Someday Farm

Music cue:

20 Minute Meditation 10

by HoliznaCC0

licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License

Spring's Garden of Growth

a Guided Meditation

Prologue

5 min.

I invite you to find a comfortable position where your body feels supported and at ease. Take your time. Once seated, enjoy a slow breath. Now, allow your eyes to softly close. Take a deep breath in... hold it gently... and release it completely. Once more, breathe deeply in... pause... and exhale fully. Let your breathing find its natural rhythm, unhurried and unforced.

We are going to take our time with this meditation. We are going to be unhurried, here. Soak in this Now. Settle your body in. Settle your breath in. Settle your mind in.

As you settle in, feel where your body connects with the surface beneath you. Maybe the cushion, or the floor. Perhaps the chair. For me, it is an ageworn wooden garden bench. Notice these points of contact grounding you to this moment, to this place. With each breath, you settle more deeply into presence.

Inhale slowly...

Exhale completely.

Inhale easily...

Exhale more slowly.

Inhale...

Exhale...

That's it. Nice.

Let's begin; I'll tell the story of my meditation...

Your eyes are closed.

Your breathing helps to anchor you here.

My story will fill your mind.

And perhaps soften and open your heart.

We will take our time and visualize.

We will feel it all.

Here we go...

The Heart-shaped Garden

19 min.

I am sitting on an old wooden bench at the edge of a garden in early Spring. The air holds a particular freshness - cool but with a hint of warmth. The rains and heat haven't yet arrived. Nevertheless, some early Spring green shoots and tiny purple and orange and red buds have appeared...if you know where to look. The morning light is clear and gentle, casting soft shadows across the Earth. Clouds drift lazily by and the quick breezes shifting last season's crinkly brown leaves keep conjuring thoughts of rabbits playing and snakes slithering.

Before me lies the garden plot, largely bare, perhaps waiting. It's shaped like a child's drawing of a heart. The soil is dark and rich, still partially dormant from Winter's rest. Maybe, if I'm honest, mostly dormant. I have given it one half-hearted raking and spread a touch of fertilizer just last week. Here and there, small signs of life emerge - a few persistent green shoots near the edges, the tiniest leaves unfurling from seemingly empty ground. Daffodils and forsythia silently make a strong argument for a Summer meant for yellow. Mostly though, it is open space. Unplanted. Undisturbed. Unhurried.

No corns stalks sway, today. No beans curl and climb the corn stalks that are not there...just yet. No squash grows rotund beneath the shade of beans and the impossibly tall corn stalks - their silks like proud banners - the corn stalks that are not yet here. The Three Sisters still slumber so sleepily.

The garden is bordered by more-or-less smooth stones of various sizes, creating a natural boundary. I smiles at the small openings between certain stones - gateways for comings and goings. These stones have witnessed many seasons, many plantings, many harvests. Some I dug up from near the bamboo garden. Brought them up into the rich light. Lichen clings to a few and moss enjoys the shaded valleys afforded by others. These stones remain, steadfast guardians of this space. Some have shifted from frost's upheavals though they each remain. Stony stalwarts where liverworts will soon reach.

As I sit in stillness, I become aware of the garden's other visitors. A robin lands lightly on the soil, tilting its head as if listening to secrets beneath the surface. It pecks once, twice, then flies to a nearby branch. A bleeding heart plant is showing near the catnip. The catnip's seems to have migrated this past Winter. A small cloud of some flying insects seems to have a keen interest in the shaded side of the lilac bush - itself seeming to enjoy its slowly appearing greenery. A chipmunk darts along the stone border, pausing occasionally to observe before continuing on its journey. A songbird descends from a neighboring tree, cautiously exploring - limb by lower limb - before retreating to higher ground. Somewhere, a woodpecker plays percussion for a band that isn't quite warmed up, or perhaps attentive - or maybe even in attendance.

The wildlife moves through this space with natural ease - neither disturbing nor being disturbed. It is all so gloriously and effortlessly and simply present. Each attending to its own rhythms, its own needs. Each visitor asks nothing of the garden except what is freely offered in this moment. Some visit, some linger, and some emerge.

A squirrel climbs the leaning maple behind the garden shed. I gasp and let a slight unplanned utterance out. Momma has an impossibly small fuzzy child in her mouth. Upward the climb! They reach their hollow way up high. They clamber into the dark. Momma peeks out to be sure all is well. Then turns inward to her brood.

I notice that nothing in this scene is striving. The soil doesn't rush its warming. The stones don't attempt to be anything other than stones. The early shoots emerge at exactly their own pace. The buds clench themselves only until ready to unfold. The animals neither hurry nor delay their natural movements. In tune with Nature, in sync with Nature...all things in Nature follow Nature by following their own inner nature.

My attention turns to the garden itself - this open canvas of possibility. No seeds have been planted yet. No rows have been marked. No decisions have been made about what will grow here in the coming season. Sure, I've discussed some ideas, peeked into the neighborhood nursery's windows, flipped through a seed catalog, and lazily daydreamed of hot peppers finding a home in the far corner where the afternoon sun is strong. I've only seen one rabbit here this season. But now...this morning...this now: the garden simply exists in a state of sacred potential. It is complete in its incompleteness.

The newly paired mourning doves coo. A phoebe chases spring gnats. A rat rustles near the compost pile. A butterfly flits past small purple flowers, showing their faces beside the frog pond. Something chitters. Something chatters. The Buddha statue remains quiet, still, serene. The windchimes continue contributing melodiously. I've counted four frogs this Spring - and named each for a poet. The winds are not yet strong enough to sound the large gong.

There is work to be done here, certainly. Soil to be turned. Weeds to be cleared. Mulch to be spread. Weeds to be cleared. Stones to be shifted. More weeds to be tussled with. Decisions to be made. Plans to be drawn. Seeds to be planted and tended. Weeds to be cleared. But...not now. Not in this moment. Now is the time of witnessing what is already here, what remains, and what returns on its own.

My Garden-shaped Heart

16 min.

As I continue to sit with this garden, I begin to understand that this space mirrors my own heart. This garden is my heartspace in early Spring, holding both the memory of previous seasons and the possibilities of what is yet to come. I am sitting - just sitting - in the garden of my own heartspace...early Spring's Garden of Growth.

Inhale easily...

Exhale more slowly.

Inhale...

Exhale...

