Brother Richard

So let's begin.

Entering this time of meditation,

we do so once again with gentleness, openness, and compassion.

We enter this time as a time of gift, a time of slowing down and deeper awareness.

We enter as fully as we can into the moment, connecting to the breath, connecting to the body,

connecting to all that supports us, the earth beneath us, the sky above us, the awareness within us.

This is a moment to enter stillness, to enter into the grace of the present moment, to trust that as we enter into that place,

that moment of awareness, we will be received with peace, with stability, with the grace necessary for this moment.

And so following the breath as our anchor and as our key into this moment, we breathe out all tension, stress, or worry

And we breathe in peace, warmth, and light.

Breathing now in such a way that the whole body relaxes.

Breathing out through any point of tension, any old stress or old injury in the body.

Feeling the body loosen and relax.

the spine drawn upwards, the chest expanding and retracting with each breath, the belly deep and calm.

And as we breathe now, gently, quietly, calmly, I'd like you to bring to mind the last thing that you ate

the last thing that you ate.

If it was a very complicated meal of many different kinds of things, perhaps choose just one food item but something that you ate recently.

And as you hold this in your mind's eye,

Just notice what associations arise as you consider this particular foodstuff.

It may be attraction towards it.