Welcome to First This, a short mindfulness practice and message for any time.

I'm Catherine Nicolai.

Okie-dokey-smokies, settle in, sit comfortably, lie down or put your feet up for a few. Let your shoulders drop. Unclench your jaw,

stretch out your fingers. Then take a long, full breath in through your nose.

Out through the mouth.

Do it again. Breathe in.

And out. Good. First step, as always, is just letting thoughts settle and drop away.

And we do this not by pushing thoughts out,

that tends to make them more salient,

but just finding a steady point of focus

and attending to it for a few minutes.

Natural breathing.

You can make that your focal point.

Or it could be a sound in the room, a sensation in your body.

Just something that's happening now, and that you can perceive through your senses.

Thank you. and that you can perceive through your senses. And each time you lose track of that focal point,

you just amiably start over.

No biggie.

It's a chance to get more skillful at coming back to now. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Today I want to share with you the concept of Apari-Graha.

That's Sanskrit for non-grasping.

And you can think of it first in a literal way. Notice if right now you're grasping for this moment to be different.

That may be for it to be over.

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