Hello,
Friend.
In a world full of distractions,
It can be easy to miss the beauty of the present moment.
But you can access the present moment at any time.
The gateway to your understanding and experiences of life occurs by deeply listening to all of your senses.
As Tara Brach noted,
Your senses are like the doors and windows to the present moment.
When we tune into our sensory experience,
We move from merely existing to truly living.
Our senses help us step away from autopilot and into a state of awareness.
Here each moment becomes rich with possibilities and peace.
So for today's meditation,
We will build the foundations of the present moment by deeply listening using all of your senses.
So let's embark upon your journey into this moment.
Find a comfortable seat and close down your eyes.
As you inhale,
Feel the gift of this moment filling your body,
Expanding gently within you.
And with each exhale,
Release the weight of the past and the future,
Letting your breath carry away all that is clinging on to you tightly now.
Let it go.
Notice how your breath weaves you into the present moment,
So rest here,
In the soft rhythm of your own breath,
As if you were being cradled by the universe itself.
There is nothing to change,
Nothing to fix,
Just breathe.
Let your breath remind you that you are alive,
Whole and enough exactly as you are.
Tune into the sounds that surround you,
The music,
The soft hum of the air,
Distant voices.
Notice how each sound has its own quality,
Texture and rhythm.
So let the sounds come and let them go,
Like soft whispers in the air.
Each sound is a reminder of the present unfolding before you right here,
Right now.
So take the time to listen.
Now shift your attention to your sense of touch.
Feel the contact of your body with the surface you're on,
The texture of your clothes against you,
And the air resting lightly on your face.
Imagine your skin as an extension of your hearing,
Sensing the world around.
Is there a warmth,
A coolness,
A subtle tension?
And as you breathe,
Notice how the breath caresses your skin like a breeze that moves through you.
How does it feel to listen with your skin in this moment?
Now bring your listening to your sense of sight even with your eyes closed.
Notice the subtle play of light behind your eyes,
The patterns and colors that emerge.
Can you listen to the light here?
Feel how it dances and shifts even in the darkness.
Imagine that you can hear the light as it whispers to you,
Bringing messages of clarity and insight.
So tune in deeply to the quiet vision that lies beyond your closed eyes,
And reveal what is unseen but experienced.
Now move to your sense of smell.
Allow the air to carry subtle aromas to your awareness,
Inviting you deeper into the present moment.
Notice the delicate scents that linger,
A quiet presence unfolding of faint fragrances.
The scents that surround you are like a delicate secret,
Gently revealing itself with every breath that you take.
So take the time now to deeply listen to the aromas that linger around you.
Now turn inward to your sense of taste.
Perhaps your mouth feels neutral,
Or maybe there is a lingering flavor.
Let your tongue rest and simply observe without expectation.
Your sense of taste too is part of this present moment experience,
Adding another layer.
Listen deeply using your sense of taste now.
Notice the rich tapestry of the present moment.
You see each of your senses offer a different layer of reality,
And when you deeply listen with all of them,
You open yourself up to a fuller,
Broader picture of life.
So bring your awareness now to your body as a whole,
How it rests in this space,
How it breathes,
How it feels to be alive in this moment right now.
Remind yourself there's nothing to change,
Nothing to chase.
I will leave you here to practice for a few minutes longer,
Listening to your quiet symphony of this moment.
Tune back into the space that surrounds you and the sensations within you.
I will leave you with a brief poem by William Blake titled,
To See the World.
To see a world in a grain of sand and a heaven in a wildflower.
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.
This poem emphasizes how much you can experience through the simple act of sensory awareness.
So let it be a deep reminder to listen to the vastness of the world that exists,
Even in the smallest of things.
May your mind,
Body and spirit bring a deep awareness of the beautiful symphony that exists within you in this moment and the next.
Until we meet again,
My friend,
Namaste.
