I've been thinking about this saying,
Wherever you go,
There you are.
It's an old adage,
But it highlights a key concept most of us face in our lives.
We can look at this in two ways,
But they both boil down to the same concept.
We can think of it in the physical sense.
If we change our environment,
Our lives will be better.
Sometimes we think our problems only exist in our immediate environment.
Maybe a change of scenery,
Removing ourselves from a toxic relationship,
Or just a fresh start can definitely change our perspective and attitudes.
Finding the right tribe or career or that one thing that brings you joy can have a massive impact on our well-being.
But we may find the issues that we thought we overcame now show up in different ways.
I'm also not negating the challenges we face because of an unjust society,
But rather limiting beliefs we hold in our minds.
Which brings us to the second approach,
Our mindset.
Our minds are often plagued with beliefs we've developed over the course of our lives.
These beliefs stay with us no matter what our external environment is.
When we acknowledge these attachments is when the process of letting go begins.
It's just about surrendering to the flow and feeling and sitting with the tension in your body.
Sometimes just sitting in this discomfort can provide clarity,
And sometimes we just need to release the preconceived notion of what letting go looks like.
Letting go is layered and it involves actual work.
Sometimes it involves sitting with it,
Speaking to it,
Crying with it,
Making the same mistake again and starting from square one because it is a process.
Acknowledgement is the first step and a great one,
But it should be followed with questions such as why do I have this belief?
What caused me to develop this belief?
Why am I so attached to this belief?
Attachments are typically stories we tell ourselves.
They could honestly just be sweet remembrances of times past,
But they are often moments of shame or guilt that we cannot forgive ourselves for.
Attachments can become security blankets that can protect us from getting hurt,
But they can also prevent us from feeling pure joy.
They allow us to control the narrative.
This feeling is like that feeling so the outcome must be the same.
It's cyclical.
The experience originating in the past can dictate the future.
Our decision making gets stalled and we have this feeling as if we are in limbo.
But staying in the present moment allows us to combat the control these attachments have on us.
When we stay in the present moment,
We are no longer thinking of the past and how we have framed it in our minds.
We are no longer worrying about a future that does not yet exist.
We are breathing and feeling everything in the now.
Our breath creates space and allows us to be available to new possibilities.
Another helpful strategy is naming it.
Personifying it can make it more manageable.
We could say hello to it.
Maybe start a conversation with it and let the process process.
Sit in a comfortable seat with your back straight and shoulders relaxed.
Place your hands gently in your lap and feet firmly on the ground.
This posture allows you to create space and embody the theme of this meditation on letting go.
Take a deep breath and slowly scan your body.
You can start with your head.
Feeling the weight of it.
Is it heavy or light?
Does it sit on your neck comfortably?
Take a deep breath and stretch your neck.
Gently bringing it towards your chest.
And on your next inhale,
Lift your head slowly to look towards the sky.
Do this a few times.
Do your shoulders hang heavy or are they tight bracing your chest?
Extend one arm out and wrap it around your opposite shoulder.
Extend your other arm out and wrap it around the opposite shoulder.
Lean forward taking two deep breaths.
Bring yourself upright.
Bring your awareness to your chest.
Feeling the rise and fall of each breath you take.
Move your attention to your belly.
As you inhale,
Feel the expansion of it.
Does it expand with ease or resistance?
Let everything flow naturally.
Notice how your hips sit atop your seat.
Notice if there's any tightness and breathe into this space a few times.
Bring attention to your knees.
Extending your legs a few times.
Lastly,
Feeling the weight of your feet firmly on the ground.
As you sit in this relaxed state,
Recall a time when you felt frustrated and were caught in a cycle of negative thoughts or patterns.
Notice where in your body this thought may have caused you to feel tension or a flush of emotion.
On your next breath,
Direct it towards this discomfort and breathe with it.
Do not hide from your discomfort.
Observe it and the space it occupies.
Imagine a radiant light flowing through your body and meeting at this space.
Notice how easy the light traveled as your body felt relaxed and safe.
See this space Breathe into this space Accept this space
