Hello and welcome.
Wherever you are in your day,
Whether you're just stepping into the routines of the morning or already caught up in the middle of activities,
You've chosen to pause here.
And in the pause,
In this present moment,
We can always begin again,
Start fresh as many times as we need to.
Let's practice this together,
Beginning again.
Go ahead and let your eyes fall shut.
Find a place where you can sit or stand comfortably so that you're both relaxed and alert.
Settle in.
And we're going to begin our practice on a sea shore.
So create in your imaginal world an ocean and a sea shore and stand there at the edge of the waves facing east waiting for the sunrise.
Stand right at the water's edge so you're facing the horizon.
We're here to welcome the sun and to celebrate a new beginning.
So first get a real sense of where you stand.
Feel the sand beneath your bare feet.
Immerse yourself in the sound of the waves.
Feel the breeze on your neck.
And as we stand here waiting for the sunrise,
Let's consciously slow and deepen our breathing.
Breathing a little more slowly,
A little more deeply than normally.
Perhaps see if you can catch the rhythm of the waves and synchronize your breath to that rhythm.
Giving full attention to the breath and the experience of standing on this shore just before sunrise.
And now let's bring up that sun together.
Direct your attention to the far horizon and first notice a lightening up there.
The first hint of light and color.
The blue of the night sky fading.
Now there's a bit of a golden glow.
A tinge of pink and orange appear.
And as the sky brightens,
Have a sense of breathing in the color,
Breathing in the light as if you yourself were taking part in bringing up the light,
Bringing up the sun.
And if it helps,
Go ahead and slowly raise your arms even as you watch the sunrise.
And finally the sun itself breaks above the horizon line and everything is light,
Light,
Light and more light.
Breathe this in.
Welcome new day,
New beginning.
Welcome sunrise.
And as you stand here welcoming in the light,
Will you imagine and accept is true that this light also exists within you.
There's a call and a response and this new day is calling up a response inside you.
Light calling to light.
Put a hand to your heart and direct your attention there.
Imagine that you're breathing in and out of the heart or chest area.
In and out of the heart.
And there in the area of the heart,
Feel the warmth of a small flame or light,
Your own inner light.
Sense its color,
Its intensity and like that sun rising on the horizon,
You can bring up the light within you too.
So raise the light to the level that's perfect for you at this moment in time.
And if there are places that need illumination in the time that remains in your day ahead,
Bring them into that light.
If there's fatigue,
You can warm yourself by the light and renew.
This is the light of a new beginning.
You created it and you can use it to start fresh in any way you'd like.
You can begin your day again here now.
So take a moment here to set an intention for how you'll move forward from this moment.
You may be a quality of being you want to bring into your day,
Like peace or kindness,
Self compassion,
Or it might be the choice of a next action that you want to bring your full presence to.
In the pause,
We can always begin again.
And here in the renewing light,
This is exactly what we're doing.
I choose in this moment,
I choose to begin again.
And now let's return to that seashore where we began.
Once again,
Feeling the sand beneath our feet,
Enjoying the newness of the day and the colors of the sunrise.
And here on this beach,
Will you reach down and pick up a shell.
It will be your touchstone as the day continues,
Reminding you that you could begin again as many times as you'd like.
And when you finish this practice,
Find a real touchstone nearby that you can keep as an anchor,
A reminder.
It can be anything,
A stone,
A leaf,
A shell,
Anything will do,
But keep it near.
Let it remind you that you can always begin again.
Now returning our attention to that inner light,
The sun we brought up inside ourselves,
Set that light to the perfect level to sustain you as you leave this practice.
And take a few more mindful breaths here in and out of the heart.
Enjoying the breath,
Enjoying the moment,
Beginning again,
Beginning anew.
