Brother Richard

So let's begin.

conscious that we are choosing this time of meditation deliberately, we enter in.

We make our intention to be as present as possible, and we begin with our ritual gesture, a clear signal to the mind that the time of meditation has begun.

We might like to join our hands in prayer posture at our chest, or make a small bow, or

make the sign of the cross or light a candle, but we find a gesture that is suitable for us with which we are comfortable.

Having made that gesture, we then come to sit.

We sit gently, openheartedly.

We allow the body to settle.

giving our weight to our seat, to the cushion or chair that supports us.

We take a moment to really recognize our connection with the ground beneath, perhaps through our feet or our legs.

We allow the spine to uncurl and lengthen, the head to settle over the shoulders.

perhaps tilted down slightly.

The tongue rests in the mouth, touching the back of the top teeth.

Shoulders hang from the neck.

The arms and hands supported on the lap.

Palms up or palms down is fine.

And settling into this position now, we take a moment to just check in with the body, simply asking ourselves, how am I in this moment?

How am I in my body in this moment?

Recognizing that there might be places or points of tension or pain, we acknowledge them

And we begin now to move to the awareness of the breath, breathing in and breathing out.