breathe,
Following your natural rhythm.
Listen to my voice and try to just let go of your thoughts.
Just listen to my voice and the sound of your breathing.
And as we quietly breathe,
Let's scan our body and look for any places where you might have tension.
Relax your face and unscrunch your eyebrows,
Unclench your jaw and just relax your neck.
Maybe roll it around a little bit.
Observe your body as you quietly continue to breathe,
Breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Think about how you feel in this moment.
Relax your shoulders and relax your belly.
We want to gradually release any tension that we are carrying in our body.
And as we relax,
Try to just feel the energy that flows through your body with each and every breath.
Keep listening to my voice and just breathe.
Fifty-three years ago,
I started on my journey on this path of mindfulness.
And looking back,
I realized that I really threw myself into it.
I was young,
Just barely 20,
And I studied everything I could find on hatha and raja yoga.
I meditated,
Often for hours,
While burning incense and having a single candle for illumination.
I wanted to know every chakra,
Every asana,
Every mantra.
I studied Zen.
I read all the sacred texts and treatises.
In studying raja yoga,
I did exercises to expand my senses and my awareness.
I got so I could hear my watch ticking from 12 feet away,
And I could lower my pulse just by thinking about it.
Freaky stuff,
I know.
I was making myself a big map of this path of mindfulness that I was on.
Now,
All the while,
You're breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Just focus on your breath and on my voice.
Then about 35 years ago,
I came to the realization that the breath is everything.
I realized that it didn't matter how many poses a person could do or how many Sanskrit words they had memorized.
I realized that it didn't matter if I sat or laid down as long as I was focused and as long as I was comfortable.
I realized it was the breath,
That and that alone,
That provides the real benefits of meditation.
So I began to consciously get in touch with my breath multiple times a day,
Often for just two or three minutes,
Taking advantage of all the little pauses we all have in our day.
And each time you take these moments for yourself,
You'll find that you're a little calmer,
A little more peaceful,
And a little more tranquil.
These are the moments of meditation practice that can add up and provide so many benefits in your life,
Like dealing with pain or problems sleeping,
Problems with anxiety or problems with tension.
And if you get yourself in the habit of snatching these little moments for yourself throughout the day,
You will be amazed what it will do,
Just breathing in and breathing out,
One breath at a time.
Each and every one of you is walking this path with me.
And with practice,
You will come to know this path so well.
And this is what I meant when I say that all these things we strive for are just points along the same path.
In order to find inner peace,
You have to let go.
And you have to love yourself and you have to accept yourself for exactly who you are.
And when I realized that the breath was everything,
I let go of all the rituals and patterns that I had been holding on to.
Focusing on my breath has helped me through all the difficult and painful times in my life.
And it has made all the rest of my life so much better.
I don't know what I would be or where I would be without meditation in my life.
So I encourage each and every one of you to get as much knowledge as you want about this path.
Get yourself a map,
But never lose sight of the fact that the only way to know this path is to walk it is to breathe it one breath at a time.
Now as we come to a close,
Just open your eyes and come back into the room.
Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.
Take in a deep breath,
Let it out through your mouth with a sigh.
Now we're ready to move back into our day,
A little calmer,
A little more joyful than before.
I am so grateful that we have shared this moment together.
And I hope this has been a beneficial and restorative practice for you.
Until next time.
