So even before we start by closing our eyes,
I'd like to invite everyone just to take a few moments.
To adjust your whole body.
Stretch your neck.
Our shoulders.
And our arms if we like.
To make sure we're really comfortable.
Before gently closing our eyes.
We slowly bring our attention back to our body.
Becoming aware of the sensation of how we are just taking the time.
To adjust our sitting position.
Our legs,
Au revoir.
And our neck.
Until we have unimpeded circulation throughout our body from head to toe.
We might take our time to adjust the way we're sitting.
Until we find the right posture for ourselves.
So that we can release any tension in our body.
Find a good posture.
One where we don't have to use any resistance or force.
Where we're just letting our posture settle naturally.
And having found a good posture for ourselves.
We can gently start to notice our face muscles relaxing.
Relaxing them as much as we can.
Making sure the way we've closed our eyes is as gentle as possible.
With our eyelashes just touching softly together.
With no tension at the corner of our eyes.
Allowing the same sort of relaxation to spread out through our forehead.
Down through our temples,
Our cheeks,
Until all our facial muscles are relaxed.
And feeling that relaxation move like a wave.
Down through our neck and shoulders.
Relaxing our arms.
Relaxing our torso,
Our legs.
Down to the tips of our fingers and our toes.
Relaxing completely throughout our body.
Taking a moment to rest our body and mind right here,
Right now.
With no need to engage in any other matters in our lives.
Simply enjoying the moment.
Resting body and mind.
Making sure every single muscle in our body is relaxed.
Every joint in our body is comfortable.
To the point that our whole body feels hollow on the inside.
Just like a balloon about to float away.
You might find that there are thoughts or worries that appear uninvited in the mind.
And there's nothing wrong with this.
Or when we notice the thoughts coming up.
We can just turn our attention back again.
To where we're resting our attention inside us.
Until our attention remains with that sense of relaxation.
Allowing any tensions in our body or mind to slowly unwind.
If we find we are losing that sense of comfort,
We simply make the adjustment.
Taking note of the sense of the breath moving down like a column of air within our body to the deepest point.
Observing the movement within ourselves.
As the breath goes in and out.
And taking particular note of the turning point of the breath.
Deep inside us.
Somewhere around the level of our diaphragm or at our solar plexus.
The sensation here is almost healing in quality.
Free believing us of any other worries or preoccupations.
Moving gently and softly.
Allowing the mind to feel lighter,
Liberated,
Giving the whole of our body a sense of relief.
With each passing breath.
Allowing our awareness to come back from our surroundings.
To a sense of silence within us.
Noticing nothing but the sense of the breath.
Passing through the center of ourselves.
With a gentle movement as our awareness.
Comes to settle at the same point.
With a sense of contentment.
Almost as if you are sitting alone in empty space.
With nothing or no one to interrupt us.
Almost as if we were on vacation.
Where we can rest for as long as we want.
With no one to bother us.
Nothing intruding on our mind at the very center.
Of a sense of tranquility.
With nothing to worry about.
Nothing to distract us.
And if our mind wanders,
Then we return to that sense of relaxation inside us.
Engaging with a sense of tranquility within us.
Remaining in the moment.
Inhabiting our inner space.
And allowing our mind to settle.
With a feeling of warmth and comfort.
Down within ourselves.
To help prevent our mind from wandering elsewhere.
If it's helpful we might imagine some sort of inner object.
Within that light,
Hollow space of our body.
Somewhere down inside us that feels comfortable.
Maybe at that point where the breath turns.
We can focus on the sensation there.
Which can then act as an anchor for the mind.
With the simple sensation of the breath passing that turning point.
Down at our diaphragm.
Or if we're more visual by nature.
We might imagine some bright object with our mind's eye.
Something like a bright,
Shining sun?
Almost as if we see it within the space of our body.
Yellow or red in color.
Orange or white.
Or anything else that comes naturally to us.
But holding that inner image gently in the mind.
As continuously as we can.
For as long as we can.
Maintaining that inner object with a sense of timeless peace within us.
At the center space of our body.
Almost as if we have breathed that inner object down to the very deepest point of our breath.
Or as if we have gently swallowed the object.
Down to the pit of our stomach.
Maintaining that inner object as continuously as we can,
For as long as we can.
We find our mind wandering away onto other things.
We just bring it back to that inner object each time.
For as many times it takes to build up that continuity with that inner object.
If thoughts come up in the mind.
We do our best to ignore them.
Or we can make use of that traditional mantra Samma Arahang.
Over and over again.
For as long as it takes to quieten down the mind if necessary.
So we keep our mind in place on that inner object of our choice.
At that point inside ourselves that feels the most comfortable for us.
Lightly and gently.
With nothing more than a feather-like touch.
For a few more moments now in silence.
Until we come to the appropriate time.
So we find our attention wandering away onto other things.
Each time we realize,
We just gently bring our awareness back again.
To our inner object as before.
To that sense of well-being within us.
The gentle touch of the breath passing the deepest point.
Or to any image that we have conjured up for ourselves at the center.
If the inner object disappears,
We can conjure up a new one.
And if it changes,
We just allow it to do that.
Following the evolution of that inner object.
Almost as if we were the observer of the process.
Observing without interfering.
Trusting in the process.
Always at the center of whatever we see or feel.
Continuing in this way.
Lightly and gently.
For a few more moments in silence.
Until we come to time for some loving-kindness meditation.
So we can continue to keep our awareness gently on track.
At the center of ourselves.
Always at the center of whatever inner experience we've built up for ourselves.
As a result of the meditation so far this session.
For some people there will be a sense of well-being.
Gradually building up on the inside.
In which case we place our attention very gently at the center of that feeling.
For others,
It may be more visual in nature.
A sense of illumination perhaps?
Or a sense that everything is not quite in darkness,
Even though it's inside us.
In the same way,
We place our awareness at the very center of that illumination.
Or maybe some sort of imagery.
Maybe the image we started out with?
Or something new within ourselves.
Again we place our awareness very gently at the centre of the image.
They were very gentle in applying the mind.
So gentle that it's almost as if we are using no effort at all.
With almost the same lightness we would use to float a needle on the surface of some water.
Held in place simply by surface tension.
Allowing that needle to float on the surface of the water.
With the same gentleness,
We float our mind at the center of our inner experience.
And what we find is that there's an expanding outward from that central point.
Almost to save the special energy of our meditation so far this session.
Extends outward.
Into every molecule.
Every celibar being.
And as it does so,
We can practice self-compassion.
By making the affirmation to ourselves that May you be well and happy.
Free from all suffering.
From there we can allow the same loving-kindness to extend beyond ourselves outward like an aura or a halo around our body.
Into our surroundings.
Extending to all the living beings in our midst.
Again sharing the same compassionate intentions.
With the affirmation that,
May these living beings also be well and happy.
Free from suffering.
Live together in peace and harmony.
And we see just how far we can extend that good intention.
That peace energy.
That lovingkindness.
Outward into the neighborhood.
Across the city.
Across the whole region.
Until we're extending loving-kindness without limits or boundaries,
Without exception.
To every sort of living being.
And if we're thinking of any particular loved ones of ours.
Or those for whom we feel a particular debt of gratitude.
We can extend special loving-kindness for them at this time.
With the wish that the special peace energy of our meditation can help them to overcome their difficulties.
With good grace and dignity� for the last few moments of our practice together.
