All right,
So let's just begin to come into a seated position or actually any position that feels supportive of you being awake and alert but also at ease.
And then as you step into this space,
This seat,
Just notice how it is for you right now.
That might be an emotional check-in,
A physical awareness.
You might be aware of sensations in the body that are tight or unpleasant.
So can you bring some ease into the body,
Softening the muscles in the face,
Easing the skin of the shoulders,
Maybe the upper back muscles are tight or the lower back feels that way.
Can you just with this awareness and intention,
Just bring in some softness.
Be aware of the way you're holding the hands,
Not that that has to be any special way of holding them,
But maybe a placement of the hands that's softer,
More relaxed.
And then just notice the weight of your body against the seat or the cushion and become aware that you are in a body and that body is breathing.
In this way,
The breath can be an anchor into the moment,
This way of settling in right here and now.
And when the mind,
When it drifts away,
Just come back to the awareness of your breath.
And do you know that you're breathing,
But without the attention or awareness,
We could miss that,
Right?
We could miss these breaths.
So for the next several moments,
Let's just bring our attention here,
Breath by breath,
So that we don't miss simplicity and the sensation of breathing.
To become curious about the breath is a way of engaging.
So where do you sense your breath?
What does it feel like to breathe in and breathe out?
Then maybe even a compassionate,
Playful curiosity around where do I go when I am unaware that I'm breathing?
What patterns of thinking do I drift into?
Maybe what dream world or images do I begin to become a part of?
Where is it that I go?
And then what's it like to come back?
What does it feel like to come right back here?
Just simply moment by moment awareness of what it's like to drift and then to return,
This returning a moment of practice,
A moment of mindfulness,
A coming home to this body and this breath.
The drifting can sometimes be enticing,
Right?
Stepping into daydreams or plans.
Maybe we step into a space of worry or fear.
There are so many places that can find our awareness drifting to.
This is human.
The beauty of this practice,
We have this choice,
This agency.
Where would I like to place my attention in this moment?
It's interesting because meditation can sometimes feel very disciplined.
In fact,
It's very free.
We can choose wherever we'd like to go.
Yes,
We take our seat and there's the discipline of the practice and the time,
But within the period of meditation,
Oh,
The places we can go and how beautiful it is to be able to choose,
Maybe to choose the noticing of the simplicity and sacredness of the breath,
The sensations of this body and the curiosity of noticing breath.
You might notice temperature.
You might notice the simple sensation in the chest or belly,
The throat,
But your noticings are all your choice.
What will I notice in this moment?
Our presence makes this available.
I'd like to end this period of practice with a poem by Dana Faulds,
Awakening Now.
The moment your eyes are open,
Seize the day.
Would you hold back when the beloved beckons?
Would you deliver your litany of sins like a child's collection of seashells prized and labeled?
No,
I can't step across the threshold,
You say,
Eyes downcast.
I'm not worthy,
I'm afraid,
And my motives aren't pure.
I'm not perfect,
And surely I haven't practiced nearly enough.
My meditation isn't deep and my prayers are sometimes insincere.
I still chew my fingernails and the refrigerator isn't clean.
Do you value your reasons for staying small more than the light shining through the open door?
Forgive yourself.
Now is the only time you have to be whole.
Now is the sole moment that exists to live in the light of your true self.
Perfection is not a prerequisite for anything but pain.
Please,
Oh please,
Don't continue to believe in your disbelief.
This is the day of your awakening.
Together,
Taking a full breath in and a long breath out,
And if your eyes have been closed,
Let them slowly open.
