Begin by assuming a comfortable but alert position.
If sitting,
Your back should be straight,
Shoulders back and head up as if being pulled by a string from the ceiling.
Now that you're comfortable,
Take a few moments to just relax.
Let go of all anxiety.
Let go of all worries about the past or the future.
All that matters now is this moment.
If you need to move to get more comfortable,
Then move.
If you need to scratch,
Then scratch.
It's all okay.
Be free to let your mind wander without judging the contents of the topics your mind goes to.
In this moment,
There is no good or bad,
Right or wrong.
It just is.
Pretend like you're watching the show of someone else's mind.
Thoughts will come and thoughts will go,
But accept all of them with compassion and tolerance.
Rule known as the fearinn.
And Now,
Begin to notice how you're breathing.
Is it shallow or deep?
Long or short?
Easy or hard?
Do you feel any tightness?
Any pain?
Are you breathing with your chest,
Your diaphragm,
Or both?
How does it feel?
There's nothing you need to change or control.
Right now,
Just continue to watch your breath.
Become curious about your breath,
And then notice if and when it changes.
Are your thoughts still on your breath?
If not,
Then it's okay.
Just return your attention back to how the breath feels.
Are you breathing through your nose or your mouth?
Can you feel how warm or cold the air is when you breathe in and out?
Are you still focusing on the breath?
Has it changed any?
How does your body feel now?
Maybe you've noticed an itch.
If so,
Use this as an opportunity to be curious about how and why this itch came about.
What is an itch?
Where does it come from?
Does it serve any purpose?
Did you scratch it?
And if so,
Did you choose to do that?
Or did you do it without thinking about it?
Maybe the next time,
Instead of moving to scratch automatically,
Just pause and wonder.
Why does scratching fix it?
Then begin to realize that you can choose not to scratch or move.
And then what happens if you don't?
Does it get worse or better?
Does the itch move?
Or does it eventually just go away on its own?
And that all feelings and sensations are just that,
Feelings and sensations.
Some may mean something and others may not.
But the choice to address them is always up to you and is not automatic.
I may crave chocolate at this very moment,
But it doesn't mean I really need it.
They're just feelings and sensations.
The same is true for our thoughts.
One thought does not require an action or a reaction.
I may think a person said or did something intentionally to hurt me,
But that doesn't mean that I automatically have to seek revenge or treat the person any differently because of my thoughts.
In fact,
Maybe the person didn't realize they hurt me.
Because hasn't that ever happened to me?
Hasn't there been an instance in my life where I have hurt someone without intending or realizing it?
And if I yell back,
Act,
Or treat this person differently because of what I believe,
Will it result in the effect that I want?
How would I feel if the roles were reversed and it was a complete misunderstanding?
The idea here is not to torture ourselves or never make a decision,
But to make every choice with awareness and presence of mind,
And not as an impulse or reaction.
Think about this as you focus on your breath and become aware of other stimuli,
Whether they are thoughts,
Feelings,
Sensations,
Or even sounds.
Now let's end our time today with a shared desire to pay attention to our feelings,
Our sensations,
To refrain from impulsive act or judgment,
And make all of our choices with awareness.
May you be happy.
May you be peaceful.
May you be free from suffering.
