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Whenever you notice you have judged something and now feel contracted within - breath consciously - with full attention on your breath. Relax, allow, sense... Relax, allow, sense... Relax, allow, sense...  Some animals, like cats, have a homing instinct that scientists can’t figure out. Somehow, they are equipped to sense their way through many miles of unknown territory all the way home. How much more does Life equip us for this ‘journey’ all the way Home? *******
Softly close your eyes, relax attention to your inbreath and outbreath and on each outbreath notice what is already here. Is your mind very active, largely with repetitive and negative thoughts? Have you tried sitting meditation but found it’s just not for you? For so long, I had a ‘monkey mind on steroids’ and sitting meditation was extremely uncomfortable for me so I trusted that - I didn't force myself. My body wanted to move so I brought my meditation into my movements during the day. I wore rubber bands on my wrist and put post it notes around my house and car to help me remember to take a conscious breath, consciously sense Presence and consciously be aware of thoughts and feelings moving through. This was my practice whenever I was doing anything that didn't require thought. Washing dishes, sweeping, walking, cooking, folding clothes, changing diapers, driving – I found so many opportunities during my day for this meditation in movement. The opportunity for meditation – sensing the truth of Being - is always now. No matter what you’re doing – now is the opening. No need to wait until you’re sitting in a certain posture, breathing in a certain way – Now is just perfect. Meditation is the openness to Now – now.  During all those decades on the self-improvement path I believed the assumption that what I am needs improving. I never even considered questioning that most basic assumption because it seemed to be irrefutable. But with self realization we’re open to letting go of all assumptions and directly sensing now what we are. No belief whatsoever filters this sensing. It is direct. Yet - it does seem a bit contradictory that when we do sense the truth of our being directly and realize our nature as whole and complete – there is then a kind of ‘improvement’ that unfolds. But rather than an improvement of Self it’s more like an improvement of our understanding and our sensing and our expressing of Self. There’s an alignment or a harmonization that is ever deepening between these three aspects of our human expression and the truth of Being. The relaxing out of all assumptions reveals an aligned sensed understanding of Truth  For decades I had a ‘monkey mind on steroids’ – thoughts were constantly running, often repetitive and largely negative and guilt producing. It was not a very enjoyable way to live, to say the least. And even after the initial glimpse of Wholeness that monkey mind on steroids kept going. The negative and repetitive nature of my thinking did not slow down one bit for quite a while. But even though all of that kept running – a few things did change. I began to be aware of the running thoughts and I began to be aware of my sense of Self when my attention was closed in on thoughts and, most significantly, I began to be aware of my sense of Self when my attention was open to simply observing the thoughts. This was absolutely amazing! Nothing had changed but everything had changed. Awareness of thoughts running through rather than having attention hooked into them… Awareness of the false sense of Self when attention is hooked into them … And awareness of the true sense of Self when we are simply observing thoughts. We are The Sky: The Sky observes clouds without confusing itself to be what it is observing  In the midst of chores can there be gratitude – or only when chores are done? Just the other morning while hanging up my pants there was full Gratitude as I watched my hand placing the pants on a hook. There was nothing else in that moment but that. Although there was a lot scheduled for that day without projection of what still 'needs' to be done there was no missing what is Now. Gratitude now as we take a step, wash a dish, chop the onions … nothing else but this. During this busy season, may each of us know this Gratitude more and more deeply as we are fully present to and enjoy whatever we are now doing. A Grateful Heart Sees Beauty and Feels Joy Now 
Love Notices – Forgetfulness Tries  |
It is all very simple. Instead of seeing things imagined, learn to see them as they are. When you can see everything as it is, you will also see yourself as you are. It is like cleansing a mirror. The same mirror that shows you the world as it is, will also show you your own face."
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