You might want to close your eyes and take these first moments, feeling your sitting posture

from the inside out, and then making any subtle adjustments that allow you to be sitting

in a way that's upright so that it rings on the quality of an alert, that you can feel

your posture supports being alert. But you might also perhaps lean a little bit to the

left or to the right forward, backward, and then sense really what is center. So there's

a feeling of balanced, supported. Notice if it's possible to sit tall, but also begin to

relax the limbs, relax whatever parts of you aren't having to tense in any way to keep you

upright. And then allow your attention to rest in the most simple way on the inflow and outflow

of the breath. And notice that your senses can be awake so you can feel the breath on the foreground,

and still be aware of sounds around you, and still be aware of other sensations throughout the

body. And to notice just by simply bringing your attention to the breath, to the body, there's more

presence, there's more of a sense of being right here. Letting the attention come to the heart,

and asking your own heart what it is that brings you here tonight, what is your deepest

intention? What's the intention that allows you to feel most sincere, most truthful with yourself,

and sensing yourself and community with many others who are in some way getting in touch with that

longing to be present, to open our hearts, to live more fully, to realize really the wholeness of who we are.

And in that spirit of community, of a shared heart space, we do some chanting together. You might bring the palms

touching lightly at the heart area, just to really connect with the heart space as we tent the mantra

Om, which is a sound current of connectedness, and we'll tend at three times. So we begin by taking a deep

in breath.

Om.

Om.

...