Finding Balance

Hi, and welcome to today's meditation. So today, we're going to focus on consistency and we can approach consistency in very different ways. We can do it in a very willful way, where we're sort of very determined, or we can do it in a more sort of flexible way. For me, consistency requires both flexibility and discipline. On the one hand, we need to show up on a regular basis for it to make a difference, it doesn't matter training the body, training the mind, it's the same thing. But at the same time, we don't wanna be too hard, we don't wanna be too strict, we still wanna be kind to ourselves and we need to recognize that life circumstances constantly ask us to change, to move, to be flexible with them. So, as much as possible, yes there's a commitment, there's a discipline, but we're traveling that road with a degree of flexibility, knowing that as long as we're traveling in the right direction, as long as we know where we're going then it's okay to make small adjustments along the way. For now though, make sure that you're sitting comfortably, we're gonna start in the usual way, so with the eyes open, aware of the space around you. And when you're ready just taking some big deep breaths, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth. And just feeling the body expand, the lungs expand, as you breathe in and as you breathe out, just allowing the body to soften, to let go of any tension. And with the next out breath you can just gently close your eyes. As always just take a moment, just a pause, to appreciate the opportunity to take some time out. To acknowledge that you showed up today that there's consistency in the practice. And then just feeling the weight of the body press down. Feeling those different points of contact. Perhaps noticing if the body feels any particular way today. A heaviness, lightness, restless, still. Just getting a sense. And then whenever you feel ready just scanning down from head to toe. Just noticing in more detail. How the body feels. Remember, not just to notice the bigger muscles, notice as well, perhaps the hands, the fingers, feet, the toes, the ears, parts of the body we don't normally pay a lot of attention to. As you scan down towards the toes. And just beginning now to become more aware of the breath. So we're gonna begin on the breath and then let go of that focus, but to begin with just noticing where in the body you feel that rising and falling sensation, if you can't feel anything just gently placing your hand on the stomach. Just beginning to notice the rhythm of the breath now long or short, deep or shallow, with each and every breath. And then just for a moment, we're gonna count the breaths as they pass. So we're just gonna count...