The inspiration for today's practice is because if you are listening to this within the first week or so that it comes out,
I am right now on a silent meditation retreat.
So since most of my practices are pretty heavily guided,
I've even gotten comments from people that they would like some more silent space and I totally understand I have a tendency to talk and that's just my style of teaching and guiding.
So I thought that since I will be on silent retreat that it would be a fun practice to share while I'm on it.
So for one,
For you all to just practice being in silence,
Which can sometimes be difficult.
And also to know that if you're listening to this within that week that it came out,
I am somewhere in Massachusetts meditating and practicing with you.
So I thought it would be a fun way for us to,
In some sort of sense,
Practice together during this practice.
So I am going to guide you into the silence and then from there we will hold about 10 minutes or so of silent space.
And I might say something within that to just kind of keep you on track and we'll take it from there.
So this is really kind of a foundational practice,
But also to come into our own body and connect with both others that are meditating.
And also,
If again,
If this is within the first week,
I will be practicing with you.
So let's go ahead and come to a grounded and a firm base.
So really setting our foundation for this practice.
Closing down the eyes,
Taking any fidgets that you need to take.
Maybe you roll your shoulders front and maybe you roll your shoulders back up and down.
Allow the hands to rest where they like to rest,
Maybe on your thighs,
Maybe by your side.
Maybe you're lying down and palms can be up or down or wherever you find yourself in your space today.
See if you can allow the weight of your body to ground and release.
Feel your hips lift up out of the waist.
Feel widening across the chest.
Allow the shoulders to soften and relax down the back.
And soften the space in between the forehead and between the brows.
Soften the space around the eyes.
Relax the muscles in the face,
The muscles in the jaw.
Lower the lower jaw from the upper jaw.
Relax the tongue.
Continuing to just allow the weight of your body to sink down.
And gently begin to find where your breathing is at.
Feeling the sensation as the cool air from the outside world moves in through your nose.
And the warm air from the inside world moves back out.
And allow your breath to find that fluid space,
Fluid rhythm.
And then they help you to note inhaling or exhaling with each breath.
And feel with each inhale just a more of an openness,
An expansion.
And with each exhale allow your body and yourself to root and relax down.
And you're welcome to follow the breath in and out through your nose.
Or you're welcome to also notice what the breath feels like moving in and out from the chest.
And also playing down,
Bringing the breath,
Feeling it move in and out through the navel.
So there are these three anchor points that we could anchor our breath in as we move into our silent practice.
So we'll pick one that feels okay for you today.
Maybe it's following in and out through the nose,
The chest,
Or the navel.
One that you can come back to when the mind inevitably will start to get distracted.
Start to think,
When is he going to come back?
How long is this going to be?
And as many meditation teachers would tell you,
This is your anchor,
Anchor that pulls you back.
Take a few more moments finding one of those places in the body,
The nose,
The chest,
Or the navel.
And begin to feel the rise and fall of the breath.
Continuing to open on each inhale.
And soften and relax on each exhale.
Emerson has a saying where he always likes the silence of a church service far greater than what any preacher says.
Noting the silence before any procession starts.
And there's a sacredness to silence.
And the simplest way that we can access it is by just noting that whisper of your breathing.
So see if you can allow that to be your focus.
Wherever the breath is,
Just noting,
Listening for that slight whisper that the breath makes as it moves in and out.
Either through your nose or wherever you're noticing it in your body.
And as we listen closer to the whisper,
We learn that it can speak to us.
It speaks to us deep,
Deep inside.
But it first takes us slowing down,
Quieting ourselves,
Quieting our space,
And to just listen to the whisper of our breath.
And I'm going to begin to lead you into the fully silent part of our practice together.
And know that you are not only practicing with me,
But you're practicing with everyone else on Insight Timer.
Feeling that connection to the community.
Feeling that although this is a silent and a solo practice,
That we are also connected and practicing with so many others on this same path.
And as we listen to the whisper,
We start to listen to our inner voice.
I'll leave you with one last thing that one of my teachers told me.
The voice of God is silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
And yes,
I'm still here.
Remember if you find yourself getting lost,
Come back to the whisper.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
Silence.
And gently,
Maybe start to come back into your body.
Just take a collective and conscious breath in together.
And letting that go,
Letting that go,
Whether it was peaceful,
Whether it was difficult.
And start to come back into the connection of your hands and connection of your tailbone onto the cushion or your chair.
And maybe gently just invite any movement,
Maybe like we started off,
Into the shoulders.
Anything that feels okay for you right now.
And whenever you feel ready,
There's no rush.
You're welcome to gently open your eyes and come back into your room.
It was so lovely to practice with you and be practicing with you.
And I look forward to the next time that we get to share this space together.
And I'll see you next time.
Namaste.