That's it. Ahh.

Like this garden, my heart contains areas of bare soil - open, receptive, waiting. It holds persistent growth from seasons past - relationships, knowledge, wisdom that continues to emerge without effort. It has its stone boundaries - the necessary containers that define and protect my deepest self. The stone boundaries also offer intentional openings for authentic connection.

Perhaps my own heartspace has a smokebush seedling, a dwarf willow tree, and some Spring bulbs sitting on its porch awaiting rich soil. And water. And light. One day each assured to feel my soft overseeing smile as I sip tea at gardenside.

And like this garden, my heart welcomes various visitors - thoughts, emotions, memories that come and go, each with their own purpose, their own wisdom to offer...if I simply observe their natural movements without interference.

Inhale...

Exhale...

I recognize that my heart, too, exists in this season of preparation and potential. There is much I might cultivate here in the coming days. Much to clear away, much to nurture, much to newly plant. Perhaps some things to prune. But in this moment, I am simply a companion to possibility.

Inhale...

Exhale...

I am not doing. I am not planning. I am not even dreaming of what might be. I am simply witnessing what is - this perfect state of readiness before action. This sacred pause between seasons. I sip my tea. I breathe in the fragrancelessness of a new Spring.

Inhale...

Exhale...

I feel a profound peace in recognizing that this moment of apparent emptiness is actually complete in itself. The unplanted garden lacks nothing. My heartspace lacks nothing. In fact, it is fed by nothing just as it is fed by anything and everything. The garden, my heart - each exist exactly as they should in this phase of the greater cycle.

With each breath, I deepen my appreciation for this time of quiet potential. I honor the wisdom in witnessing, in simply being present to what is already here. Before moving or removing anything. Before adding anything new.

Inhale...

Exhale...

I silently offer these acknowledgments to my heart-garden:

* "I honor your natural rhythms of rest and growth."

* "I appreciate your readiness without rushing."

* "I witness your existing strength, your resilience through past seasons."

* "I value this time of being rather than of doing."

Inhale slowly...

Exhale slower...

I sit quietly, breathing with these intentions, letting them sink deeply into the soil of my awareness. The garden and I rest together in mutual recognition - each complete, each preparing, and each perfectly aligned with the season.

Inhaling...

Exhaling...

The sun has shifted slightly, warming the bench beneath me. A gentle breeze stirs the air, carrying the subtle scent of Earth and possibility. I take in this moment fully, imprinting it on my senses, knowing that soon enough, the season of active tending will arrive. I will be calloused, I will be fed, I will be sore, I will be alive to aliveness.

But for now, I am here. Simply...here. A sacred witness to sacred potential. A companion to possibility.

Inhale easily...

Exhale easily, fully, and slowly.

Inhale...

Exhale...

That's it. Yes. Mmmm.

As this meditation comes to a close, I gradually deepen my breathing. I move my jaw in silence. I shift my weight a bit. I gently wiggle my fingers and toes - reawakening to physical sensations. I roll my shoulders softly, inviting movement back into my body. I feel into my spine and these two palms. I sense my heartbeat. Now, a deep inhalation.

Exhaling, I slowly open my eyes, carrying with me the peaceful wisdom of the early Spring garden - my heartspace - with its perfect blend of what remains, what returns, and what is yet to be.

Thank you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

In this Healing Space

a Guided Meditation

for Jean:

Find a comfortable seat and close your eyes. Take a deep breath in...hold it for a moment...and now - slowly release it. Allow your breathing to settle into a natural, steady rhythm. You're unconcerned and your breathing is unforced. Breathe in...hold it for a moment...and now - slowly release it.

Feel the connection between your body and the surface supporting you - grounding yourself in this very moment.

I'm sitting in the therapist's office. This space is cozy and inviting. Rich carpets and thick upholstery. It has a sweet personality. It's after office hours and quiet, here. The lights are dim and no clock ticks. I can sense the faint echo of palo santo. Overhead, an opaline skylight.

I'm on the couch looking across a small, glass table at a comfortable chair. On the circular glass table a seashell holding breath mints. I'm reminded to breathe.

I'm in the place where problems and worries and fears and anxieties and traumas and wounds are talked about. Or are avoided. Are confronted, are challenged, are understood. I am in the place of avoiding. I am in the place of healing, in the place of honesty. I am in the place of argument and acknowledgment. I am in the place of difficulty, in the place of relief. But right now, the office is closed and I'm sitting on the couch.

This office is closed. No stories, no advice - just stillness. A warm and welcoming stillness. This quiet space, of course, represents my heart and my mind. I feel the trust and tranquility, here. I let it fill me with a profound peace and the sacred possibility of healing.

The chairs that have supported many are now empty. There's no dialogue, no advice, just a calm space. Often there are tears here, resistances rubbed lovingly away. There are hugs and homework. There are notes taken and secrets shared.

This room tonight is quiet, serene, bathed in a soft light. A particularly warm light. The walls have listened to countless stories, they've seen the ebb and flow of emotions. There are tissue boxes on every table - but none are needed tonight. Tonight, the office is empty. No voices, no advice - just stillness. This space is silent, empty and I am comfortably alone, here.

I know that this empty but purposeful office is my mind...is my heart. I feel the calmness within me. I am open to healing, to clarity, to release, to realization, tonight - here in this sanctuary.

I'm feeling the gentle embrace of the couch, it's easy and familiar support. Looking around the room, I notice the textures, the colors, the myriad small details that make it feel safe and welcoming. There is an antique mirror and a collection of blankets. There's a sculpture of a birch tree - strung with small white lights. A candle, a Thank You note, poetry on the wall, a statue of something holy. I'm letting myself feel the tranquility of this place - a sanctuary created for healing, reflection, & peace. For understanding. For honesty. For truth.

I know that this office represents the space within me: my own heart, my own mind. It is a place where thoughts can flow freely, where every...single...emotion is always readily welcomed. And all without judgment. There is no need to fix or to solve anything. I am here now - simply to be.

I'm taking a moment to observe what arises within myself. I'm aware of my headspace. I'm aware of my heartspace. My easy breathing is creating a comforting rhythm. I notice the sensations in this body, the thoughts that come and go, the feelings that may surface. I acknowledge each one without clinging to it, without pushing it away. I let them each easily pass, like daydreams on a Summer's day.

