Happy Birthday to you.
Birthdays are a time for celebration,
A celebration of life.
Or at least they should be.
It's a great marker of time on this planet,
But it can also serve as a time for reflection.
Thinking not just about the quantity of time you've spent on this planet,
But also the quality of that time.
So join me as we begin to do just that.
Start by getting comfortable,
Seated or lying down.
And close your eyes.
Now simply start to slow your breath down.
Try to enjoy each breath on the inhale and on the exhale.
Try to make each breath last a little bit longer than the one before.
As you're doing this,
Try to think about the fact that this was the first thing you did when you were born.
It was to take a nice deep breath.
You probably started to cry after that and if you're anything like my friend Bruce Perry,
You peed all over the doctor.
Now just to be clear,
I don't want you to do those two things.
But I do want you to breathe with that same desire you did back then when you were born.
So on this anniversary,
However many years that is,
Can you keep that lovely breath you started your life with?
And can you keep it throughout today's practice?
Now having just had my birthday,
I know that birthdays can be bittersweet.
But it really is such a great time to take stock.
Like so much of our life on our birthday,
It's much easier to think about what we want rather than what we already have.
Easier to crave a new presence than notice the gifts surrounding us.
So with your breath nice and calm and relaxed,
Let's start this birthday by counting your blessings.
Can you take a moment and bring your mind to some of the things you're grateful for?
Sometimes that phrase is a little hard to fully understand,
But another way to say it is,
What are the things that you would miss if you didn't have them?
And really here we're talking about material things,
For now at least.
What sort of things do you have,
Do you possess,
Or in your presence that make your life better?
Maybe it's your body,
Maybe it's your favorite pair of slippers.
If you're a 90's kid like myself,
Maybe it's the lean,
Mean,
Grilling machine.
Whatever it is,
I want you to systematically think about each thing.
Imagine it in as much detail as possible.
Then think about the joy it brings to you and try to relive that.
Now with this vivid image of this item that brings you joy,
Feeling the joy that it brings you,
I want you to simply give thanks.
You can give thanks to whoever gave it to you,
You can give thanks to your God,
You can give thanks to yourself,
It doesn't matter.
But I want you to give thanks,
Even if it's just saying thank you out loud.
If you can't think of something straight away then this is the perfect exercise for you.
Just breathe until something comes to mind.
And the same applies if you've thought of a few things and now you're kind of stumped.
It can literally be anything.
I just want you to think of an item,
Relive the joy it gives you and then say thank you.
I'm going to leave you a little time to do that right now.
Great stuff.
Next on the agenda,
I want you to think of some of the highlights of your life so far.
As if you were putting together a highlight reel.
Moments that stand out,
That make you proud,
Happy,
Content,
Elated or nostalgic.
Just as before,
Take your time,
Breathe,
Relax,
Let these ideas come to you.
They're there just waiting to be uncovered.
And when they do pop into your head,
Just like before,
I want you to reimagine them,
Relive them and give thanks.
Do your best to put as much detail into these moments as possible.
Who was there?
What was the time of day?
How did you feel?
How did the sky look?
You're not trying to imagine as many moments as possible but rather trying to imagine moments in as much detail as possible.
Then remember,
Give thanks.
Thanks for all these incredible things you've done,
These places you've been,
These moments you've shared.
Again,
I'm going to give you a little time to do that now.
Think of those highlights of your life,
Relive them and then give thanks.
Alright,
Now for a new exercise.
This time I want you to bring to mind all those that have been there in your life.
Just like your age,
It's not about quantity but quality.
Who are the special people to you?
Who are those people that have helped you?
Who showed you kindness in big ways like supporting you or small ways like sending you a text?
Same deal here.
Imagine them with as much detail,
Their look,
Their smell,
Their mannerisms.
Then think about how they make you feel.
Lastly,
With them in your mind,
Say thank you.
Remember,
You can take your time with these things.
Spend as much time with each individual as you want.
If I don't leave you enough time,
You can always pause and pick this up when you're ready.
Imagine this.
This time you can almost hear them out loud and then,
Fourth time,
When they're quiet,
You pretty fast.
Lastly,
I want you to think about that breath you're taking right now.
That breath that allows you to do everything we've thought about so far.
Enjoy that breath and this life you have right now,
Because neither will always be around.
Let that motivate you to think about the gift that is the now.
This present moment.
You,
Sitting,
Breathing,
Feeling,
Existing.
The potential that lays ahead of you.
The opportunities to make even more memories,
To spend even more time with those people you love,
And to make use of all those gadgets and things that you already possess.
Just as before,
Experiencing the present,
Feeling it in every aspect you can.
The feeling of that chair underneath you,
The feeling of your clothes touching your body,
The air going in and out of your lungs.
Sense it all,
And then give thanks.
Here's to a great birthday for you,
And many more to come.
Namaste.
