Let's begin.
First,
Bringing awareness to body.
Balancing gentleness to body and wakefulness to mind.
By first noticing your feet resting comfortably upon the floor.
And thighs and bottom resting comfortably upon the chair.
And determining what your back needs today.
If you need some physical support to your back,
Then sliding back in the chair and letting the back of the chair support you.
You can also scoot forward a little bit.
Seated unsupported.
Either way is still inviting a comfortable rising up of spine towards the sky,
Not forced,
But as though a string is gently inviting a lift through the crown of head and up through torso.
And then a few simple shoulder rolls,
Noticing any tension perhaps in shoulders and neck.
Biting arms,
Draping down from shoulders and hands,
Finding a comfortable resting place.
Aligning head up atop spine and shoulders.
And die as either opened or closed,
Whichever you prefer in this moment.
Settling in to a comfortable posture,
A comfortable aligning,
Which tends to promote awakefulness and fuller breaths.
Bringing your attention down your torso,
Down your legs,
And all the way into toes and feet.
Simply noticing sensations found within toes and feet.
Inviting a gentleness,
A kindness into your toes and feet.
Bringing your attention upwards now into calves,
Thighs,
And hips.
Just noticing the presence of sensations in legs.
Reading the awareness of those sensations with a gentleness,
A kindness.
Bringing your attention up further now into belly and low back.
Ribs and mid back.
And chest and upper back.
Being aware of sensations within torso.
Greeting those sensations with a gentleness,
A kindness.
Now bringing awareness across shoulders and down into arms,
Forearms,
And hands.
Just noticing sensations found within hers.
Reading those sensations with a gentleness,
A kindness.
And then moving your awareness upwards now,
Up,
Back to shoulders,
Rising up next.
Around head,
Face,
And crown.
Noticing sensations.
Reading those sensations with gentleness and kindness.
And now having practiced self-care with this gentle sweeping of our awareness through body.
Bringing your attention to body breathing,
Wherever you find it easiest to make contact with.
This experience of body breathing.
Perhaps it's feeling the rise and fall of chest and belly.
Or the movement of air through nose or mouth.
Depending upon your state of mind in this moment and how easy it is to capture your and direct your attention.
Sometimes it can be helpful to do a few fuller breaths,
Not anything forced,
But a little fuller inhale.
A little fuller letting go.
As a way of really filling your attention with sensations of body breathing.
And after a fuller breath or two.
Practicing the mindfulness attitude of trust,
Trusting our body will breathe as needed,
Letting your breath.
Fall into a natural rate and rhythm at this moment.
And the reality that whether this is the very first time you've ever meditated,
Or you've been doing it 20 years like me,
Or somewhere in between.
At some point,
Focus will drift.
That's simply what our minds do.
Our minds tend to be novelty seeking and once receiving repetitive,
Similar input.
It's quite common that our mind will begin seeking some sort of novelty,
Whether it's something arising inward or from outside.
And remembering the simplicity of the practice that.
When you've noticed your focus has drifted away.
Simply acknowledging,
Oh look,
My focus has drifted away.
Then with gentleness and kindness,
Ushering back to body breathing once again.
It can be quite common that one of the things that we drift off to can be the experience of discomfort or unpleasantness.
That can be found within physical sensations,
Either from the environment or within body.
Or perhaps emotions on the unpleasant end of the continuum.
Or even thoughts,
Maybe some form of.
Thoughts of regret or worry.
And with mindfulness.
We have a particular way of working with discomfort or unpleasantness.
First,
Acknowledging the presence of it,
Be it within thoughts,
Emotions,
Or sensations.
And noticing our knee-jerk reaction to it.
Some popular options include pushing away or distracting.
Or ignoring.
Or the opposite of wrestling with or struggling with.
So our first step when we notice we're becoming lost within discomfort or unpleasantness is What is our initial reaction to it?
And in essence,
We take one step back by.
Identifying that reaction.
And then we take one step further back.
And connecting with this sense of observing or witnessing self and making space.
This unpleasantness,
This discomfort in the moment,
Noticing how your awareness can grow large enough to safely and comfortably hold.
An experience of discomfort or unpleasantness.
Seeing around the edges.
This is where we can call upon the attitude of.
Allahu Akbar.
Or acceptance,
Which doesn't mean liking it.
It just means acknowledging the presence of this unpleasantness.
And then curiosity or beginner's mind,
What is it like to?
Let go of our typical reaction and just make space for the presence of discomfort or unpleasantness.
And so inviting ourselves in this moment to acknowledge.
Something within our experience that may be unpleasant,
Be it thoughts,
Emotions,
Or sensations.
Noticing my tendency,
My reaction to this unpleasantness.
And exploring the possibility,
The experience of just making space to gently and kindly hold.
This unpleasantness in this moment,
Not have to do anything beyond just stepping back and observing.
Breathing.
Observing this unfolding moment,
Including discomfort or unpleasantness.
Letting go of the need to act,
React,
Or do.
Letting this experience be within the safety and comfort of your awareness.
And remembering that mindfulness is just not something we do during a formal meditation.
We can continue this practice throughout the day.
You notice you're experiencing some unpleasantness or discomfort or reacting to it.
Stepping out of that reactivity and using the breath as a guide for a moment or two.
Simply make space for a different relationship with discomfort and unpleasantness.
Now opening your eyes if they were closed,
Visually inviting in your surroundings.
Maybe a little gentle stretch or movement too.
Begin transitioning from doing nothing to doing something mindfully.
Thank you for joining me today and be well.