Now, I bring this mind's focus to this breath. I feel into the gentle rhythm of each inhalation and exhalation. With each breath, I imagine myself filling this space with calm and healing energy. An offering to whoever may speak here next. To whoever may listen here next. Each exhale releases my tension, as I let go of anything that no longer serves me. Each inhalation a simple offering to all who offer of themselves (so vulnerably!) in this place

As I breathe, I repeat these affirmations silently. These blessings:

* "May this remain a space for Trust."

* "May this remain a space for Healing."

* "May this remain a space for Transformation ."

* "May this remain a space for Insight."

I spend a few moments here, simply breathing and being and blessing. I'm consciously inviting the peace of this space to envelop me. To wash over. To fill me. To cleanse me. I am breathing and being and blessing as I offer my heart and intention to this space.

Feeling ready, now: I begin to deepen the breath. I gently wiggle my fingers and toes, I roll my neck. I'm bringing awareness back to the physical body. Slowly, I open my eyes.

I bow. I smile. I sigh.

Thank you.

Om...Shanti. Om.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

Music: Keith Smith

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

Uncovering Joy Beneath Difficulty

a Ram Dass Guided Meditation

Introduction

Welcome. As you settle into this moment, find a comfortable position - whether seated, lying down, or even standing - and let your body rest. Feel the weight of your body supported by the ancient Earth beneath you. Feel the weight of your spirit, held by the whole Cosmos. Softly and slowly allow your eyes to fall to closed. Begin to draw your awareness inward, to the rhythm of your breath.

Take your time...its free.

Centering

Take a deep breath in. Feel the fullness of this inhalation - a gift of life flowing into you. As you exhale, gently release tension from your body and mind. With each breath, you deepen your connection to this present moment. Repeat this gentle flow for a few cycles, allowing yourself to ease into your being, into the here, and into the now.

Breathing life in...

Breathing tension out...

Reflection: Facing Difficulty

Breathing life in...

Breathing tension out...

Begin by bringing to mind a challenge you are facing, perhaps an unresolved difficulty or a moment of discomfort. Perhaps an unfairly lasting moment. A circumstance, a person, an institution, a wound. Bring this difficulty quite gently to mind. Let it surface like a turtle from a lotus-bearing pond. This difficulty is brought to mind not to be resisted or to be judged. Rather, it is simply raised to the surface of mind to seek breath, to seek light, to visit the lotus flowers. Let it arise.

Ram Dass reminds us, "What you are looking for is already where you are." Trust that your path, including this challenge, holds treasures, insights, even revelation - awaiting discovery.

Invite yourself to hold this difficulty tenderly, with curiosity rather than with judgment. Observe its shape, its weight. Its texture, its color. What does it Teach you about your inner landscape? Imagine wrapping this challenge in a soft blanket of kindness. Swaddled wounds.

Inhale deeply and feel life fill you.

Exhale fully and feel tension leave you.

Allow yourself to ease into your being, into the here, and into the now.

Releasing Resistance

Continue breathing easily.

Continue bearing your challenge near the top of mind - held lightly in the soft glow of your awareness.

Continue breathing deeply.

Ram Dass often speaks about letting go of resistance to life’s flow, saying, “Be here now.” As you exhale, imagine releasing any resistance to the difficulty you’ve welcomed into your awareness. Let go of the need to solve, to fix, or to push against it. The fullness of this breath and this moment leave no space for argument. Trust that in surrendering to the moment, you make space for unexpected joy to emerge.

As you breathe, feel yourself stepping back from the problem, as if viewing it from a higher perspective. A further perspective. A wider perspective. See the broader tapestry of life and how this moment fits into your journey. A small smile is surely forming, now. Feel the shift in your awareness as joy quietly begins to stir.

Inhale deeply and feel life fill you.

Exhale fully and feel tension leave you.

Allow yourself to ease into your being, into the here, and into the now.

Unveiling Joy

Continue breathing easily.

Continue bearing your challenge in mind - held lightly in the loving glow of your awareness.

Continue breathing slowly.

Now, turn your attention inward - to the stillness beneath. Beneath the waves of difficulty, there is always a quiet depth, a center of calm. Quietude at our core. Ram Dass teaches, “The quieter you become, the more you hear.” What does this stillness whisper to you? What joy, however small, is hidden beneath the surface?

Take a few breaths here, allowing this joy - whether subtle or profound - to grow within you. Feel its warmth spreading gently through your body, your heart, your spirit. How is that smile doing, now?

Inhale deeply and feel life fill you.

Exhale fully and feel tension leave you.

Allow yourself to ease into your being, into the here, and into the now.

Integration: Carrying Joy Forward

Continue breathing easily.

Continue bearing your challenge in mind; alongside your newly uncovered joy - both held lightly in the appreciative glow of your awareness.

Continue breathing quietly.

As you prepare to return to your day, know that this joy remains within you. It does not depend on external circumstances; it is your birthright, and it is always accessible. Reflect on Ram Dass’ wisdom: “When you let go of who you think you are, you become who you are.” Joy unfolds from the essence of your being. Like that smile unfolding on your silly face.

While wearing your newfound smile:

Inhale deeply and feel life fill you...feel joy fill you.

Exhale fully and feel who you thought you were leave you.

Allow yourself to ease into your being, into the here, and into the now.

Be...

Here...

Now...

Take a final and deep breath:

In with ease.

Out with joy.

Gently lift your eyelids or bring your awareness back to the space around you. Know that you carry this inner joy forward into each moment of your journey. And this joy is with you as you meet each person, circumstance, and challenge.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining this Practice. May it remind you of the limitless joy within, even during life’s most challenging times.

Thank you

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s a brief and easy-to-remember guided meditation for moments when road rage arises. It incorporates a scientifically validated breathing technique - Box Breathing - to bring calm and focus. This practice merges mindfulness with a physiological reset, helping shift the nervous system back to balance.

Be sure to save this or bookmark so that you have it at the ready for a time of near-crisis.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

Prologue:

Try this one with the sound of a ticking clock nearby.

Out of sight but near enough to hear might be best.

Perhaps, if you don't have such a Clock nearby, you can call up the sound of one on your phone or on YouTube.

Or simply imagine one.

Let's begin:

Close your eyes, if that feels comfortable, and take a deep breath in through your nose... then out through your mouth.

Inhale, exhale...

As slowly as you like.

