Let's make ourselves comfortable.
So in a position where our back can be reasonably straight,
Feet on the floor,
Arms resting somewhere comfortable.
All our limbs are eased where they can be still for a few moments.
Becoming a tiny bit taller next time we inhale.
And exhaling,
Becoming relaxed,
Softening into our seat.
And taking a few deeper breaths as we settle.
Being with the breath and the body.
And seeing how it feels to be with the breath and the body.
If your mind wanders it's ok,
Just come back.
So to get us into a more relaxed,
Slower state of mind we're going to use a cleansing breath.
So we're going to do a big exhalation and we can imagine blowing out through our lips,
Slightly pursed lips,
All our rules,
All our expectations of our practice,
All our self-criticism.
Oh my mind's so wondery,
I won't sit still for a minute.
Let's blow all that out.
And when we inhale we'll draw air in through our nose,
Into the bottom of our lungs,
Sides of our lungs and the top of our lungs comfortably without any tension.
And we'll release it and as we draw that air in we'll imagine drawing in freshness,
Removing the limits so we're without limitations.
Having new ideas and new ways of doing things.
So if you're ready we'll do that together.
Blowing out through our slightly pursed lips as much air as you can and with it go our past bad experiences of our practice,
Our expectation that our mind is all over the place,
Our self-criticism.
Drawing in fresh energy,
Fresh prana,
New experiences allowing whatever happens and breathing out comfortably gently when we're ready.
Resting at the end,
Softening our shoulders if we need to and seeing how that feels in the body.
If we wish we can do that again.
So when you're ready to exhale we can blow out as much air from our lungs as we can comfortably.
With it go old unhelpful ideas,
Our self-criticism and judgement,
Our fear of doing it wrong,
Inhaling no limits,
Limitless,
Can't do it wrong there are no limits.
And letting the breath out when you're ready.
Resting,
Relaxing and seeing how that feels.
So today I invite you to sit in your observer seat.
And watch what happens.
What happens in our mind,
In our body,
External distractions.
Just going to notice them all and let's agree here and now that we don't mind what happens.
Let's agree that just for the next few moments if our mind wanders you know what that's ok.
When we come back.
If your mind is fairly quiet we'll just sit with the breath and the body.
If your mind is noisy you're going to have lots to watch there.
We're just observing.
If your mind is particularly noisy we want to offer you a way of managing it.
So we don't want to ignore it because it's there for a reason and it's trying to help us.
So we can listen.
We listen to what it says and our observer says yes I hear you.
You're very worried about blank whatever that is for you.
I hear you.
It's ok.
It'll be ok.
Thank you for alerting me to whatever this is.
It's going to be ok.
Message received.
We'll go back to our practice.
So let's try that.
We'll go back to our practice.
So if we're fortunate that our mind is empty that's wonderful.
And we can sit and be beautiful.
And if we are fortunate that our mind is busy today we get to practice listening.
Listening to their egos concerns.
It's part of us.
Holding it in compassion.
The observer is compassion.
Observers like our inner mother.
If your mother was a loving caring figure your inner carer can hold your hand through whatever it is.
Tell you it's ok.
Tell you it's ok now and it will be ok.
So let's have a go at that.
The other way we can take some of the weight out of the egos argument,
Take the wind out of its sails slightly or make it a bit less serious is by asking the question is this problem happening right now or is it something I'm anticipating?
Is it something I'm expecting projecting into the future or is it here and now?
Because if it's a future problem it is not here and now and it may never be.
And we can know we will do our very best to deal with blank whatever it is.
If the worst happens we will walk through it.
So if it's a problem here and now we will walk through it and if it's a problem for the future then it's in the future.
We will come back to the here and now.
Pause for a moment and see how it feels to allow whatever is happening.
Are we judging our own performance still or can we completely let go of that too?
The limitations we put on our self.
Can we let go?
How much can we let go?
Let's try again without any borders,
Barriers,
Walls.
Just be with whatever.
Pause for a moment.
Judgments are coming up.
Let's see how it feels to say I'm choosing not to judge that action,
That outcome.
No thank you.
I'm just letting it be.
See if we can get a sense of belief of putting down that judgment,
That self-limitation.
Pause for a moment.
This becomes an act of self-love because it's all my head and I can allow maybe even like and love whatever happens inside it.
Take the pressure off ourselves.
Yes I have concerns and that's okay.
Sometimes I can just sit and breathe and that's okay too.
Pause for a moment.
And as we begin the journey back to our regular waking state of consciousness,
I invite you to set an intention with me to notice throughout the day my own self-criticism,
My own experience of limitation,
Of lack,
Of fear of something.
Whatever your particular issue or issues may be,
Let's notice them.
Let's allow them to be in our head and then our observer can decide that's something now we need to act upon or just breathe or say all is well now and all will be well.
And so we take a few deeper breaths and begin to mobilize our body,
Allowing the energy to enter our body and it's flowing into our arms and legs bringing movement to our fingers and our toes,
Our wrists and our ankles,
Our arms and legs.
We're having a little stretch and gradually returning to our waking state of consciousness.
Hopefully our mind has a little kinder place if we choose it.
Thank you for practicing with me.
