Body Awareness Practice
With eyes open and a soft focus, take in and release three deep breaths before letting your breath return to normal. With the third out-breath, gently close your eyes. Feel the weight of your body on the chair, bed, or floor. Finally, take a minute to do a body scan: noticing how the body feels as you scan steadily down from the top of the head to the feet, not trying to change anything, just noticing. Close the practice with another deep breath, in and out.
The Sarum Prayer
God be in my head—and in my understanding
God be in my eyes—and in my looking
God be in my mouth—and in my speaking
God be in my heart—and in my thinking
God be at my end—and at my departing
Words of the Followers Portion
Philippians 4: 8
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, let you mind dwell on these things.
Peaceful Place Meditation
Over the next two minutes, close your eyes and imagine a setting or scene that is pleasing to you (a place in nature, for example). Then place yourself in the scene and for another minute, fill in the details. When you’re done, notice how you feel.
Prayer for Loved Ones
Take a deep breath in through the nose and out through the mouth as you devote the next minute to naming your loved ones, accepting them as they are, today, and presenting them in love to the care of God.
A Prayer for Today by Howard Thurman
Open unto me — light for my darkness.
Open unto me — courage for my fear.
Open unto me — hope for my despair.
Open unto me — peace for my turmoil.
Open unto me — joy for my sorrow.
Open unto me — strength for my weakness.
Open unto me — wisdom for my confusion.
Open unto me — forgiveness for my sins.
Open unto me — tenderness for my toughness.
Open unto me — love for my hates.
Open unto me — Thy Self for my self.
Lord, Lord, open unto me!
A Prayer for Protection and Freedom of Heart
Almighty and merciful God, in your goodness keep me, I pray, from all things that may hurt me, that I being ready both in mind and body, may accomplish with a free heart those things which belong to your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Benediction
So have a blessed day: go in peace, wash your hands, love your neighbor—you are not alone!