Hi,
This is Padma and today I want to speak with you about noticing.
Noticing makes all the difference.
It's a beautiful evening here in Northern California and it's not cool and it's not hot,
It's just kind of perfect.
And my daughter and I were walking around in the neighborhood and just noticing.
Noticing all the flowers and bloom,
The orange blossoms and the jasmine and these amazingly beautiful sweet fragrances just burying our faces in the bushes and inhaling so deeply.
And what I get is that noticing is essential for appreciating our lives.
And as I say it,
It's very simple and yet it's profound and it requires a commitment.
We need to commit to noticing what's right here.
Noticing what's in our backyard,
Noticing who is in our homes,
Who are the people that we live with or the pets.
What is our backyard or back patio like?
What is here?
Really taking the time to notice makes all the difference.
Makes all the difference.
We might notice the sun on someone's hair or we might notice the profile that's being struck by the beauty in our midst or perhaps even struck by our own beauty,
Our own goodness.
Because noticing is something that happens in more than one direction.
We notice what's on the outside and as we meditate,
As we slow down,
As we drop into ourselves,
We expand our capacity for noticing who we really are on the inside at the deepest level,
The deepest level of our being.
So I really encourage you to slow down and notice what's here.
Notice what's here in your midst.
So I'd like to offer you a meditation on noticing.
You are invited to find a comfortable place to sit down or lie down,
Whatever feels good in your body.
And just take a few minutes,
Five or ten minutes to notice,
To hone your ability to notice.
Because what I know from my experience of the practice of noticing is that as we practice,
We improve.
Noticing is a skill.
It's really a skill and with any skill,
What helps us to improve is practice.
Practice,
Practice,
Practice.
And the great thing about noticing is we can practice it anywhere,
Anytime,
With anyone,
Regardless of circumstance.
And in fact,
It will support us in a myriad of ways.
We notice what's needed and we notice what's not needed from moment to moment.
So let's begin.
By noticing the breath,
Taking really full,
Full breath.
Breathing in and out deeply.
Take your time.
Perhaps lengthening it on the out-breath.
And retaining air on the in-breath.
And you might notice how your body is responding to noticing the breath.
And as you're noticing,
I invite you to soften your awareness so that it's not penetrating.
And yet,
There's a focus,
There's a curiosity.
So what is it right now to bring your curious noticing?
What is it right now to bring curiosity to your noticing?
Being curious about the temperature of the air on your skin.
Noticing the difference between the places on your body that are covered with clothing and the places that are not,
Like your hands or your face.
Just taking a moment to notice.
Be curious.
Letting your attention alight gently so that your noticing opens wider.
And then bringing your noticing back to the breath.
Back to the breath.
And it can feel so good to allow for the spaciousness of noticing.
There's nowhere to go.
We're not rushing to the next thing.
Simply bringing this generous noticing into the moment.
Bringing your noticing into this moment.
It can feel so good to allow for simplicity.
The simplicity of noticing.
Noticing how the breath rises and falls.
And then noticing thoughts that are passing by that perhaps are distracting and coming back to noticing what's here right now.
The practice that I guarantee will serve you deeply.
The practice of noticing.
The practice of noticing when you've been sitting in front of your computer for a little too long and the body needs to get up and stretch and move or it wants to go outside,
Get some fresh air.
Just noticing whether you choose to fill the space with all manner of thoughts and commentary,
Whether you verbalize them or not.
And what if instead of being on a kind of autopilot or moving in conditioned ways you see yourself noticing.
Noticing what's needed.
Noticing whether it would serve more fully.
To be silent rather than to insert your opinion into a conversation.
Just noticing when it's time to speak and when it's time to be silent.
And this takes practice.
Practice and practice of noticing.
Oh,
Here comes something I want to say right now.
Instead of saying it,
I notice the impulse and I sense into whether it's really useful.
So noticing from moment to moment what is most needed.
Noticing what is a contribution.
And noticing what feels good,
What feels aligned for you.
So as we practice noticing our breath and our bodies it becomes easier and easier to notice ourselves as we're interacting with others.
I invite you to listen to this meditation and to practice noticing in your life from moment to moment to moment.
Thank you so much for your attention.
I am here as your ally.
Please feel free to reach out to me anytime.
Many blessings to one and all.
Thank you for your attention.
Thank you for your attention.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Holy Spirit,
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Holy Spirit,
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Holy Spirit,
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Holy Spirit,
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Holy Spirit,
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
In the name of the Father,
The Son,
And the Holy Spirit,
I ask that you please remain silent for the time being.
