Hello,
And welcome to the practice.
Today's 10 minute meditation is around the concept of stillness.
So take a couple of moments and settle yourself into a space that's comfortable for you,
Familiar to you.
Place that for about the next 10 minutes.
You won't be disturbed.
If you can,
Set your devices on do not disturb.
Simply conjure the intention of presence,
Grounded,
Centered,
Present.
Begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
You can be in a chair with your knees at 90 degrees,
The feet firmly grounded on the floor.
You can be seated on a block,
Whatever's most comfortable for you.
You can run your shoulders up towards the ears and back down the back.
Just take a couple moments to work out any kinks that you feel before gently closing your eyes and settling into the body.
Settling in for an experience.
We'll begin by taking a deep breath in through the nose.
Feel the cool air,
The tip of the nose just passing in the body.
Feel the cool air fill your lungs.
As you exhale slowly through the mouth,
Just imagine,
Visualize releasing any tension,
Any busyness of the day that's come before this moment.
You can visualize it like dust just being washed away down a drain.
With this exhale,
You're inviting yourself,
You're allowing yourself,
You're permitting yourself to settle into a state of calm.
You can bring your attention to the sensation of your body.
Notice it against the surface beneath you.
Feel the support it provides like a giant palm just cradling your body,
Grounding you in the present moment.
If it helps,
You can visualize almost a gossamer silver strand descending six feet into the earth like an anchor,
Just steadying you in this moment.
If you feel you need a little added support,
You can turn the palms to face down,
To ground,
To steady yourself in the now.
If you'd like just a little bit more energy or inviting yourself to receive,
You can turn the palms to face up.
Relax the tongue away from the roof of the mouth.
Bring the tailbone,
The back of the heart and the soft palate to align.
The chin is slightly tucked.
And from this place,
Notice the sounds around you.
What's occurring in the room around you?
The background hum of the everyday?
And what's outside of your space,
In the building,
In the neighborhood?
Without judgment,
Without analysis,
Simply observing the sounds,
Allowing them to come and go like ripples on a pond on a windy day.
As you shift your focus to the breath,
Feel,
Perceive,
Sense this gentle rise and fall of the abdomen.
Witness the abdomen fill,
The ribs move sideways,
The chest rise.
And reverse.
Waves in the body flowing.
The sensation of air flowing in and out of the nostrils.
Attune yourself to the simple rhythm of life,
Each breath.
Flooding in,
Ebbing out.
Each inhale,
There's a stillness that travels on the back of the breath.
Envision it,
Witness it,
This serenity,
This tranquility,
Each inhale traveling into the body.
And on the exhale,
Visualize releasing any restlessness,
Any distractions,
Any thing pinging for your attention.
Whatever it is that may arise,
The exhale is soften.
The exhale is surrendering.
From the crown of the head to the toes,
Just scan the body.
Notice any areas of tension,
Any discomfort.
And on the inhale,
Send the breath there.
Imagine it penetrating that tension,
That resistance,
Softening,
And with the exhale,
Softening,
And with the exhale,
The letting go.
Consciously scan from the crown of the head,
With each breath,
Inviting a deeper sense of relaxation.
Notice these portions of health in the body as we do this.
This region of vitality seems to expand.
More space,
More ease,
Greater flow,
Less friction.
Your attention travels to your hands,
Feeling the gentle touch of your fingertips,
And bring the palms together.
And imagine a warm,
Soothing sensation spreading throughout your palms,
Melting away any tension,
Any adhesion,
Softening.
Take your hands,
And if there's any pocket of resistance or tension that's holding on,
Just place your hands over top of that area.
It can be two different spots.
One can go to a kidney,
One can go to a knee,
One can go to a jaw,
One can go to the throat.
See if you can,
With the breath and the palm,
Direct that perception of sensation in the body,
Married to breath,
And notice this area of warmth.
Perhaps it's coolness or tingling or stillness,
Without needing to change or fix anything.
Simply observe.
Simply observe the altered sensation or perception,
And accept.
Continue to breathe the ebb and flow of the breath,
Observing,
Witnessing,
Accepting.
The mind rests in the spaciousness of the present moment.
Thoughts are released.
Worries that may arise are surrendered.
And the focus witnesses this ebb and flow of the breath.
And in between each inhale and exhale,
In between each exhale and inhale,
Observe the stillness within.
Those little moments of stillness beginning to expand.
The hands return to a calm space,
Whatever's comfortable as you witness this stillness transcend the body,
And recognize it in the mind.
Mental activity settles like a calm lake.
And peacefulness arises.
A peacefulness that is inherent within you.
Natural,
Sovereign state of ease.
Of great receptivity,
Abundance.
Take a deep breath in.
On the back of that breath travels a sense of gratitude,
Of awe.
As you exhale,
You connect that awe with the stillness as nourishment for the body,
Mind,
And spirit.
Spacious awareness that pause just between the exhale and the inhale.
And again at the top of the inhale before the exhale.
Grateful awareness.
Moving through the body with a fluid grace that is natural.
That is profound.
Gently,
Return the awareness back to the physical sensations of the body.
Notice the alignment of your sacrum,
The back of your heart,
And the soft palate.
Begin to wiggle your fingers and toes When you're ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Carry this stillness with you into the day.
The pleasure to share this practice with gratitude and awe for the joy.
The simple pleasures of each magnificent breath.
Blessings to you and to yours.
Stay bright.