Inhale, exhale...

As deeply as you like.

Inhale, exhale...

Slowly in through the nose, inhale

Slowly out through the mouth, exhale

Inhale, exhale...

Let your body settle into the seat or stance that you've placed yourself in.

Let your body settle into the

room or the space that you've placed yourself in.

Inhale, exhale...

Let your awareness also settle in...

Inhale, exhale...

Notice the ticking of the clock somewhere nearby - a gentle, rhythmic pulse, steady and unchanging.

Allow its sound to be your anchor:

Inhale, exhale...

Tick tick - anchored where you have settled yourself.

Tock tock - anchored where this very breath fills you.

Tick tock - anchored where this very breath empties from you.

Inhale, exhale...

The reassuring ticking is more than a simple sound - it is a subtle vibration. A vibration that the ears know, but also that your bones know. Your breathing responds...by offering its own whispered vibrations. A sacred and ancient wordless dialogue of a Now Now Now Now rhythm.

Inhale, exhale...

A quiet reassurance to you from the clock and from you to the world.

Inhale, exhale...

Breath Tock Breath Tock

Inhale, exhale...

Time is a Language:

Language depends on silence between words for there to be understanding, for there to be meaning.

Time's language depends on Now for it to have meaning.

Inhale, exhale...

Each tick creates a pleasing ripple of calm that spreads out from the clock, softly enveloping your body and mind. Quietly reassuring your breath.

Inhale, exhale...

A great calmness spreads toward and eventually into your body. With quieting breathing, it spreads throughout your body.

Inhale, exhale...

The regularity of the sound - like the natural rhythm of your breath - is a constancy that you can be confident in. The clock's rhythm is unchanging. Your breath on the other hand...

Inhale, exhale...

Let go of any effort to control your thoughts. Instead, simply let them drift by like the peaceful hours of a long-ago Summer's day. Each sound carries the echo of serene days gone by, reminding you of the simplicity and peace that is always within reach.

Inhale, exhale...

The ticking continues.

The breathing continues.

Serenity continues.

Feel the ticking's familiarity, its certainty, its quiet companionship.

Stay here, with this sound, for as long as you need.

Inhale, exhale...

When you're ready, slowly open your eyes. Maybe wiggle your toes, rub your hands.

Welcome back.

If some reassurance is felt, perhaps commit now to carrying it with you ahead and into your day.

...or into your week.

...perhaps even into the fullness of the life and lives before you.

Thank you.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

Guided Meditation:

Cold Open:

In the moments before stepping onto the competition mat, your heart pounds wildly and your thoughts threaten to race you in a life-or-death marathon. The competition arena is abuzz with excitement and activity. Everywhere you look, someone is rushing from one place to another, people are stretching to inspiring degrees, shadowboxers are warming up in every corner, and a dizzying number and dazzling array of weapons are slicing the air and whistling as they glint and carve imaginary opponents. External challenges, confusion, & chaos threaten to overwhelm your carefully honed techniques.

The greatest Martial Artists understand that true victory begins not with the first physical move, but with the focused stillness that precedes it.

Prologue:

Whether this is your first completion or simply the next in a long history of competitions, I welcome you. We can all very easily experience trepidation, anxiety, fear, and faltering self-confidence as we step up to a test. A competition can often feel like a test. Perhaps this coming competition is your first time ever or perhaps it is your first time signing up for this sort of competition or this facet of competition. Coalescing and clarifying the mind can serve us in our adventure ahead. Join in, please.

In this Guided Meditation, I will be outlining a broad range of martial and Philsophical touchstones. Some may be familiar, some less so. This is an opportunity to learn and to see broad patterns of collegiality within our greater Martial Arts families. A Martial Arts competition often serves to foster expanding and deepening tendrils of connectivity to our sisters and brothers in the Arts.

The intention is that, after sampling this entire Guided Meditation, you might choose the portions of this meditation that align with your concerns and understandings. And perhaps return to them or even expand on them as needed. Discard the rest of the examples of martial tradition that I've provided if you like - it's OK.

Consider recording for yourself the sections you feel the strongest affinity for. In this way, you can more easily construct a meditation practice that best serves your needs and that meets you where your studies and growth have brought you.

Later, you can simply press play when you want to be guided through your own version of a meditation. It'll be your own voice in your head helping you steady and steel yourself for the coming difficulties. What better voice in your head to supplant the chattering voice in your head than your own?!

Either way, have a Guided Meditation at the ready when you are feeling ready, not quite ready, or even unsteady. The night before or right before the competition, maybe? I've included a link to a free version of this Guided Meditation (with music!) which I recorded as part of my podcast where I regularly offer novel Guided Meditations.

Welcome to this Guided Meditation, designed to support you as you prepare to enter your first Martial Arts competition. Or, if not your first, your next. (In fact, this meditation would likely work quite well before your next rank test or demonstration team performance, as well.)

Now, have a safe, social, educational, & fun experience. Go give back to the world!

A Welcome:

Take a moment to find a comfortable seated position, either on the floor or in a chair, with your back straight and your hands resting gently on your lap.

Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through your nose, feeling your lungs expand fully. Exhale slowly through your mouth, releasing any tension you may be holding.

Let your breath flow naturally, and allow yourself to become fully present in this moment.

Here we go:

Embracing Calmness:

Inhale deeply and imagine standing at ease, quiet, confident, and strong. Beside you a calm, still lake stretches out. Deeply blue, clean, fresh. Forests and mountains surround it - each rising up to a sky competing to be just as blue, clean, and fresh as the lake. The lake is vast, extending beyond your vision. Opening yourself to your inner vision, however - you can envision its far shores...alive with life, adventures, and challenges. The lake is deep, extending far beyond your vision - beyond the sunlight's reach. Opening yourself to your inner vision, however - you can easily envision its darkest depths...a home to treasures, dazzling lifeforms, and sunken ships.

The water is clear and serene, reflecting the surrounding mountains and sky. The waters reflect the clouds drifting past and the flocks of passing birds. This is the inner calmness that resides within you. Within you, a vast sky, a vast lake, a vast horizon. Inhale and draw inspiration from the wisdom of ancient Martial Arts, where the exatraordinary philosophies Teach us to find stillness in movement. Placidity and passivity in activity.

