Strumming So yeah,
Just noticing once again what it's like to pause.
What's here when we pause?
And we'll just do a little bit of arriving once again in the posture,
This time starting in the lower body,
Feeling the points of contact with the ground.
And really allowing the ground to be a resource for us.
Noticing any sensations in the legs and the feet.
Hips,
Buttocks,
Pelvic floor.
The whole torso rising up out of the lower body.
The movement of the chest,
The sides of the body and the back as we breathe.
The arms flowing out of the shoulders.
Noticing sensations here.
And the neck and head rising up towards the sky.
And then in your own time and in your own way,
Beginning to gather the awareness of the breath.
Just getting curious about how it is right now.
With a sense of kindness.
What are the qualities of the breath as it comes and goes?
And now we're going to be your You may have already noticed thoughts or emotions or even physical sensations that distract from the breath,
Take you away,
Draw you in to fantasizing or planning or worrying.
So for now just coming back to the breath.
Very gently with kindness.
And then just allowing the breath to drop your awareness more and more deeply into the body.
You might even have a sense of the whole body breathing.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
Very gently with kindness.
So for you it may be enough to just stay with the breath.
Breathing in a kindly breath,
Attending to how that is allowing that to still the mind and the body and enjoying that.
But if you have noticed a particularly strong thought or emotion or even a strong physical sensation,
Could even just be an overwhelming sense of tiredness.
Whatever it is just seeing if you can't turn towards that now.
Maybe using the breath to help invite awareness to that part of the body where you might be feeling that thought or emotion or physical sensation,
Just seeing what's there so just an open exploration of what might be there that wants attending to.
As that becomes more and more available to you just breathing with it alongside it,
Getting curious about what's there.
How is it?
And meeting that part of yourself with a lot of love,
Compassion.
Just.
" And if at any point you get overwhelmed or confused,
Just again coming back to the resource of the ground beneath us,
Really feeling yourself held here.
Space all around us,
Including the sky above.
You could even have a sense of others sitting here with you.
So just resting back in a broad,
Open,
Loving awareness and then maybe finding the breath again,
Beginning again.
If you are working with something particularly difficult,
You could just also bring in a sense of curiosity about how it's changing.
Also,
What might be emerging as you edge into it,
So maybe more thoughts or emotions or even images.
Breathing with all of that.
So just for a moment,
Checking in with your effort and asking yourself what's needed right now.
Maybe a bit of warmth and love,
Kindness.
Maybe space.
You might even want to open the eyes.
Bring in a bit of light,
Maybe do a little jiggle to bring some energy.
You might need to straighten up a bit in the posture just to help broaden the chest.
If you feel a bit contracted or like you've been slouching.
And then once again,
Settling back into the earth,
Finding the breath and beginning again.
You might even find it helpful to put your hand on a part of the body that feels like there's something strong happening there,
Maybe on the heart or the belly or the solar plexus,
That is self soothing.
Breathing with whatever's here.
Breathing with whatever's here.
Breathing with whatever's here.
Breathing with whatever's here.
Breathing with whatever's here.
So whatever's happening just now,
Just want to invite you to come back to the breath very slowly.
Just tuning in with how it is now to be breathing in this body.
We're just going to connect again with our own intention to be well.
So that part of us that wants us to be happy and well,
Inviting them in,
Reminding ourselves of that intention.
Just noticing what effect that might have,
Remembering that.
It may be even part of why you're here this morning because you followed that intention.
So you can appreciate yourself for that.
And then just remembering that we all want that.
So in the same way that I want to be happy and well,
Other people also want that as deeply as I do.
So we're not alone in this wish.
In fact,
It's what connects us with the whole of humanity.
So for the last few moments of this practice,
We can remember all the other people out there.
We're nearing 8 billion now,
I think.
That's a lot of people.
They suffer the same way we suffer.
They have joy in the same way we do.
So just remembering them,
Extending our compassion to them as well.
Not holding on to anything just for ourselves.
Okay.
And then just dropping back down.
And then just dropping back into a very simple broad awareness.
Once again,
Noticing sensations of contact with the floor space all around us.
The breath.
You can lean back a bit in the posture,
You can put the hands,
Palm up in the lap,
You might even open the eyes.
Again,
Just to encourage a sense of complete openness and receptivity.
Just absorbing the benefits of this practice and not worrying so much about what happened,
Just trusting that your intention is enough.
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