Welcome.
Find a comfortable position.
Allow your body to settle into the space beneath you.
You can gently close your eyes.
Or soften your gaze.
Take in a slow nourishing breath.
And exhale fully.
Again,
Breathe in.
And breathe it all out.
Like a gentle sigh of relief.
In this moment,
There is nowhere you need to be right now.
Nothing you need to do.
Nothing you need to accomplish.
These next few moments.
Simply allow yourself to be here.
And notice whatever comes to your attention.
Observing your natural breathing pattern.
The wandering fluctuations of the mind.
The sounds surrounding you.
And sensations within your body.
And gently notice what is present this morning.
Be compassionate with yourself.
A tender arriving into the moment.
Gently noticing.
Sensing.
Feeling happenings around you and within you.
Remember,
There is no need to change anything.
Simply being with what is Let go of the doing.
Let go of any expectations here.
John Kabat-Zinn,
Renowned mindfulness and meditation teacher would say,
Meditation is not a doing.
But rather an unraveling of being fully aware of the present moment.
Embodied wakefulness of moment-to-moment awareness.
So just simply notice.
As you begin this day.
Allow yourself to consider the energy and intention.
You'd like to bring into the moments ahead.
Perhaps your day is already planned ahead.
It may be that you know exactly what needs to get done today.
But rather than moving through the day on autopilot,
Mindlessly moving through your worldly endeavors.
See if you can bring a little more presence into each action.
Paramahansa Yogananda spoke of the importance of right action.
Not simply doing more.
But bringing awareness and intention to what we do and how we do it.
So as you move through your day,
Ask yourself,
What is the right action for me in this moment?
What can I approach with greater presence and awareness?
What is needed to bring more joy,
Peace and ease into my day.
And perhaps just as importantly.
Where can I pause between the busyness of all the happenings?
Because your life is not only the things you accomplish.
There is also the space between the actions.
The breath between one moment and the next.
The walk to your car.
Sip of water.
The meal you choose to nourish your body with.
The moments you spend moving and breathing.
See if you can allow yourself to rejoice in these ordinary moments.
You don't have to wait for something big.
Extraordinary to feel good.
Joy and exuberance can be found right here,
Moment to moment.
In the breath.
In the body.
In this simple experience of being alive.
Feel the aliveness within yourself right now.
And gently welcome a smile upon your face.
Or being gifted with another day.
And starting your day off right.
With taking this time for you.
Today,
Give yourself permission to take care.
Move your body in a way that feels good.
Eat foods that nourish you.
Drink plenty of water to hydrate,
Replenish,
And support your body.
Create little moments of ease,
Bliss throughout your day.
Smile to a stranger.
Holding the door open for someone.
Taking a moment to notice the sunshine on your face.
Putting your phone down,
And taking a deep breath.
These small moments may seem insignificant,
But they are opportunities to practice presence.
Like a working,
Moving meditation throughout the day.
We don't always need to change our circumstances to experience more joy.
Sometimes we simply need to slow down enough to notice what is already here.
Let these little acts of kindness,
Connection,
And awareness become your practice of right action.
And throughout the day,
Remember that rest is also an action.
Sometimes the most productive thing we can do is simply be still.
You do not have to earn your right to pause.
One conscious breath can become a doorway back home to yourself.
Take another slow,
Deep breath in.
And empty.
Exhale it out.
Imagine moving into your day with a little more spaciousness.
Let your actions be intentional.
Let your choices be aligned.
And allow yourself to notice the moments of joy along the way.
Take one final nourishing breath in.
And slowly breathe it out.
Before you open your eyes,
Set one simple intention for today.
If nothing comes to mind,
Perhaps you use one of these as your own.
I will be present.
It will make space for ease.
I will choose right action.
I will notice the joy in between.
Whatever speaks to you,
Bring it with you in the moments you need it most.
And when you're ready,
Float your hands together at your heart center in prayer.
And bow in to this time.
You have gifted to yourself.
I leave you with the passage.
From the Dharmapada.
With our minds,
We make the world.
Speak,
Or act with kindness.
And happiness will follow you as surely as a shadow follows the person who casts it.
Slowly begin to flutter your eyes open,
Coming back to the awareness of the room.
Try not to rush out of this experience.
Slowly transitioning back.
Perhaps you offer a few shoulder and neck rolls to gently reawaken.
Thank you so much for joining me.
And remember the power in starting your day off in this way.
Offering you the chance to begin your day with fresh eyes and right thoughts to come back to this practice each morning.
To return to presence.
And carry it with you into whatever may come next.
Have a blessed day.
