The following talk was given at the Insight Meditation Center in Redwood City, California.

Please visit our website at audioderma.org. You're not going to. Okay, we'll start with the sitting. And the schedule today is 45 minute sitting, 45 minute walking, 45 minutes sitting, and then there'll be a

short talk. There's an opportunity if you'd like and there's enough room for all of you

today so far. There's a sign-up sheet for

practice meetings, a 15-minute practice discussion. I'll offer a few reflections at the beginning of the sitting about settling in and connecting with experience. This will be more general supports for practice.

Rather than rather than a specific technique for practice. I often find that at the beginning of a period of practice, relaxation is one of the greatest

supports because as we relax the body, it supports a

mind that is not caught up in worries or concerns.

And as the mind that is not caught up in worries or concerns, and as the mind concerns.

And as the mind relaxes, quite naturally,

awareness, Awareness, mindfulness, mindfulness, is available.

So we'll start with a little bit of a checking in for relaxation.

It's often helpful to do a little bit of a scan of the body.

Maybe the head, the face can soften.

And this is almost more about an invitation

rather than a trying to do it, kind of an invitation.

Maybe the head can relax, maybe the face can relax.

Maybe the jaw can relax. Maybe the torso, chest and upper back, can relax.

Middle and lower back across the stomach and abdomen. Maybe that can all soften a little bit. I'm going to Maybe the hips can't

the hips, the legs, the feet can relax. And then it can be interesting to explore whether there's a possibility for a softening inside the body.

More deeply inside. Maybe the inside of the heart can relax. All of those organs inside the body.

And again, it's more of an invitation.

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