Brother Richard

In the awareness of the breath, we allow the body to relax even further.

Breathing now, not just with mouth or nose, but with every pore of our skin.

Breathing out all tension, all stress, all worry.

Perhaps picturing our breath leaving our body just as we see our breath on a cold winter's day.

Breathing out the tension or stress, watching it dissolve into the air and disappear.

And as we breathe in, we breathe in light, peace, warmth, calm.

And so as we breathe, the body relaxes even further.

The feet heavy, calm and still.

Legs loose, relaxed and calm.

The pelvis and pit of the stomach, calm and clear.

Perhaps visualizing the pit of the stomach as a clear pool of water, smoothing its surface now so there are no ripples, no waves.

Shoulders loose, hanging from the neck.

Even the base of the skull relaxed.

all the while breathing in and breathing out.

And aware of the body relaxed and still, we can say inwardly to ourselves, I have a body, but I am more than my body.

I have a body, but I am more than my body.

And following the cycle of the breath now, we take a moment to check in with our thoughts, our emotions to that constantly changing background babble of emotional and mental sensation.

Checking in as an observer, not grasping onto any of the sensations, but just noticing.

noticing without judgment or censorship, simply watching the thoughts and the emotions as they go by.

And as we do so from the position of observer, we can say inwardly to ourselves, I have thoughts and emotions, but I am more than my thoughts and emotions.