Embodied Spirit

As we quiet our minds, relax and become mindful of the aliveness in our body, we discover the formless spirit that shines through our Being.

Transcript

And letting your body come into stillness,

Letting your attention go within,

Eyes closed.

We'll take a few full breaths together as a way to collect attention.

So let's inhale deeply,

Fill the lungs,

Nice full in-breath.

And releasing the breath slowly,

Slowly enough so you can feel the sensations as the breath leaves the nostrils.

And inhaling again deeply,

Filling the chest,

Filling the lungs.

When you're full,

Holding the breath for a moment and as you do,

Stretching the chest open,

Shoulders back and down,

Sitting up nice and tall,

Holding the breath,

Holding,

Holding,

Slow release,

Exhaling,

Letting go,

Letting go,

Letting go.

And again,

Inhaling deeply,

Filling the lungs.

Hold a moment,

Feel the sensations of fullness.

And this gentle out-breath,

Softening down the length of the body,

Exhaling,

Letting go.

Relaxing as the breath resumes its natural cycle.

Aware of the breath,

Let the senses be awake so you're aware of the whole field of sensation in the body,

Sounds around you.

And aware of that quality of here-ness of presence that just in a few moments becomes so much more accessible as we pay attention.

And as you settle into this presence,

Bringing your attention in a gentle way to the heart and to whatever your intention might be for this evening.

Sense where your own sincerity opens up,

Where you feel that kind of innocence really in touch with what matters to you.

Widening the attention to sense our shared aspiration,

Our sangha,

Our community,

Holding in our heart all beings with the wish that these practices,

This awakening,

Ripple out to bring healing and freedom to all.

If you'd like to bring the palms together as a way to feel the heart,

Feel that devotion,

As do we'll chant in the simple way that sound current of om three times,

This universal sound current of connecting.

So let's inhale deeply again.

So let's enter deeply into our Rahlarını.

Key portal to presence is awakeness in this body.

Just to begin,

Just to feel the eyes and let the eyes be soft,

Receptive,

As if floating in pools of water.

The corners of the eyes lifted up some,

Sensing that you could smile into the eyes.

Softening the flesh around the eyes,

The brows smooth and just feeling the sensations of aliveness that are there.

Perhaps a flickering of light and dark,

Slight flickering of the lids.

In the same way,

Slight smile at the mouth.

You might sense the inside of the mouth smiling,

Jaw relaxed,

Unhinged.

Just feeling the sensations in the mouth,

Tongue,

Gums and teeth,

The lips.

If you can imagine the space that fills the mouth and the aliveness.

The face is relaxed,

No effort to have an expression,

Receptive,

Feeling the sensations through the whole face,

Just as it is right this moment.

Feeling the scalp,

Skull,

The space and aliveness that fills the whole head.

And can you imagine the throat expanding to fill an entire neck?

Feeling the aliveness and space inside the neck.

Receptor,

Just sensing this play of sensation.

Feeling the shoulders from the inside,

Perhaps loosening a little.

Just imagining and feeling the space and aliveness inside the shoulders.

Again,

The play of sensation.

Including the whole region of the shoulders,

The full band from shoulder to shoulder,

Including the neck.

Feeling this whole region of sensation.

Feeling the arms hang in an easy way so you can feel the life from inside the arms,

Just noticing the different pulsing and vibrating and stream of energy that is there.

And the space that fills the arms.

Making sure that the hands are resting also in a very easy,

Relaxed way.

And explore softening the hands as you feel inside them.

Softening and feeling from the inside the play of life,

The tingling,

Pulsing or vibrating inside the fingers,

Between the palm and the back of the hand.

Softening and feeling the aliveness.

Feeling the hands and the arms and the shoulders simultaneously.

This whole field of sensation.

And then opening,

Sensing an openness to the chest.

And feeling the space,

Imagining the space and the sensation inside the chest.

