Let us start by finding a comfortable position to meditate from today.
Once you're comfortable in your space,
Root yourself into the ground.
Imagine your roots running deep,
For if your roots run deep,
There's no reason to be anxious during challenging times.
Settle your attention onto the natural ebbs and flows of your breath.
Use your natural breath as your guide into and through the present moment.
Allow those breaths to guide you as I lead you through this meditation.
If you're struggling to settle into your space today,
Or your mind is very busy,
Be gentle with yourself.
Be patient.
Give yourself time and space to grow and settle.
The greatest oak trees were once small nuts who held their ground and gave themselves time to grow.
Do you ever feel like you're being pulled in every which way?
Like a puppet dancing on strings.
Each string attached to you is linked to one of the seemingly endless lists of demands on you,
Each pulling you in a different direction.
Does it feel like you're constantly juggling demands to squeeze more things into your day?
To be more productive at work,
To spend more quality time with family and friends?
Do you always have half an eye on what you're supposed to be doing next?
Are you always aware of the time?
Are you always in a hurry?
Does it feel like you're being constantly exposed to external messaging,
Telling you that you aren't enough or that you should be doing more?
Do you find yourself consuming social media feeds which leave you feeling triggered or even judged?
Or do they make you feel uncomfortable because you don't think in certain ways or because you have different opinions or values?
Or do they make you feel confused because you aren't outraged or offended by some current topic or issue but you're being told that you should be?
Marcus Aurelius writes in his Meditations about this human struggle which he himself experienced in a much quieter and simpler time.
Understand at last that you have something in you more powerful and divine that causes the bodily passions and pulls you like a mere puppet.
What thoughts now occupy my mind?
Is it not fear,
Suspicion,
Desire or something like that?
We are all being constantly force fed a smirkasbord of opinion,
Propaganda,
Misinformation and choices.
All magnified by social media,
24 hour news and algorithms.
This heady mix of identity politics,
Environmental issues and consumerism can prove to be extremely intoxicating but also highly inflammatory if not consumed in balance and in moderation.
If we do not take time to slow down,
To disconnect,
To focus inwards,
To try and find clarity,
To focus on what we really think and feel,
Then we run the very grave danger of losing perspective,
Overreacting,
Of losing balance and rational thought and replacing love and tolerance with hate and judgement.
Inhale tolerance,
Exhale love.
Inhale tolerance,
Exhale love.
Spending time clarifying what really is important to you will also provide clarity about what isn't important.
Without clarity and patience we invite chaos and frustrations into our lives and if left unchecked this poisonous mix will eat away at our hearts,
Souls and minds.
True clarity is not found through intellect,
It is experienced in stillness.
Inhale tolerance,
Exhale love.
Inhale tolerance,
Exhale love.
When life gets blurry,
Slow down and adjust your focus.
To gain true clarity we need to slow down,
We need to look within,
We need to become one with our hearts.
If we look outside of us we do nothing more than dream but if we can become present and focus inwards we can start to awaken our truth.
Susie Sandoval describes breaking through confusion and chaos beautifully.
Confusion and chaos can cloud the mind,
Sifting through memories we process in time,
Eventually with patience we've become realigned.
The distractions,
The illusions,
Deceptions unknown,
The shit hits the fan,
We learn,
We live,
We survive,
We see how far we've gone and how much we've grown.
Life delivers opportunities to be,
To discover the truth of what's real through revelations and divinity.
We clap,
We chant,
We sing,
We pray,
Who really knows if we're given another day.
We bring ourselves to peace,
We come what may to remember our power and allow the false layers to melt away.
Your judgments of me I do not see,
They are yours to keep and do as you please,
You keep being you and I'll be me.
Together someday we'll see,
There's no separation.
In this we find compassion,
Peace,
Love and harmony.
Inhale tolerance,
Exhale love.
Inhale tolerance,
Exhale love.
I'll leave you now to follow your breath,
Let the soothing breaths guide you into the peace and light.
Savour the clarity in the stillness you find.
In a little while you'll hear the chime of some bells.
When you do,
Keep your eyes closed and enjoy the feeling of clarity as it washes over you.
Until then,
Enjoy.
Sit for a moment with your eyes closed and enjoy the feeling of clarity.
I invite you to bring your palms together and then vigorously rub them together creating some heat.
When you feel the heat keeping your eyes closed,
Place the palms of your hands onto each respective eye.
Allow the warmth from the palms to gently soothe your eyes.
When you're ready,
Keeping your palms against your eyes,
Invite you to slowly open them and once they adjust to the darkness,
Ever so slowly remove your hands away,
Allowing the eyes to adjust as the light creeps in.
Once you have fully opened your eyes,
Relax your arms down and savour the stillness and calm your feeling.
Notice and enjoy how vibrant the colours are around you.
When you're ready and there's no rush,
I invite you to bring your palms together at heart centre.
The light in me sees and salutes the light in you.
Namaste.
Please take your time and thank you for joining me today.
I look forward to sharing a practice with you again soon.
Thank you.
