The Practice Of Resting

In this practice, we let our attention rest. After turning toward embodied experience, we let our attention stop movement, be supported, be grounded in the feelings and sensations and energies of our lives. We engage in the practice of resting.

Transcript

Aum So let's ease into this practice session.

Just taking a few moments to sit quietly,

A few moments to let both mind and body slow down.

Simply sit quietly to help us begin to settle a little bit more fully into embodied experience.

Let's work with posture for a moment or two.

Letting the spine gently lift out of the groundedness our seat is enjoying with whatever chair or bench or cushion we're sitting on.

Let the spine lift and elongate through the torso,

The neck,

The head,

The crown of the head.

And then let your torso very,

Very gently move from front to back,

Feeling for a placement that's not quite front,

That's not quite back,

Feeling for a placement where the body naturally releases and relaxes and settles in.

And then do something similar from left to right.

Gentle movement,

Feeling for that sweet spot,

And settling in.

And we're going to take a few moments here to breathe in through all the pores,

Find the breath where it originates outside the body,

Follow the breath in through the pores,

Let your breath guide you in to the interior of the body,

Let your breath guide you in to the flesh,

The musculature,

The bones,

The blood of the body.

And as you do this,

Just notice what kind of embodied experience becomes apparent to you.

Maybe the sound of a car going by a nearby window,

The feel of cool air on skin,

The sense of subtle tension in the back of the neck.

Just notice whatever embodied experience is there to be noticed.

And as we continue to breathe,

Just let your attention rest in all this.

Let your attention rest in this emerging expression of embodiment,

The sound of the car,

The feel of the cool air,

The sense of tension,

Or whatever else you might be noticing right now.

Let your attention rest,

Which is a term that my dictionary defines in a variety of helpful ways.

Let your attention rest in embodied experience.

Let your attention stop movement.

Let your attention rest.

Let your attention rest in embodied experience.

Let your attention be supported.

Let your attention rest.

Let your attention be grounded.

Let your attention rest in this.

Let your attention rest in this.

And as we come to the end of this short practice session,

Though,

You are certainly welcome to continue if you are so inspired.

Let any sense of efforting and any sense of technique loosen and melt away.

Let any sense of efforting,

Any sense of technique dissolve.

Let yourself settle in.

Let yourself rest.

Let yourself sit quietly in this embodied moment.