Let go of any anxiety or self-doubt. Feel the limitless potential of the Sky above - empty and yet full of life and possibility. Feel the tranquility of the lake fill your mind and body. Beneath its reflective and sometimes roiling waters, unseen currents flow, schools of fish glide past. And nearer the lake floor, is a silt bottom - unperturbed by motion, by change. Silent, settled, supportive - and unseen.

Harnessing Ki:

Focus on your breath as you inhale and exhale.

In Japanese Martial Arts, the concept of 氣, Ki represents the vital life force that flows through all living things. Visualize this energy as a welcome and life-giving light radiating from deep within your core. As you continue to breath, see the energizing and healing light ever more clearly, feel its warmth growing with each breath - even slowly growing.

With each breath the energy is filling you with vitality and confidence.

With each breath the Ki seeps more deeply into you.

With each breath the Ki feels more at home, more familiar to you.

With each breath you feel more confident, more calm, more capable.

This Ki flows from, through, and among all who you will encounter at the tournament. It is a shared life, flowing like wisdom or waters between all members of a community and the place it calls home.

Know that this inner power will guide and support you during your training and competition as well as your afterstory of competition.

Australian Aboriginal Combat: Connection to Country

Turn your awareness to the ancient traditions of Australia's First Nations peoples, whose combat systems are among the oldest continuous martial practices on Earth. There is wrestling and stick fighting, but you've chosen the honorable spear. An exemplar of coordination and a warrior's reach. The spear feeds the village in the days it is not taken up to defend the village. The honor knows your heart and hands and fills your belly. The fishing spear and the hunting spear were each as important as the heavier war spear. Accuracy, strength, and stability were important measurements of any successful spear-wielder.

Inhale deeply, imagining the scent of eucalyptus and desert air. Exhale slowly, visualizing the sacred soils beneath your feet, connecting you to the oldest continent.

In Aboriginal martial traditions like spear throwing, people develop not just technique but deep connection to Country - the land that sustains all life. This connection provides both physical grounding and spiritual power.

Inhale, drawing strength from the land beneath you, wherever you may be. As you inhale, red Earth builds your blood. Exhale, acknowledging your place in the greater web of life. As you exhale, the Songlines sing brightly.

Aboriginal warriors trained not just for combat but for ceremonial contests that reinforced cultural values and resolved conflicts. Their weapons and movements were extensions of their relationship with the natural world. Just as the Woomera was an extension of the arm - providing extraordinary leverage to the hunter while also requiring great skill of the spear-holder.

Inhale the ancient wisdom of listening – to your body, to your opponent, to the environment. Exhale, releasing any separation between yourself and your surroundings.

Let the world's oldest continuous culture remind you that Martial Arts are not separate from life but deeply embedded in it. Trust the accumulated knowledge in your body, passed down through generations of teachers, just as Aboriginal knowledge has been preserved for over 60,000 years. Like the Kylie, the heavy hunting stick, you will throw yourself into the challenge ahead and success will be yours!

Mongolian Wrestling: Heritage of the Steppe

Turn your awareness to the endless grasslands of Mongolia, where for thousands of years, nomadic herders have practiced Bökh. Bökh is most often translated as Mongolian wrestling and is as much a celebration of strength, skill, & heritage as it is a combat art. A Bökh contest is held without age, weight, or time limits and no part of the body may touch the ground except the soles of the feet. In your challenge ahead, your feet will draw strength from the ground and no part of you will falter and fall to Earth.

Inhale deeply, drawing in the pure air of the steppes. Exhale slowly, feeling your connection to the Earth strengthen like the roots of ancient grass.

Visualize yourself in the traditional зодог, Zodog - a multicolored and flowing necklace of silken ribbons symbolizing skill, heritage, and achievements. The respect the growing crowd has for your Martial prowess has allowed you the honor of wearing this Zodog. Honorary titles from wrestling have included Hawk, Falcon, Elephant, and Lion. Undefeatable Giant is the highest rank - and you are prepared now to achieve it. Your Zodog flows in the high winds of the steppe and flashes as you move - like a powerful horse's mane!)

Now, you are performing the дэвэх, Devekh (Eagle dance) before the contest – arms outstretched like wings, celebrating freedom and power. The dance is an honor to perform and its intention is to show great respect for the audience and your opponents. Set your determined mind, now on this great task. Generate cheers for the challenges ahead!

Inhale the spirit of the eagle soaring above the Mongolian plains. Your vision is celebrated. Exhale, grounding yourself like the mountains that rise from the steppe. Your confidence is the stuff of legend.

In Mongolian tradition, a wrestler embodies the values of Baatar (hero) – someone who shows not just physical strength, but courage, honor, & respect for tradition. Feel these qualities living within you.

Inhale, drawing strength from your Ancestors, whether literal or spiritual. Exhale, committing yourself to honoring their legacy through your actions.

Let the heritage of the steppe warriors fill you with quiet confidence, knowing that you stand in a tradition that values both victory and how one achieves it – with honor, skill, and respect.

Nuba Wrestling: Resilience and Tradition

Now, bring your attention to the resilience and tradition of Nuba Wrestling, practiced along the Nile River in Sudan and Egypt.

Inhale deeply, feeling the connection to the ancient Nuba warriors who used this Art to build strength and unity.

As you exhale, visualize yourself on the sandy wrestling ground, surrounded by the cheers of your community.

Feel the power in your legs and core, the agility in your movements. Nuba wrestling was traditionally practiced nude. During a competition, with all eyes directed at you - and many critically you may feel like the Nuba wrestlers. Some Nuba Wrestling practices are done with sticks and still naked. You may feel similarly lashed at and lacerated as you perform.

Inhale again deeply. Feel that connection to the ancient Nuba warriors who built strength and unity through this Art.

Exhale again. Visualize yourself, having thrown your opponent to the ground, your ears filled with the thunderous cheers of your brethren.

Embrace the Nuba philosophy of perseverance and respect for tradition. Let this resilience and connection to your heritage guide you with pride and determination during your competition.

Viking Glima: Honor Wrestling

Shift your awareness to the snow-covered landscapes of Scandinavia, where for over a thousand years, Norse people have practiced Glima – a formidable wrestling art that embodies both practical combat and cultural values. In Glima, balance, agility, and keen technique are celebrated and required - brute strength will be the consolation of the newly vanquished.

Knowing Glima as you do, nothing in your test to come will trip you up or throw you. You will sweep away any obstacles in your path and be the lone wrestler to stand at the test's end. Metaphorically, of course!

