Welcome to the practice of creating your place of contentment.
Firstly taking the time to cultivate a sense of stillness within your body.
Feeling the contact points to the ground.
Your firm connection thanks to gravity.
Inviting the nervous system to settle.
Surrendering to being held in this position that you've chosen.
Feeling the breath in the body.
Focusing the attention where it is most easeful for you to feel the breath.
And as best you can aim to sense a slight slowing down of the breath.
And checking in with the facial muscles.
Feeling the feeling of creating a warm and kind expression on your face.
And then bringing this warmth and friendliness to the tone of your inner voice.
This sense of stillness leads to taking your compassionate seat.
From this seat sensing the strength,
Calmness and inner stillness that is present within you.
As well as a felt sense of authority and inner wisdom.
When you feel grounded in your compassionate seat beginning to create a place in your mind or getting a felt sense of a place in which you can experience a sense of contentment and calm.
You may be focusing on a picture or an image you have thought about previously.
Or you could simply be waiting to see where your mind takes you.
As you are beginning to develop a fleeting impression of what the place will be like.
In exploring what your senses experience in this place.
What can you see?
Maybe your place is outdoors or maybe it's inside.
There may be objects.
Maybe vegetation or animals.
Perhaps there's water present.
Wonder what sorts of colours you can see or get a sense of.
Now what sounds can you hear?
Maybe the rustling of leaves,
A breeze,
Perhaps the sound of water.
Birds may be singing.
Or there may be relative silence in this place.
What does the air feel like?
Is it warm or cold in your place of contentment and calm?
Are there any smells that you notice?
Maybe the smell of grass or the saltiness of the ocean.
Feeling into your place of contentment and exploring it with all your senses.
Maybe staying with a particular sense for a while if you find it soothing.
Your mind is likely to wander from time to time because that's what minds tend to do.
So when you become aware that it's wandered off,
Simply noticing where it's moved to and gently returning your attention back to that part of the experience you find most associated with a sense of contentment and then continuing on.
Now imagining yourself in the image,
What's supporting your body?
Maybe the ground is contoured perfectly against it.
Or maybe you're sitting on a cool rock,
A cosy bed or warm sand.
Becoming aware of your own warm facial expression.
Maybe a half smile,
A gaze of contentment.
And being mindful of your own kind inner voice in this place.
And tuning into whether you want anyone else to be in your place of contentment or not.
Discovering it's about what's right for you at this moment and you being your own authority on this matter.
Now experiencing the knowledge that this place welcomes you.
It's sole purpose is to help you experience a sense of contentment and warmth.
It's in harmony with you.
So as we bring this practice to a close,
Bringing the awareness to the natural rhythm of your breath once again.
Then gently expanding the awareness to the breath in the body as a whole.
And preparing to transition into the next part of your day.
Knowing that you can reconnect with your place of contentment at any time.
Really coming back to your compassionate seat.
