Balance

Welcome to day one of balance. Now when we talk about balance, we're talking about an evenness of mind, a mental poise, a quality of mind which isn't easily overwhelmed. And if it is overwhelmed, that we know how to come back to a place of feeling grounded and centered in our life. Now in this particular exercise, we're going to use a visualization. And I'd like you to imagine a steady flow of what could only be described as liquid sunlight flowing down through the top of the head. You don't need to worry too much about it right now. I'll guide you through the exercise. But as it flows down into the body, it has all the qualities that you would imagine sunlight to have. It's very spacious, very warm, very clear. There's a sense of both the body and the mind finding a place of ease, a place of balance, as the body sort of fills up with this quality of sunlight. As I said, I'll guide you through the exercise as we go, but now just take a moment to get comfortable. And when you're ready, just beginning the exercise with some deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. And with the next out-breath, just gently closing the eyes now as you just begin to feel the weight of the body contact to the body on the chair, the feet on the floor, and the hands and the arms just resting on the legs. And just take a bit of time to settle into the different physical senses. Just noticing any sounds around you right now. And if you haven't done already, just checking in with the body now, just starting to notice how the body's feeling, whether there is a sense of balance or imbalance in the body right now. As you scan down from head to toe, just noticing those areas of the body, those areas which feel imbalanced and those which feel a little tense or tight, a little out of balance. Just scanning down through the body, and at the same time, getting a sense of the general mood of the mind right now. And before moving the focus to the breath and the visualization, just taking a moment just to clarify your intention for doing this exercise, just remembering how to create a sense of balance when it'll only affect your own mind, your own experience, but probably your relationships too, and the people around you. And now just bringing the attention back to the body, back to that rising and falling sensation of the breath. Noticing where in the body you're feeling the rhythm of the breath. Just resting the attention of the mind on that sensation. And as you continue now to follow the breath, just very lightly, I want you to imagine that above your head begins this very steady flow Of sunlight just flowing down into the body, filling the body up almost...