You tie on your goat leather Glímubelti - Wrestling Belt and step into the arena. Whether or not your opponent gets a grip of your belt, you know that your grip will serve you better. You will use timing, balance, sensitivity and leverage to make full use of your legs and grip.

Inhale deeply, drawing in the cold, crisp Northern air. Exhale slowly, imagining yourself standing on the rocky shores of a fjord, strong as the ancient glaciers.

In Viking culture, a warrior's worth was measured not just by victory, but by how they conducted themselves. The concept of Drengskapr – honor, fairness, and courage – guides your approach to combat just as it guided the Vikings in their approach to trade and daily life. Fairness, courage, loyalty, and humility are the foundation of this system thought. Whatever comes to you in this coming test, you will keep a tight grip of Respect, Resilience, Communality, and Generosity - as if it were your opponent's belt.

Inhale the straightforward honesty valued in Norse tradition. Exhale any inclination toward deception or dishonorable tactics.

Feel the belt around your waist, the traditional handhold of Glima wrestlers. This grip creates both connection and respect between opponents – a physical reminder that even in competition, you are bound by mutual agreement and rules.

Inhale strength that comes not from domination, but from integrity. Exhale, committing yourself to clean, technical execution of your Art.

Let the Viking spirit of principled competition fill you with determination and focus, knowing that how you compete reflects your character as much as whether you win or lose.

Muay Thai: The Dance of Eight Limbs

Turn your awareness now to Thailand's pride, the ancient fighting Art of Muay Thai, known as the "Art of Eight Limbs." The eight limbs often double the four (two hands, two feet) that other styles of Martial Arts competitors make use of. Muay Thai adds, emphasizes, and encourages the elbows and knees. As such, the Art is quite in-your-face and the origami Artist of Thailand folds and bends herself to sharpen an otherwise straight limb.

Inhale deeply, feeling the vibrant warmth of the tropical Thai air filling your lungs. Exhale slowly, imagining yourself standing in a traditional training camp, surrounded by the sounds of pads being struck and the rhythmic music of the Sarama.

Visualize the Wai Kru Ram Muay, the traditional pre-fight ritual dance where fighters honor their Teachers, Ancestors, and spirits. This dance is profoundly meditative, introspective, rhythmic, and spiritual. You begin by kneeling in the arena, sitting on your heels with knees wide. You bow rhythmically multiple times, your motions driven by the fuel of respect bubbling within.

As you dance, you wear the มงคล, Monkkon, a rope headband blessed by monks and adorned with protective symbols of blessing. Feel the sacred headband encircling your brow, carrying the strength and expectations of your lineage. This will be removed before the contest.

Inhale, gathering the strength of the tiger, the cunningness of the crocodile, the nobility of the elephant. Exhale, feeling your stance lower, your body becoming a weapon of eight points - hands, elbows, knees, & feet.

Around each bicep ปะเจียด, Prajiad are tied. These cloth bands symbolize your training family, their values, and represent their protective blessings.

Inhale, gathering the stealth, precision, and fluidity of the Naga. Exhale, feeling your joints loosen, your muscles heat up.

In Thai culture, the concept of เย็นใจ, Jai Yen (cool heart) encourages calmness under pressure, while ร้อนใจ, Jai Rawn (hot heart) represents the fighting spirit. Express both the passion and the calmness with equal power. Find the balance between these two states.

Inhale the cool heart – patient, strategic, observant. Exhale the hot heart – determined, courageous, unstoppable.

Feel the legendary spirit of the Thai warriors who developed this art to protect their kingdom. Let their resilience and technical precision guide you through your competition with both heart and respect.

Russian Sambo: The Science of Self-Defense

Bring your attention to the cold, vast landscapes of Russia, birthplace of Sambo – "SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya" or "Self Defense without Weapons."

Inhale deeply, feeling the crisp, cool air filling your lungs. You are empowered rather than defeated by the deep cold. Exhale slowly, imagining the strength of the Russian birch tree – flexible yet unbreakable. You are grounded and resilient, your feet in the snow and your face to the sun.

In Sambo, practitioners learn to harness both physical techniques and mental fortitude. The philosophy embraces adaptation – taking what works from many sources to create something uniquely effective.

Inhale, drawing in the analytical mind that Sambo requires. Just as you will do in your competition, breathe in from all sources. Exhale, releasing rigid thinking and embracing pragmatic solutions. Just as you will do in your competition, breathe out novel responses to challenges.

Feel the ground beneath you, solid as the Siberian permafrost. Imagine yourself in a stance that is balanced yet dynamic – ready to shoot for a takedown or counter an opponent's movement with precision.

Inhale the spirit of resilience that defines this Martial Art. Your spirit is timeless. Exhale any doubt about your ability to adapt under pressure. Your doubts are perishable.

Embrace the Sambo mindset – analytical, resourceful, and determined – knowing that you can face any challenge with both scientific precision and warrior spirit.

Drinking of Dàoist Wisdom:

Visualize yourself standing in a lush bamboo forest in China. The tall, slender bamboo stalks sway gracefully with the wind, never breaking. There are birds hidden in the bamboo leaves, there are songs hidden in those birds. The bamboo, the songbirds, and you - each have a song to sing - a story to tell.

In Dàoist philosophy, the 虛, Xū Empty Vessel is a frequent Teaching metaphor. As is the water that might go inside. The vessel is flexible enough to receive anything and also to offer up anything within itself. Similarly, water is flexible enough to freeze or flow, and also to conform to the shape of any vessel it is poured into.

Breathing in, the air, like the water - conforms to the shape of you.

Breathing out, the body, like the empty vessel - offers all within without hesitation or restriction.

Breathing in, flexibility in.

Breathing out, flexibility out.

As you prepare for your competition, embody the flexibility and resilience of the bamboo.

of the songbird and its song.

of the breeze playing the bamboo forest like its own instrument.

of the empty vessel.

of the water.

of the breath.

Breathing in, flexibility in.

Breathing out, flexibility out.

Trust that by flowing with the natural rhythms, you will find strength and harmony in your movements.

