Brother Richard

and returning to the original rhythm of your breath, simply rest for a moment in its ebb and flow, its rise and fall, allowing the body to settle now even more fully, making any adjustment to our posture or to the way in which we find our body

so as to make sure we can sit in true stillness, while knowing, of course, that if at any moment we need to adjust our posture, we can do so.

Aware of the breath as it rises and falls, we are aware also of the movement of the body with the breath, the rise and fall of the diaphragm.

Expansion and retraction of the breast, bone and rib cage.

Movement of the shoulders.

Even the subtlest changes in temperature between inhale and exhale.

And as we breathe, we rest.

And we begin to notice our thoughts.

We can begin by asking ourselves, what have I given mental time to today?

Another way of asking this question is, where have I been mentally today?

What have my thoughts been doing?

Sometimes I may have been really aware, thinking deeply, consciously about things.

But for most of us, most of the time, the brain occupies itself with its own background babble of thought.

Simple associations, reactions, even inspirations that appear, are present, perhaps cause a reaction of some kind.

and then disappear from our awareness.

So ask yourself gently, what have you been thinking about today so far?

And if you can, try and come to rest on a thought that you gave a lot of time to.

or that had significant impact within your body, within your mind, within your heart.

This can be positive or negative, joyous or sorrowful.

For the moment, we do not judge the thought, whether it is good or bad.