Take a moment to arrive.
Your body is always speaking,
Not in words,
But in sensation.
A Zen master once said,
When a bell rings and no one listens,
Does it make a sound?
What matters is not the bell,
But the listener.
Sensation is the signal.
Awareness is the receiver.
So let's begin listening.
Bring awareness to the crown of your head.
Imagine it as a small bell,
Perhaps faint,
Quiet,
But ringing all the same.
Move down into the forehead.
Is there a tone here of tightness,
Ease,
Or stillness?
And around the eyes and your jaw.
Each part of your body is a bell waiting to be heard.
Shift into the shoulders,
And notice if your bell here rings heavy or light.
Awareness doesn't judge the sound.
It simply receives it.
Allow attention to travel down into your arms,
Elbows,
Wrists,
And into the palms of your hands,
And out through each fingertip.
Each its own soft chime.
Each sending sensations into awareness.
Moving now into your chest.
Here,
Your bell is steady and rhythmic.
The rise and fall of each breath.
The pulse of your heart.
Your heart is a bell that's always ringing.
And remember,
Sensation is the signal.
Awareness is the receiver.
Noticing your belly.
It may echo like a drum expanding and releasing.
Your back may hold deeper tones,
Echoes of effort,
Memories of holding on.
Just listen.
No sound is wrong or off-key.
Moving awareness into your hips.
This bell may be bold,
Carrying ancient tones,
Ancient notes.
And then down through your thighs,
Your knees,
Calves.
Each step an instrument in this quiet orchestra,
Until you meet the bells closest to the earth within the soles of your feet.
Noticing that even here,
The ground hums and pulses with sensation.
Pause and ponder.
The quality and tones and texture of your body.
The bells of each sensation.
No need to fix,
Change,
Or alter.
For everything is and sounds as it should.
And as we bring the practice to a close,
From head to toe,
Your body has been ringing like a thousand quiet bells.
And you,
My friends,
Have been listening.
So remember,
As you move about your day,
Your life.
Sensation is the signal.
Awareness is the receiver.
Like the bell and the listener,
What matters is not just that the body speaks,
But that you are here to hear it.
So when life feels like noise,
Pause,
Tune in,
And let awareness ring clear.
For sensation is the signal,
And awareness the ear.
May your mind,
Body,
And spirit be abundant with peace today and every day.
Namaste.
