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
Psalm Portion
Psalm 84: 1-4
How lovely is your dwelling place,
O LORD of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise.
Selah
Prayer for Divine Perception
O Divine Wisdom who danced with God in the beginning, who dwells within the holy of holies, whose power upholds all things in their being, open the eyes of our hearts to perceive the wonders inherent in all things created today. Help us to notice the world shot through with the glory of God. Amen.
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. Now add God as you understand God, present with, simply enjoying the setting with you.
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:
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.
Gratitude Practice
Place a hand over your heart, and allow yourself to feel gratitude, appreciation, for three people, from your past, or part of your present. Rest your awareness on gratitude for them or any others that come to mind over the next minute.
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!