Let's begin.
So we'll find our dignified and yet relaxed seat,
Place our bodies somewhere comfortable.
Our feet are planted and our hands somewhere they can rest for a little while.
A few deeper breaths.
As we become aware of our body we can inhale and lengthen our spine a little bit and exhale and soften into our seat a little bit.
See if we can get that balance between alert and comfortable.
A little bit of both.
And when our body is comfortable we can think about our breath.
So allowing our breath to be comfortable as well.
We're just watching it and see if we can allow it to breathe itself without interfering.
Feeling,
Observing each in-breath.
How it's slightly different from the one before to meet our needs in that moment.
And feeling each out-breath.
How the ribs move and the body moves.
Maybe you can sense some relaxation on the out-breath.
Just keeping our focus on the breath as best we can.
As our consciousness settles,
Softens,
Becomes quieter.
And we gently slip out of the state of doing into being.
This self that we are in this life is made up of so many parts.
And let's allow our focus to be on these parts.
The most obvious is our physical self.
Let's bring our focus to our physical self.
Even that has many,
Many parts.
Levels of structure and organisation that we cannot really comprehend.
Cells,
Trillions of cells.
Of respiring,
Creating molecules essential for our life.
They reproduce and they die without our conscious knowledge.
Forming tissues of similar types of cells that perform a similar function like muscle,
Blood,
Bone,
Connective tissue,
Immune system,
Digestive,
Body.
So many functions.
Let's embrace this body and our mind with our being.
And if we choose to change let's do it with tenderness and gentleness.
There is our emotional self.
Let's bring this to mind for a moment.
We can consider the emotional self in the present moment.
How we find our emotional self now and in the past.
We may perceive flaws here.
If we perceive a flaw.
Let's notice it.
And maybe we can embrace that flaw as part of our emotional self.
Maybe there's another perspective in which that perceived flaw is not a mistake.
It is part of growth.
It has shown us something new and directed our attention to something we can choose to change with tenderness and gentleness.
Directing our attention now to our mental self.
Any aspects of our mind.
Just as varied as the body.
You may observe in this moment how your mental self is feeling.
What's the weather like in your mind today?
In this moment.
And also in the past.
How mental storms have come and gone.
Sometimes the mind is sweetness and light.
Sometimes it isn't.
Let's see if we can embrace it all.
No doubt here we perceive flaws.
And I invite you to bring one or two to mind.
With tenderness.
With gentleness.
And ask if they are possibly not mistakes but movement towards growth.
Showing us areas where we may develop.
Knowing it all.
Our entire mental self.
And I invite you to consider how thought is primary.
How thought,
Your thoughts throughout the day,
How they create your world.
Everything about you,
The physical world,
Has been first created in someone's imagination before being brought into life,
Into physical form.
Your perceptions of our self and others shape the world around us.
Consider the world around us as if we were coloured lenses.
Consider that when we choose thoughts of tenderness,
Gentleness for our self,
Then we wear a lens of tenderness and gentleness for the world.
And if we in our innocence have thoughts of judgement,
Separation from others,
Then we see them and the world through a lens of judgement and separateness.
Let's see if we can embrace all of that.
To begin by holding ourselves,
Our mental selves in tenderness with gentleness.
Even those things we think of as flaws,
We can practice this use of tenderness and gentleness on ourselves.
And we may be moved to decide here and now to be careful what thoughts we have in our minds.
To carefully select our beliefs,
Which are repetitive thoughts we think are true.
Having made some peace with our physical self,
Our emotional self,
Our mental self,
Let's travel inwards to our centre.
We can visualise this in any way that works for you.
In the centre of yourself there is a space of calm,
Of peace.
Our truth is held with tenderness and gentleness.
Let's rest here a moment.
There is no striving,
No working to be here,
Just allow yourself to be here,
However it is for you in this moment.
Let's sit for a moment.
Enjoying another aspect of ourselves.
The peace within.
Sing for a moment before we leave if we can conceive all those different aspects of ourself.
And realising that control is unrealistic.
It's far too complex for us to be at conscious controls but we may guide and we may allow and we may do our best to hold ourselves with tenderness and gentleness and love.
And you may feel the call to hold yourself in tenderness and gentleness and love for the remainder of the day and maybe even those around you.
And should we fail to meet our own expectations,
That too is an opportunity to hold ourselves in tenderness and gentleness and love.
There are no mistakes but only growth.
Bringing our attention now to our body and our breath.
And slowly preparing to rejoin the doing world.
Taking a few deeper breaths and starting to gently reanimate the body.
Wiggling our toes,
Wiggling our fingers.
And having a little stretch if that's for us.
Thank you for practicing with me.
