Perhaps Our Breath Can Be Exactly What We Need.

Meeting yourself each day with your practice, it becomes clear that the weather systems of our feeling state moves through many expressions. Rather than trying to control or manipulate the breath, can we allow it to bring us exactly what we need? Rather than being the big boss of life, can we soften the agenda and allow our exhale to clear the debris of what we do not need to carry? Can each in breath bring us exactly what we need in each moment? This gentle practice invites us to see.

Transcript

So, Good morning. Welcome. I'll give you time to get yourself sorted. Before we began, Carolyn and I were just talking about. . . How it's not always so easy, Life. You know, It's. . . It's interesting to meet each day the way that we do. And to really have that anchor of how it feels to wake. And to get yourself into your spot. And to acknowledge the journey of tiredness or energized. Optimistic or feeling a little deflated. Or the variables. The changing weather systems. And of course we lean towards the positive ones. It's such a relief when they're here. But the invitation with our practice is to also love the less than positive ones, To allow them to be here. Be within nuance. Rather than trying to be the sergeant major that makes sure everything is always good. For me, I think that's. . . One of the greatest gifts of practicing together. I suppose the word is allowing. Allowing what is here to be here. Without splitting parts off. Because they don't belong. So I hope you can find a comfortable position. To practice in today. And if your body is in a place right now where nothing's comfortable. I hope you can be with that. With some compassion. Perhaps we start by contacting ground. Handing over. All the things we really don't need to be worrying about. That might accidentally be choosing to carry, Just giving them to ground, To earth. If you want to have a little shake or a little ripple, That sometimes helps to do that. And then choosing to allow ground to hold us. When we do that, You might start to notice the body becomes heavier. As you attune to the sensation in your body. What do you notice? And he needs some movement. I notice my jaw so tense. I can bring my fingertips up and Just gently massage. It feels good. Like a relief. What do you notice? Can you tend to? Witnessing your breath. As it moves in its own way without our interference. How is it to breathe? Perhaps as you befriend the pattern of your own breath. Allowing it to be here. Exactly as it chooses to be here. Becomes a little less like I am breathing. And a little more. Like I am being breathed. My body is breathing me. My breath is breathing me. The intelligence. Of myself. My life force. Is breathing me. You don't have to be the big boss in charge of grass. That breath is already here. Let it be. Perhaps that's the nature of our practice today. To lay down the idea. Of being the big boss. And every exhale. To hand some of it over. Some of the troubles and the worries. Some of the ways they'll be managed. Try to control. Our environment. Our five-point cairns. On our agendas. Maybe we hand what we can over. To the ground. The air. The trees and the wind and the rain. Maybe there's an alchemy that's really nothing to do with us. It's just happening without our interference. Perhaps it's the carrying of all the worries and the woes and the responsibilities and the agendas that is obscuring. Ah, Basic. Inherent goodness and joy. In the joy of life. I'm not denying that there are things that need to be carried. It's true. Never. But I wonder if there are some that we can lay down. Maybe there's some way that's not. A tightly folded fist trying to hold on to it all. And it's not a completely open fist that's just let go of it all. But it's a. . . A palm that is softly cupped to hold. Gently. What needs to be held. Noticing how each of your inhales brings you something. That we can draw the inhale into our heart center. New breath. As we let the exhale. Carry away what doesn't need to be held. Perhaps the inhale brings us exactly what we need. Tikkun. And the exhale makes room. Clism stays. Removes the debris. It's all here for you in your breath. Perhaps you need a deeper breath. You need your lungs to work like bellows. Or perhaps you can stay. In the shallows. Present with the breath as light as a feather. Allowing the breath to be a balm. A way to meet yourself. With kindness. With compassion. Maybe the in-breath brings you exactly what you need. And maybe the outburst. Releases. Some of what you did me. Bringing your awareness back to ground, Maybe pressing the soles of your feet into the floor, Your heels. That's pressing your sitting bones into your seat. Noticing the residue of the practice. How do you feel? Maybe there's a little bit more space. A clearer view to the joy. And the goodness. And sometimes we have to choose to see that. For bringing your hands together at your heart center, Offering the fruits of our practice to ourselves, To each other and to all beings. Namaste.