Dearest Friends,

Thank you for the gift of your presences and your participation in our gathering today.

In today’s session, we began our exploration of how the body can be a profound support for meeting stress and anxiety—starting with a broad understanding of why the body is central to the dharma, in the first place. The reasons are as follows: 

• The body keeps us tethered to the present moment: Whether it’s attending to the breath, to sensations, to sounds, etc., embodied experience helps us stay anchored in the present instead of drifting away in the tides of the past or the future. 
• The body offers us doorways to calm and tranquility: Focusing on the breath, on sense objects or on mindful movement can soothe the heart and settle the mind.
• The body is a source of insight that paves the way to a wiser engagement with life: The body immediately tells us when we’re anxious or stressed and gives us immediate feedback about whether an experience or an action is wholesome or unwholesome. This information supports us in responding with more balance, skill and wisdom.

For all of the above reasons, it’s important to relate to the body not just as an object of mindfulness, but as a field of presence in its own right. In other words, we’re not just aware of the body; we’re aware with the body. 

SUGGESTED PRACTICE:

Sit quietly and attend to your breath with your gaze lowered or your eyes closed. After a few moments, rest your awareness on your face, your scalp and your neck and notice any sensations that are present in these parts of the body. Feel the sensations “from the inside out.” Spend a few minutes here before sequentially resting your attention on your shoulders, your arms and your hands; then on your upper back and your lower back; then on your chest and your belly; then on your hips; then on your thighs; then on your legs; and then, finally, on your feet. Before you end, rest in a felt sense of gratitude for this body that’s sustained and supported you all these years. 

RECOMMENDED POEM: Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese

REFLECTION PROMPTS:

In what ways has your body supported you in your journey towards greater awareness, kindness and compassion?