Welcome to this mindfulness practice focusing on the quality of being able to let go.
In the words of the renowned author Dr.
Wayne Dyer,
There's an irony to this habit of letting your mind drift to other times and other places.
You can only drift off in the now because now is all you ever get.
So drifting off is a way of using up your present moments.
You do indeed have a past,
But not now.
And yes,
You have a future,
But not now.
You can consume your now with thoughts of then and maybe,
But that will keep you from the inner peace you could experience.
As you reflect upon these words,
Become aware of your breath in the now,
And your mind will not wander off into the past and gather all the emotions that rise up with it.
We need to let go of the past.
We need to understand that whatever happened back then was meant to happen,
Nothing else could have happened.
We traumatize ourselves by questioning over and over if only I had done that,
Things would have been different.
But you didn't do that,
And you cannot change the past.
So why did we make those decisions and why did those things happen?
Simply to teach us a lesson,
Yes,
To teach us lessons so that we may grow and heal.
We need to listen to the wisdom of our past.
We also try to live in the future.
How futile is that?
We simply create stories.
We don't know what is going to happen in the future.
We may convince ourselves that we do,
But on what premise?
We worry,
We fear,
We dramatize,
We create to-do list after to-do list,
We want and want.
We use so much energy thinking about the future that we miss the now.
We miss this present moment.
Truly living is living in this moment.
This moment is fleeting.
We need to grasp it and cherish it.
So sitting or lying down,
Allowing the weight of your body to settle in and out,
Taking a few deep breaths and letting go a little bit more and more on each out-breath.
Allow the breath to settle into its own natural rhythm,
Gently and peacefully.
The breath,
Breathing itself.
Sense softness,
Calm and harmony at the crown of the head.
Sense softness,
Calm and harmony at the crown of the head.
Sense softness,
Calm and harmony at the eyebrow centre.
Sense softness,
Calm and harmony at the jaw.
Relax your throat and neck.
Feel the shoulders giving way,
Front,
Back and sides.
The chest rising and falling with each breath.
Let go through the wrists,
The palms of the hands,
The fingertips.
The belly rising and falling with each breath.
Take a long,
Deep,
Quenching breath and pay attention to your breathing once again.
Our breathing helps us to focus on our inner world releasing troublesome energy that flows through and around our outside world.
As you take in deep breaths,
Notice that the body fills with energy.
Allow it to flow through you,
Filling your entire being with breath.
From your head to your toes and back out into the Issa.
Feel every breath penetrating your body and mind,
Calming and soothing.
All internal organs allow the breath to breathe you.
As you find yourself more and more relaxed,
Allow your breathing to become deeper and deeper.
Until you feel at one with yourself,
With the spaciousness that surrounds you.
The sounds that move by you.
The rhythm of your heartbeat and the blood flowing through your veins.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Peacefully.
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Peacefully,
Calmly,
Deeply,
Slowly,
Draw your mind to your breath,
Observe the breath,
Understand the breath,
Rest in the pauses between the breaths,
Linger in the heart of awareness,
Be at peace,
Be at peace,
Breathing in,
Breathing out,
Observe the breath,
Understand the breath,
We are here now in stillness,
If the mind is wandering just bring it back to the breath,
As often as it takes,
Over and over and over again,
Surrender,
Peace,
Calm,
The past is just a memory,
The future a guess,
It is when we rest between the breaths that we greet the eternal now,
I shall remain silent for a little while,
Just allow the thoughts to pass you by,
Let go of the thoughts,
Let go of the breath,
Let go,
You will soon hear my voice again,
Until then enjoy.
If the mind is wandering again,
Bring it back to the breath and then let go.
Peacefully,
Calmly,
Deeply,
Slowly,
Rest in the pauses between the breaths,
Linger in the heart of awareness,
Be at peace,
Be at peace,
Be at peace,
If we continue to live in the past or constantly seek the future,
We will not flourish in the now,
Come into the splendor of the moment,
Let the past go,
It is in the now that we create our potential for a wonderful life,
I was the type of person that held onto things too tight,
Unable to release my grip when it no longer felt right,
And although it gave me blisters and my fingers would all ache,
I always thought that holding on was worth the pain it takes,
I used to think in losing things I'd lose part of me too,
That slowly I'd become someone my heart no longer knew,
Then one day something happened,
I dropped what I had once held dear,
But my soul became much lighter instead of filled with fear,
And it taught my heart that some things aren't meant to last for long,
They arrive to teach you lessons and then continue on,
You don't have to cling to people who no longer make you smile,
Or do something you've come to hate if it isn't worth your while,
That sometimes the thing you're fighting for isn't worth the cost,
And not everything you ever lose is bound to be a loss,
Enchanté,
Chanté,
Chanté,
Peace,
Peace,
Peace,