Let us enter the space of meditative awareness.
By acknowledging the various traditions which have shaped this practice,
The practice of being awake,
Of being aware,
Of being present in one's life.
Let us acknowledge the human body in which we meditate.
And that the gateway to cultivating a healthy relationship with one's reality is to be infused with compassion,
Curiosity and care.
And further to acknowledge that it is in the possibility of not knowing what the outcome will be of this practice,
That we are afforded the opportunity to grow,
Learn,
Discover,
That no two moments are the same.
And perhaps as a way of bowing our heads at the gateway of presence,
We may take three deeper breaths in together,
Breathing in,
And slowly out.
And once again inhaling,
And releasing the breath fully.
And one more time,
Breathing in,
And letting it out.
Allowing the awareness to rest in that space of no breath at the end of the exhale.
Only learn to notice the natural in and outness as the breath resumes its usual rhythm.
Observing the body as it rests in whatever position you have chosen for these few moments of stillness.
Of stillness and subtle movement being with the nuances of balance,
Of breathing,
Of being.
Expanding your attention to include the physical environment,
Sounds,
And if you have your eyes open,
The quality of light.
And whether your eyes are open or closed,
The sensations within the body.
Noticing the pulsing,
Or flickering,
Or the tickling,
Or maybe even the aching.
Turning towards that which is present.
Being with the sensations of contact your body makes with the ground.
Releasing into the sensations of heaviness,
Of groundedness,
Of support.
And now exploring the sensations of breathing.
The coolness of the air,
Of the warmth.
And including in this exploration the state of the mind.
The cognitive spectrum,
The spectrum of emotion.
The way you are relating to your present moment experience internally.
And if some measure of stillness and calm has arisen.
Contemplating the possibility of extending that mind space to whatever activity you choose.
Next.
So seeing the gong to end this practice,
Not as an ending in itself,
But as an invitation to extend this state of being for a while,
For the next while,
However long that may last.
As an invitation and a reminder of the possibility of cultivating this mode of being,
This way of being present,
Wherever you are,
Busy or still,
However you are.
And that this possibility is always available.
