So,
Let's begin by taking a few moments to sit quietly.
Just give ourselves a little bit of time to let body and mind slow down ever so slightly.
And then we can give ourselves a moment to work with posture.
To turn our attention first toward the areas where our body is enjoying an overt sense of contact with the earth underneath.
The most obvious would probably be the seat,
Where our seat is touching the seat.
Although our feet will be in some sort of contact,
It'll vary depending upon how we're sitting,
How we've arranged ourselves.
So,
Turn your attention toward areas of contact with the ground underneath.
And just let these areas soften and perforate.
Let yourself settle into them a little bit more fully.
And as this happens,
Let the body naturally adjust,
Respond.
And you might notice there's a little bit of an updraft,
Uplift that comes out of this settling and surrendering,
And let this just animate the spine so that the spine gently lengthens through the torso,
Through the neck,
Through the crown of the head,
Giving the body once again an opportunity to respond and to adjust.
And if that's working with the upward energy of the earth,
The downward energy of the earth,
What we normally call gravity is what we'll tend to next.
Just letting the torso very slightly move from left to right,
Feeling for the sweet spot where the body naturally relaxes,
Settles in,
Opens up,
And gravity just pours down through us.
Let the body respond and adjust.
And then gently do something similar from front to back.
And then let's turn our attention toward the breath.
Wherever this might mean for you,
Wherever you might find it,
Turn your attention toward the rhythm of the inhale and the rhythm of the exhale.
Turn and turn again your attention toward the breath and become familiar with this.
And then become familiar with the rhythm of the inhale,
With the rhythm of the exhale.
And let the natural easiness of this rhythm just relax and soothe and nurture and reassure.
And then let the natural easiness of this rhythm just relax and soothe and nurture.
And we'll continue to tend to the breath.
We will tend,
However,
In a slightly more focused,
In a slightly more specific manner.
Turn our attention toward the breath,
Toward the rhythm of the inhale and the rhythm of the exhale as it flows through the heart.
This can be the physical heart,
It can be the energetic heart or the heart center.
Whatever is most accessible to you,
Turn your attention toward the breath,
Toward the rhythm of the inhale and the rhythm of the exhale as it flows through the heart.
For the next few moments,
Turn your attention and become familiar with the inward rhythm and the outward rhythm of the breath.
And let the natural easiness of this relax and soothe and nurture and reassure an organ of relationality that,
For so many of us these days,
Feels overwhelmed and uncertain,
Shaky and vulnerable.
Let the natural easiness of the inhale and the exhale relax and soothe and nurture and reassure the heart.
And,
As we move toward the end of this short practice session,
Let any efforting that might still be apparent in your practice loosen and unwind.
Continuing to tend to the heart,
Continuing to tend to the breath,
Let any efforting loosen and unwind,
And let yourself begin to settle more and more fully in what remains when efforting becomes less prevalent.
Let yourself come full circle and return to sitting quietly as all of this continues.
Just sit quietly and aspire that this short practice in some way will be of benefit to ourselves,
Of benefit to others,
And of benefit to all.
