I breathe into my center (I take a breath).

I notice my heartbeat.  It is subtle, almost silent amid the pulse of my mind.

I ask what I am thinking and do not try to change my thoughts.  I love myself, I hate myself.  I need others, I need to be alone.  I notice my thoughts so I can know what they are like in this moment.

I ask how I am feeling and do not try to answer, or come up with a word.  I am not happy, joyful, angry, sad…I am simply feeling.  I notice feelings without words, without trying to change them.  I notice so I can be aware that they are there.

I ask how my body is doing.  Where I ache, where I feel relief.  Where I am tense and can never let go, where I am at ease.  I notice the emotions that arise as I feel my body – at my heart I want to cry, at my low back I want to erupt in joy – and I relax a little more into myself.

I notice my senses.  The sounds in the room, the tastes on my tongue.  The feel of my clothing against my skin, the smells in the room.  I notice where my eyes want to look, and what it is like to relax my vision and simply see what is here.

I open into being a witness to my life and the experience of this moment.

When I notice my thoughts, I am no longer held captive by them.

When I notice my feelings, I am no longer afraid of them.

When I center in my body, I find peace.

I am leading two events this month that expand on this practice of being a witness.  “Holding Space” teaches how to maintain inner awareness during interactions with others and is free.  “How to Have a Body” explores the mystery of your physical form, and how it is designed to serve.  Visit the Upcoming Talks page to learn more.