Loosening the abdominal area so this next breath is received in a softening belly.

This breath.

And then this one.

And again.

Feeling the awareness and attention to the whole belly,

Feeling the aliveness,

The sensations.

Widening the attention to include the back,

The upper and lower back.

Very receptive.

Feeling the play of energy flowing,

Tight or loose,

Heaviness,

Heat,

Cool.

Aware of touch points,

Aware of the pressure and warmth where you are sitting on your chair or cushion.

Touch points where your hands contact each other or the legs.

Where your feet contact the floor.

And then bringing the awareness inside the legs.

See if you can feel the legs from the inside out.

Relaxing.

Receiving the changing dance of sensation.

Bringing the whole awareness into the feet.

Feeling the feet from the inside out.

And widening the lens of attention in a very full way so you can feel this whole body as a dancing field of sensation.

Just let everything happen.

Sensing perhaps the particulars of tingling or vibrating,

Of pressure,

Of flow.

Sensing in a very subtle way the… just the expression of energy itself,

Just the aliveness,

The light of aliveness with its infinite varied dance.

Just be the space that this dance of aliveness is happening in.

A very relaxed,

Boundless,

Receptive awareness.

If you notice the attention is narrowed into a thought form.

Plans,

Worries,

A little commentary.

Without any judgment just notice and gently relax open again into this aliveness that's right here.

Relaxing with what's happening.

Enjoying what's happening.

As you continue,

If you feel it would support your presence to have in the foreground the sensations of the breath.

And that's quite fine.

Or you might choose just to rest in awareness and continue to receive this changing flow of aliveness,

Moment to moment.

Okay.

If the mind is drifted,

Let this be a moment of gently reawakening,

Just opening out of the thought back into this living field right here.

And take a moment to notice the difference between any thought,

A kind of virtual reality,

And this vividness and immediacy and mystery that's right here.

Listen,

Okay.

Reviews

I felt my true essence during this meditation. Sexuality and spirituality united. Loved it!

Tara Brach
Vivid
Vigilant
Gentle
Grateful
Sensations in the body
Vipassana

Always deeply centering and affirming for me to follow your guidance, Tara.

I always leave Tara Brach meditations renewed. Thank you 🙏

Really good. 🙏🏻❤️

🙏🙏🙏

Inner guidance around the body proved so beneficial along with Tara gently returning you at any moment you may drift. The sound of many people chanting 'OM' together brought a beautiful vibration 🙏🏼

Pretty much perfect. My only criticism is the bell at the end means I can't use it to fall asleep by.

Perfect evening meditation. I got home late from a day of errands and felt at loose ends—overtired and slightly wired. I settled in with this meditation and felt much less scattered. Thanks so much, Tara.

Ahhh the feeling of connecting to spirit with pure awareness in each present moment and sensing everything all together all at once. Thank you, Tara. 💞

This was very nice. Really helped slow my thoughts. Thank you.

This meditation left me feeling powerfully peaceful 🙏🏽

I have followed Tara Brach for 15 years. She is a teacher of teachers, a master, and I find her meditations to be the best. This one is among my favorites. Thank you Tara.

The cues to pay attention to all of the energy of the body were beautiful for me today. It was like watching a ballet of subtle feelings.

Wow. Just beautiful. A practice full of the most creative and powerfully appropriate descriptions to ground in the spacious beauty of awareness. Thank you.

Another lovely, balanced meditation from Ms. Brach. Thank you! (Edited to fix autocorrect!)

Merveilleuse pratique Merci Tara
Le bruit de fond est un peu fort mais ça donne de la vie en arrière plan
J’ai perçu la salle et les personnes qui assistaient à la session !

Just simple and to the point. Not many can achieve that. ♥️

I love Tara’s meditations. She is always thoughtful about opening up and creating the space, and allows you time within her meditations to go deep in silence. So grateful for her!

Wonderful depth in the body sensations, feeling from inside out, thank-you.