Welcome to this teaching meditation practice where we are going to take the time to discover a sense of ease wherever it may exist,
Even in the middle of a stressful day.
Let's begin by giving ourselves permission to find and take up space.
Too often we gloss over our own needs in order to support those around us.
But what we fail to realize is that when we don't support ourselves,
We cannot support others as well as we would like.
So in the next few cycles of breath,
As you settle into a comfortable,
Safe,
Nurturing space for your practice,
Set the intention of taking care of yourself with this meditation on finding ease.
Unconsciously,
We carry so much stress and so much tension in our physical body,
In our mental space,
And in our emotional presence,
That we are always in a state of friction.
Friction requires energy.
Making choices requires energy.
Knowing and certainty and needing to be right requires energy.
These things create opposition in the body,
Mind,
And emotions.
And this stacks our precious,
Finite,
Human energy.
What if,
Instead of allowing fear,
Worry,
Anxiety,
And other external forces to put us in a constant state of seeking the need for action,
We gently shift our awareness,
Ever so slightly,
Toward the idea of seeking ease?
What is ease?
Ease exists where there is no effort,
No need for change,
No need for action.
Ease can be physical,
Like that lovely lightness you feel when you drop your shoulders away from your ears and create space down the length of your neck.
Ease can be found in our mental processes.
When we let go of perfection or completion,
Or the need to know how something will turn out,
We can gently guide ourselves toward emotional ease by breathing into and softening any motion that has captured and held us hostage,
Like our anger at a colleague from this morning,
Or a fear of something that we have no control over.
Ease exists within each of us,
In varying degrees,
And in a variety of sensations.
Ease feels like lightness,
Joy,
Or softness.
Perhaps we find ease in stillness or connection with others.
We have the power to gift ourselves with a sense of ease in even the most stressful moment by tuning in to name what it is that we feel we are battling against,
And inviting our breath to guide us toward something more easeful for this practice.
Let's take this next minute to feel into the body,
Mind,
Emotions,
Energy,
And spirit.
Where is it that you already feel a sense of ease?
Allow yourself to be curious,
And see if you can't feel multiple spaces where a sense of ease exists.
You can choose to name these spaces,
Such as I feel ease in my heart space,
Or you may simply explore the entirety of the self through the lens of seeking ease.
Now that you have touched into ease,
And discovered the joy of what ease feels like,
In your body,
In your mind,
In your emotions,
In your energy,
And in your spirit.
Let's take the next minute of our practice to breathe into those spaces you've discovered.
You don't need to do anything fancy or elaborate.
Simply go back to the space where ease exists,
And invite the rhythm of the inhale and exhale to soothe,
Massage,
And expand that space.
Rest here for one minute.
Finally,
Let's observe and honor what we feel,
And what the wisdom of our body has to teach us about ease.
As we rest and breathe,
Consider where do I find the most ease?
What does the ease in this space have to teach me?
Linger here and listen for the answers for the next minute of your practice.
As you transition back into the reality of your day,
Be mindful to stay in touch with the freedom you've discovered by tapping into your own sovereign sense of ease and the space that it's given you.
Begin to bring yourself into your physical meditation space by gently deepening the breath,
Wiggling fingers and moving toes.
Take a moment to journal any insights,
Then take the gift of space that you created by resting in your own sense of ease into your day.
