Go ahead and find your posture and settle in.
Allow the body to slow down.
Today's practice is all about noticing the edges of our consciousness.
And seeing what we can do.
Let's just open that a little bit further.
We explored in the previous session how we come in to each moment with a set of expectations.
And so here.
We're noticing that our own awareness itself is limited by those expectations.
So today we're just practicing expanding that even a little bit.
So I invite you to allow any tension in the body to dissolve.
We often have habits held in our muscles and organs that prevent us from opening.
So just give yourself permission to be comfortable.
I now invite you to just choose a sense or one specific aspect of your experience.
Perhaps your breath.
Or if you're moving,
Just choose the sensation of your feet or whatever you're holding in your hands.
Just choose one aspect.
And experience it fully and completely.
Free of concepts.
Joyfully and curiously experience that.
See if you notice that there's any kind of restriction.
This is a preset list of expectations and labels.
Putting experience in a box of understanding.
When we're fully present,
Every moment of our experience is unknowable.
Indescribable and infinite.
For the next few breaths.
Just be fully present in the entire experience of them.
Anytime we notice that the mind is doing what it does,
Seeking to understand,
To make concepts.
Divide experience into parts that it likes or doesn't like.
Just any time we notice mental activities,
Just be grateful that it was noticed.
And allow that reminder to bring us fully back into the present.
And open up further.
If we notice we're getting too caught up in some thinking,
Losing touch with the present,
See if you can notice.
In the body somatically what it feels like.
For our awareness to close down on something.
What does it feel like?
When attention focuses like that.
And also,
What does it feel like when attention opens up to everything?
We're not seeking a state.
Not trying to get anywhere.
There is nowhere to be.
If we open attention all the way.
Include everything that you can possibly include in your experience.
No filters,
No focusing.
Just big.
Infinite awareness.
I now invite you to notice the feeling of your hands.
Especially if they're just resting or open,
Not grasping and holding onto anything.
Notice that there's this subtle feeling.
There's like a light on.
They're able to sense.
Able to experience.
Now let's try another spot.
Try the heart.
Notice how the heart has this sense of consciousness.
That it has the ability to experience as part of us.
See what it feels like as we allow attention to move around.
It's gonna be a little different for everyone but I tend to experience it as kind of lights.
Whether it's spotlights,
Floodlights.
Sometimes a laser depending upon what it's like.
If I bring attention to the very tip of my nose only,
It feels like a laser.
But notice if we focus attention.
But notice that if we focus attention,
Do we also add tension,
Restriction to that?
Or are we able to focus while maintaining open,
Unobstructed awareness?
Just play with this.
Have fun with it,
Allowing attention to move around the body.
And whenever you notice tension collapsing on something,
Just notice what that's like.
Learn it.
Train yourself to notice that feeling.
So that we can clock it and open wider if we need to.
Just understand it,
Understand why it's happening.
If we get lost with monkey mind.
We're not in the body.
So free yourself from that cage whenever that happens.
Open attention.
Return to the body,
Feeling sensation.
Feel your back on the cushion or chair,
Your feet on the floor,
Whatever you're sitting on,
Just feel the connection.
You are on the earth one way or another right now.
You're not the monkey.
All the plans that it's making,
All those future projections that it's planning.
You're not there.
You're here.
Another technique that's part of this is making friends with that monkey mind.
All of our thought patterns and loops,
They've all developed as methods that are just trying to help.
Maybe at one point they did help and they don't now.
Maybe they're still helpful in some ways.
But in this moment,
They're just really active,
Possibly overactive.
So you might bring to mind the monkey mind.
Just think it.
Thanks for helping,
Buddy.
We're not going to get rid of Monkey Mind.
That's not the point.
I just want to shine a light on it.
And let it rest.
So for the last few minutes,
Just notice if there's any tension that's built up and let go.
Just enjoy.
If you notice you've been making efforts,
Give yourself a break.
Befriends that monkey mind.
Befriend whatever arises,
Especially if you don't like it.
There's nothing you need to do.
No need for any sort of investigation or understanding.
Our breathing slows.
Become softer.
So just experience the moment vibrantly.
And as we begin to transition out of our formal practice,
Just take your time as always.
Of course,
You're welcome to keep sitting if you like.
But as you move,
Be really deliberate.
Perhaps just one joint,
One part of the body at a time.
And just see if you can cover that movement with your attention and consciousness.
And see if you can notice the monkey.
See if you notice it wants to come back online.
And see if we can either continue staying open or allow the noticing of the monkey to snap us back to the present.
Formal practice is just practicing for the rest of your life.
The fastest way to be in our lives is to just feel.
Be right where we are.
Feel your heart,
Your breath,
The touch of anything around you.
Just keep awareness open no matter what's arising.
Let's close out with one more mindful breath.
Breathing in.
And out.
Thank you for joining me.
Thank you for your practice.
