So first I want to invite you to let yourself get settled.
It's good to sit in an upright way with your back straight if you can.
Feet flat on the floor.
With your legs uncrossed if you're sitting.
If you're comfortable you can close your eyes.
If you'd rather have them open just let your gaze rest softly in front of you.
Let your attention go inward.
Get a sense inside yourself of your body in space.
Where you're sitting in the room.
Feel your feet flat on the floor.
Notice the points of contact where your body touches your chair.
Your seat,
Your back.
Scan your body and notice any areas of tension,
Relaxation,
Resistance,
Pain,
Any sensations.
You don't need to change anything.
Just paying attention to whatever is going on in your body.
And now let yourself just become aware of the sounds around you.
Let the sense of sound fill your awareness.
Now,
Gently shift your awareness to your breath.
Whether it's at the level of your nostrils,
The air going in and out,
Or the level of your chest as it goes up and down,
Or the level of your abdomen going inward and outward.
Perhaps you'll even just notice your whole body breathing.
Wherever it comes most naturally.
Just let your awareness ride the wave of your in breath and then your out breath.
And when you notice,
As often happens,
That your mind may have wondered or become lost in thought or a memory,
A feeling,
A worry.
When you notice that,
Just take note of it and gently,
Lovingly,
Kindly return your awareness to your breath.
Wherever you feel it.
And follow that wave of the in breath and the out breath.
As you follow your breath,
I'm going to invite you to imagine that you are beside a quiet stream beneath the shade of a mighty tree.
The only sounds are the moving water around the rocks and the birds in the branches above you.
The sun is starting to set and there's a warm breeze in the air.
As you stare into the distance,
You see a man walking towards you.
You know he is the Christ.
And yet,
You're surprised at how very glad he is to see you.
He is striding purposefully and calmly.
His step is light.
When you make eye contact,
He breaks into a grin and gives a little wave.
He is happy to see you and he embraces you warmly.
You sit together by the stream.
There are no words yet,
Just a comfortable quiet.
You listen to the stream together and watch the small fish dart by.
Then you turn to him and speak.
He listens carefully with infinite kindness on his face.
Then with equal tenderness,
He responds.
He responds with so much love and gentleness.
He embraces you again.
There you walk along the water,
Quiet.
Just enjoying each other's presence.
And now gently bring your attention back to your breath.
Noticing the in-breath.
And the out-breath.
Bring your awareness to the sounds around you.
Notice your body in your chair,
Your feet on the floor.
And when you feel ready,
You can gently open your eyes and continue going about your day.
Thanks so much for taking time to join me in this meditation and take care.
