This can be practiced within any activity during the day or while meditating
1.Notice where you are.
a.Where is your attention? Is it outside of you in another person or situation? Is it in your thoughts? Is it in your body?
b.What do you notice in your body? Are certain muscles tight? Do you feel a particular emotion? What else do you sense? Don’t try to fix anything. Just notice and say, “Yes and, what’s next?”
2.Imagine and pretend there is something- a light, line, a pole- that moves through the crown of your head and down through your body into the ground. We will call this ‘center. ’ However it shows itself to you is correct. Notice how far down your body it goes. Notice how wide it is and whether it has movement in it.
a.Notice how well your physical body, which includes your head, is aligned to this vertical center. If you sense your body is either in front of it or behind it, let go of your resistance and allow yourself to gently move into center.
b.Notice how much space you feel in front of you. In other words, how far does your energy field project? Now sense/feel how far your energy field projects in the back. If you don’t feel much in the back, bring your attention there. If it feels dark or empty, describe what nothing, empty or dark is like. Often you’ll sense a bit of light or movement once you do. Put your attention beyond where you sense your field ends and let it open and expand you. Remember the only containment is the limitations you place on yourself.
3.Do the same practice with the left and right sides of you. Sense into each side and allow the field to open. Sense /feel this from your head all the way to your feet.
4.Sense/feel your hands. Let the tensions run out of your shoulders and arms allowing the energy to move through your palms and out your fingers. Imagine and pretend your fingers are growing longer. What do you notice now in your hands? Keep allowing your hands to become present.
5.If you are sitting, feel your thighs and behind on the chair. Let go to gravity, allowing your body to sink and merge with the chair. Let the energy run down the front and back of your legs like water running through a hose. Sense/feel the energy moving into your feet. Allow your feet to grow wider and longer energetically as you let go of your tensions and become more present. Feel the bottoms of your feet. Imagine and pretend there are roots growing from your feet into the ground. Allow the roots to widen and spread. Imagine any resistance or tension that you are still holding to move down your feet and spread like ink into the ground. 1.Now that you are feeling more present, check you relationship to center. Although you may be physically aligned, notice any subtle energetic pull towards the front or back and let it go. Imagine the tension is sinking down through your body and out into the ground.
6.Now notice the circle of energy that radiates from your core or center into the field around you. Notice without judging how large it is. Allow yourself to let go of any containment you may feel and by putting your attention outside the circle, allow it to dissolve so you feel a larger circle around you. You will probably notice now that instead of center being a light or line within you, you are standing within center.
7.Now that you are centered and opened, begin your meditation. At first, this process will seem like a lot to do. After a while, it will become part of you and you’ll notice you move through it quickly
Use this process during your day. Notice as in the cartoons below, your energetic position when dealing with people. Notice how centered you are when doing the things that come easily to you. Notice your alignment to center when you are walking, when you are opening your car door, or when you are sitting in front of the computer. Notice how centered and grounded you are when in a meeting or dealing with a problem or crisis. Always bring yourself back to center before dealing with things and your decisions will be better and your actions more skillful. After a while of practice, like a well-trained dog, your spirit will come back to center whenever you call.
Enjoy.
