Hello there friends and thank you for joining me here.
As usual,
Let's find a comfortable position.
You can be upright in a seated position for this one or even be lying down if that's more comfortable for you.
Finding ourselves in a comfortable position,
Whatever that may be.
Giving our body and mind permission to come to rest in this space.
Giving ourselves permission to let go.
We have cultivated this space just for us.
There is no work that needs to be done here.
No one and no thing we need to answer to.
Getting in touch now with the feeling of where the body is making contact with your seat or the floor or whatever you're currently rested upon.
Feeling this sense of being here in this moment.
Allowing our bodies to anchor us to this present moment.
We are conscious.
We are alive.
Our minds and bodies sustained by and one with life itself.
Notice that in this moment,
All your needs are met.
Your lungs are functioning,
Taking in air which keeps you alive.
Blood circulating through your veins.
Your ears are hearing the sounds coming from my voice,
Translating those sounds into information that your brain understands.
And notice that all these processes are occurring without any conscious effort on your part whatsoever.
And though it's possible you may be a bit hungry or a little thirsty or even distressed in some way,
In this moment right now,
You have all that you need to be alive.
To be here.
Consider the millions of people alive right now whose most essential needs are unmet.
A result of drought,
Famine,
War,
Conflict,
Economic instability,
Natural disasters,
Extreme weather.
All these natural and common occurrences on earth and in human life.
How fortunate are we here to not be afflicted by these things,
If only for this moment.
Because right now in this very moment,
Somewhere,
Someone on earth is taking their last breath.
Someone hasn't eaten for days because they can't afford to,
Or because there is no food.
Someone else is fleeing armed conflict,
Leaving their home behind.
And while our lives may be far from perfect,
Perhaps even some of us are experiencing some of the things I just mentioned.
Some of us here right now may be faced with some acute difficulty.
Job loss,
Illness,
Heartache,
Uncertainty.
At the very least in this very moment,
If you are hearing these words,
You have everything you need.
You are breathing.
You are here.
You are here.
You are alive.
Let us simply rest in the presence of this completeness for a little while.
In this moment,
I have everything I need.
Though difficulty and hardship will at times befall me,
As it does for all those who have walked this earth,
Right now,
In this moment,
I have everything I need.
Even once this period of meditation comes to a close,
I have everything I need to advocate for change in myself and in the world,
To change the patterns that are keeping me small,
To use my voice and actions to support love,
Truth,
And justice in the world,
To acknowledge that though there may be many things I wish were different about my life,
I have at least some power to begin working towards making changes.
Though oppression,
Racism,
And other forms of injustice exist in the world,
There are others out there too with whom I may take up virtuous and righteous action against injustice,
And that I am never alone.
And ultimately though we may live in an imperfect world where ugliness and suffering do exist,
There too is so much unspeakable beauty,
Kindness,
Joy,
And love,
Resting in this knowing for just a little while.
Coming back now into our bodies,
Maybe taking a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth,
Feeling our bodies making contact with the seat or the ground or the surface we're rested upon once again.
Thank you so much for being here friends.
I hope this meditation has in some way been helpful for you,
And I'm so glad that we could be here together.
Wishing you all the joy,
Love,
And peace that we all long for as we move out and into the rest of our life and our day.
Bye for now.