Ubuntu Warrior Mindset:

Imagine yourself in the ancestral lands of the Zulu warriors, where the golden savanna stretches to meet the horizon. In many African traditions, the philosophy of Ubuntu "I am only because we are" teaches that our humanity is inextricably bound with others. The entirety of our humanity - our suffering and our celebrations...connected to the lives of every other life - friend and foe, stranger and sibling. The Zulu warrior understands that true strength flows from connection, not isolation. The very act of breathing connects the limited physical existence with our unlimited spiritual reality.

Sitting with your back straight like a spear, feel your Ancestors behind you. Breathing in, draw strength from your lineage and community. Breathing out, dedicate your practice to something greater than yourself.

The Nguni Bantu concept of uMoya, Spirit or Breath connects all living beings in an unbroken circle.

Breathing in, receive the collective strength of your community. Breathing out, offer your courage to those who will come after you.

As you prepare for your challenge, remember that you never fight alone. Each movement carries the wisdom of generations, each breath connects you to a legacy of warriors who understand that victory honors not just the individual, but the whole.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Indian Yogic Tradition:

Imagine yourself standing tall in the sacred Ganges river, where Yogis have refined body-mind awareness for millennia. Wisdom, life, stories, and spirit all flow from the Himalayas through the life of each Indian and then on to the sea. The concept of प्राण, Prana represents life force flowing through specific channels नाडी, Nadi. Feel it flow through you as reliably as mother Ganges flows through the lands of India.

Breathing in, direct Prana to areas of tension or fear. Breathing out, transform that energy into focused strength.

The Universal Spirit of Martial Arts

Take a moment to reflect on the diverse traditions you’ve connected with in this meditation - from the resilient reserve of Chinese 虛, Xū to the river of Prana flowing like the Ganges. From the Vikings' commitment to Drengskapr to the Zulu hero's uMoya. From the naked power of Nuba Wrestling to the raw fury of Sambo. From the Aboriginal war spear to the Thai warrior's Monkkon.

Inhale deeply, feeling the universal spirit that unites all Martial Arts: respect, discipline, courage, and harmony.

As you exhale, visualize a glowing thread connecting you to practitioners around the world, past and present. Feel the shared energy of their dedication, their struggles, and their triumphs.

Know that you are part of this timeless lineage, a living expression of Martial Arts’ wisdom and spirit. This is a lineage that reaches further back than we've considered and includes a vast multitude of important traditions - only a very few of which we've touched on. Embrace this universal connection, letting it fill you with humility and strength. Whether you are stepping onto the mat, the ring, or the arena, you carry not only your own training but also the collective spirit of Martial Arts traditions. Let this awareness guide you with confidence, grace, & respect as you enter your competition.

Inhale each Martial Arts value.

Exhale, each Martial Arts value.

Again:

Inhale all Martial Arts values.

Exhale, all Martial Arts values.

Confidence in Competence:

Reflect on the countless hours of training and dedication you have put into developing your Martial Arts skills. Few people today have demonstrated such devotion to carrying a craft forward to the next generation.

Inhale deeply and let a sense of calm confidence wash over you. Know that you are prepared and capable.

Exhale slowly and visualize yourself performing with precision, strength, and grace. Trust in your competence and let this confidence guide you during your competition.

Know that your time training has been a lengthening of this path of human progress - a road stretching back across time to the Founders of your Art. Walk forward confidently and both build and show the way to those who will follow you - just as you followed your Teachers.

Camaraderie and Connection:

Now, bring to mind the sense of camaraderie and connection you share with your fellow Martial Artists.

With a slight smile, inhale deeply, feeling a sense of unity and support. Remember that you are part of a larger community, and this shared bond strengthens you.

Exhaling slowly now, visualize the faces of your friends and mentors, and let their encouragement and belief in you fill your heart. Embrace the spirit of camaraderie as you enter the competition.

Martial Arts is always practiced along a continuum of cooperation, competition, and combat. This competition will outwardly represent two of those three. Embrace that. Half of what the competition outwardly presents is competition while the other half is cooperation. Commit to fully experiencing both halves of what is offered. As for combat, that may be experienced internally. Jitters, hesitations, fear, faltering self-confidence. Under the surface, you may be presented with an unseen battlefield. Seek the support of your peers and mentors as well as new friends. Rely on your internal reserves, earlier commitments, student creed, and mental practices. Be consciously breathing. Steel yourself for the challenge but don't let the challenge steal your resolve.

Inhale, you are part of a worldwide family. A family prepared to support your efforts both in success and failure.

Exhale, you are part of a worldwide family. A family you are prepared to support both in success and failure.

Cultivating Gratitude and Humility:

Now, bring your awareness to the many people, experiences, and lessons that have brought you to this moment. In Martial Arts, gratitude and humility are deeply valued virtues. In Japanese Budō, the concept of 謙虚, Kenkyo reminds us to remain humble, even in our achievements.

Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, reflect on the Teachers, training partners, and challenges that have shaped your journey. The long line of contributors to this moment of yours is truly humbling.

Feel a deep sense of gratitude for their role in your growth. Now, turn your attention inward. Acknowledge your own efforts and dedication.

Inhale gratitude for your own strength, resilience, & commitment.

Exhale any ego or pride. Embrace humility as a lasting source of inner peace.

Visualize yourself bowing in respect - to your Teachers, to your opponents, and to the Art itself. This act of humility connects you to the deeper purpose of Martial Arts: not just to win, but to grow, to learn, and to honor the journey. Let this gratitude and humility fill your heart, grounding you in a mindset of respect and appreciation as you prepare to set your intention.

Setting Your Intention:

Take a few moments to set a clear intention for your Martial Arts competition.

Right now, take a few moments:

Breathing quietly.

Quieting the mind.

Settling the heart.

What do you hope to achieve?

What qualities do you want to embody?

Visualize yourself performing with skill, grace, & confidence. See yourself overcoming any obstacles and achieving your goals.

Your intention is set. It cannot be altered. While it might not be fulfilled, it will remain to guide you. Hold this vision in your mind, and let it guide you throughout your journey.

The Warrior's Rest

Before we conclude our journey through the world's martial traditions, let us acknowledge one more universal aspect of the warrior's path - the importance of rest and recovery.

Inhale deeply, feeling a profound sense of peace settling over your body. Exhale completely, allowing yourself to truly release.

Every martial tradition recognizes that the warrior who does not rest is not wise. The warrior refusing rest will succumb to weakness, injury, and an early death. The Japanese speak of 間, Ma - the space between actions where power gathers. Some of this space is measurable with a ruler as distance but much of it is a measure of strategy and psychology. The Chinese concept of 無為, Wúwéi celebrates frictionless action that comes from proper preparation, flexibility, & timing rooted in spontaneity.

Inhale, drawing in the restful energy that builds strength. Free the space. Exhale, releasing the tension of constant striving. Free the frictionlessness.

Inhale, drawing in restfulness. Feel the space. Exhale, releasing tension. Feel the frictionlessness.

Visualize yourself after competition - regardless of outcome - taking time to honor your body's need for recovery, your mind's need for reflection, as well as your spirit's need for balance.

Inhale gratitude for your body's service to your martial path. Exhale, promising to honor its needs as faithfully as you push its limits.

Let this awareness of the warrior's rest cycle complete your preparation, reminding you that the path of Martial Arts is not a single event but a lifetime journey of challenge and recovery, effort and rest, striving & reflection.

A Return to Lake and Sky:

Inhale deeply and imagine standing once more at lakeside.

Still at ease. Still quiet. Still confident. Still strong. Whatever the results of the competition, these qualities of a Martial Artist do not erode. You are not the results of a competition, whether victor or loser. You remains, like the lake before you, like the sky above, like the ground below - at Ease, Deeply Quiet, Unshakably Confident, and Undyingly Strong.

The lake stretches out. Deeply blue, clean, fresh. Forests and mountains surround it - each rising up to a sky competing to be just as blue, clean, and fresh as the lake. The lake is vast, extending beyond your vision. The lake edges extend further now, after your competition. The sky reaches further, too. The lake is deeper, too - somehow.

Opening yourself to your inner vision, however - you can envision its far shores...alive with life, adventures and challenges. The lake is deep, extending far beyond your vision - beyond the sunlight's reach. Opening yourself to your inner vision, however - you can easily envision it darkest depths...a home to treasures, dazzling lifeforms, and sunken ships. You've made these journeys now. You know the depths, the reaches, the heights not merely from your inner vision but from your journey.

The water remains clear and serene as it continues reflecting the surrounding mountains and sky. The waters reflect the clouds drifting past and the flocks of passing birds. There are fewer things in the sky now, though it seems as though it could hold more. The trees seem more colorful, taller. This is the inner calmness that resides within you. Within you, a vast sky, a vast lake, a vast horizon. Within you, resilient trees drinking of Earth and Sun. Inhale and draw inspiration from the wisdom of all of the Martial Arts, where their extraordinary histories Teach us of respect, nobility, and family.

You have long-since let go of any anxiety or self-doubt. You have felt the limitless potential of the Sky above. You have felt the tranquility of the lake below. You have sailed, swam, and perhaps even nearly drowned in its reflective and sometimes roiling waters. You have been to lake bottom, and seen the mud support a Great Lake and all of its life - despite the profound darkness. You will remember the wisdom of pre-competition jitters, you will remember the friends made and stories woven, and you will Teach the next generation.

Thank you.

Closing:

Thank you.

When you feel ready, take a deep breath in and gently open your eyes. Carry the calmness, inner power, courage, adaptability, grounding, mindfulness, flexibility, resilience, compassion, confidence, camaraderie, and intention with you as you prepare for your competition. Remember, you are not alone. The wisdom and strength of Martial Arts traditions from China, Korea, Sudan, Brazil, Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Tibet, and beyond are within you, supporting you every step of the way. Go forth with confidence and grace. This is a Martial Arts world, and you - through your dedication - are a necessary and resilient part of it all.

Feel free to practice this meditation regularly as you prepare for your competition. The more you connect with these themes, the more you'll find strength, wisdom, and peace in your journey.

Thank you.

Bio

The author, Stephen Watson, teaches Dàoism through online classes such as meditation, Tàijíquán, and Qìgōng. SomedayFarm.org is his home.

Many guided Dàoist meditations are available in our growing library, available wherever you get your podcasts - search Someday Farm on your podcast player. All content lives on on our dedicated podcast/blog webpage: https://shhdragon.substack.com/podcast

Patreon.com/SomedayFarm is a great resource, as well. To have the author speak to your group (in person or via live-streamed video engagement or visit your place of study and share ina. Workshop, please do reach out. [email protected]

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe

Get Along with Wrong

a Guided Meditation

Prologue

I am a beginner.

You are a beginner.

Even if you have a long and vast experience to draw upon...you are a beginner.

We are all beginners.

Let's be beginners, even embrace being beginners.

In time, we may advance.

In time, we may improve.

For now, we are simply beginners.

There is a value here just as there is value in improvement.

Please take a few moments to situate yourself.

Have a seat if you wish.

Remain standing if it suits you.

Have your eyes open or closed.

Place your hands wherever seems sensible to you in this moment.

Draw the blinds or let the sun shine in.

Turn your devices off...or don't.

Dim the lights or light a candle...or don't.

We will begin this simple Practice in a moment.

It's designed for beginners.

It is not designed to change beginners - rather, it is designed to embrace and support them.

I am a beginner.

You are a beginner.

In time, things may change - that's the nature of things.

But for now,

For this practice,

For these shared moments:

I am a beginner.

You are a beginner.

Almost ready?

Ok...

Here we go - and slow...

The instructions will be very spare...

Meditation

First:

Simply notice that -

Without directing my breathing, my breathing is not what the breathing Teacher would call good or correct or expert...

Now, I can simply notice that I'm still alive.

Wrong also works.

Next:

Simply notice that -

Without directing my posture, my posture is not what a posture Teacher would call good or correct or expert...

Now, I can simply notice that I'm still alive.

Wrong also works.

Next:

Simply notice that -

Without directing my mind, my mind is not what a meditation Teacher would call good or correct or expert...

Now, I can simply notice that I'm still alive.

Wrong also works.

Last:

Simply remember that -

Without directing my mind, without directing my posture, without directing my breathing, this form is not what some would called good or correct or expert...

Now, I can simply notice that I'm still alive, remember that I'm still alive.

I can simply notice, simply remember that:

Wrong also works.

I can even notice these things and add my own judgments...

And still see that I'm still alive.

And still know that Wrong also works.

Closing

Thank you for joining me, dear beginner.

I'm glad that you can remember this lesson even if you happen to grow in your Practices.

Thank you...

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shhdragon.substack.com/subscribe