Taking a minute to find an intentional pose.
So a way of being really both comfortable and alert.
And for each one of us,
That's going to be a little bit different.
So it's not really about falling asleep.
It's really about saying,
Okay,
I'm awake and noticing.
So the intention of this practice is to help you to release whatever it is that you might be struggling with or wanting to control right now.
You kind of surrender,
Go with the flow,
Practice the skill of equanimity,
If you like,
Just letting things be.
And as we do that,
We do return to our own inner calm.
So let's begin.
So as I often do,
I invite you now to notice your breath.
Just bring your attention to the breath.
And the usual reminder that if focusing on the breath is in any way challenging for you,
Then you let go of that and you find another anchor like your feet on the floor.
But I'm giving the guidance now for noticing the breath.
Simply tuning in to the breath that is here,
Seeing if you might breathe in through your nose and out through your nose.
Maybe recognizing the cool air as it comes in and the warmer air as it goes out.
Just seeing if you might notice the cool air coming in through the nostrils.
And the warmer air on the way out of the nostrils.
Letting each breath now expand just a little more,
Inhaling just a little longer and exhaling just a little more.
So settling into and deepening our awareness of the breath.
Just this breath.
If the mind is busy,
If emotions are tugging,
Or the physical sensations in the body calling for attention,
Absolutely no problem.
Wonderful noticing,
Noticing with kindness,
Whatever is here.
And then when you're ready,
Simply coming back nice and gently to the breath again.
Sensations of cool air coming in through the nostril and warmer air on the exhale.
Just this breath and just this breath.
Noticing the breath and coming back to the breath.
And doing this as many times as we need to.
And now go ahead and take one big deep breath.
And allowing this breath to come into the lungs and expand the belly.
And when you cannot breathe in anymore,
Then go ahead and release on an exhale,
Letting all of that air out.
And doing this big belly breathing two more times.
So breathing in nice and long and slow,
Filling the belly with maximum air.
And then on a nice,
Slow out-breath,
Releasing,
Letting go even a little.
And one last time,
Breathing in nice and long and slow,
Filling that belly with maximum air.
And then on the out-breath,
Releasing,
Letting go,
Releasing as much air as possible from the belly.
And now in your own time,
Bringing the breathing back to its normal rhythm,
Just letting the body breathe itself.
Maybe for you,
Your breath at the moment is fast and shallow or you might be naturally breathing slower or deeper.
So just whatever is the natural rhythm,
Allowing the breath and just noticing it.
And as you let the breath be itself,
Inviting the body now to soften,
To settle,
Maybe even to relax a little,
Settling into this releasing meditation.
I want you now to imagine that you're standing outside of yourself and you're looking at the position that you're in right now.
You're just observing yourself just as you are right now,
Pausing,
Noticing the breath,
Relaxing the body.
And as you look at yourself,
You're noticing how relaxed you look,
The body settling,
The breath calming,
Just being.
And I want you to imagine just in your mind,
Imagining that you see yourself now,
Raise your hand out in front of you.
You're reaching your hand out as if you're holding something in it.
Now,
I want you to take some time and to think about anything that might be happening in your life right now,
That you're trying to control,
Anything that you're trying to manage,
To make perfect or to get an outcome from.
Just let your mind wander over all of the challenges that might be here right now and the areas where you're investing,
Wanting to control,
To manage,
To get an outcome,
To make perfect.
And you feel the struggle.
You're feeling the pain and the tension of that control.
So noticing,
Naming each of the areas where you're wanting control and feeling in a way the pressure of that,
The struggle,
The discomfort,
The pain of trying so hard,
Seeing if you can name the specifics,
The places in your life where right now you're wanting badly to be in control,
To affect the outcome,
To manage,
To make perfect a situation or a person.
Seeing now if you can see each of these things as if there are little marbles that get placed into your hand,
Small,
Cold,
Round marbles,
One by one being placed into your hand.
Maybe for you,
It's your schedule,
The over busy rhythm of the day.
Maybe it's things happening in the wider world that are affecting you and that you wish were not there.
Perhaps for you,
It's somebody's behavior or attitude that you're really trying to change,
Or it could be your work or the amount of work that you get done,
The amount of money coming in,
The pressure of finance,
Whatever the specific things in your life are,
Seeing if you might identify them,
See each one as a marble,
Small,
Round,
Cold,
Being placed in your outstretched hand.
And as you do this,
I want you to notice the natural tendency might be to close your hand around these marbles,
Making a fist,
Really.
Trying to hold on to them.
To prevent these marbles from falling.
So that you can feel secure that they're safe in your hand.
I want you to imagine yourself squeezing these marbles in your hand.
So that you begin to feel the tension.
The discomfort,
Maybe even some pain from these marbles.
You might notice the tension in your fist,
In your arm.
Or even your whole body tensing.
As you hold on tight to the marbles.
Just noticing the effect of holding on to the marbles.
In a minute,
I'm going to invite you to take three deep breaths on on each breath in this meditation.
I want you to breathe in love.
Breathe in compassion.
And breathe in some grace for yourself.
And on each out breath,
I'm going to invite you to watch as your hand opens and you begin to let go of the marbles and they fall.
So let's take the first deep breath in.
Breathing in now love.
And feeling it come into your body as this love expands.
Love.
Compassion.
Grace for yourself.
And as you breathe out,
Begin to release the marbles.
Opening that closed fist and noticing the tension and pain ease.
As you begin to release all the things that you're trying to control.
We're going to do that two more times.
So on a lovely,
Slow,
Deep in breath.
Breathing in love and compassion.
Letting it fill you up inside as you breathe right in to every part of the body in this release meditation.
And on the exhale,
Then.
Releasing the tension in your hand.
Releasing your grip.
One last deep in breath.
Breathing in grace and breathing in understanding for yourself.
And as you exhale.
Just begin to feel all the remaining tension and all of those marbles release your hand opens.
The arm goes limp.
Your hand is empty.
And it comes back to its normal,
Natural place next to you.
Returning now to noticing the breath again.
Nice and easy.
This breathing body as you sit here.
And I want you to notice how much lighter you feel in this moment.
I want you to notice how much your heartbeat has slowed down.
How much your breathing has slowed down.
This moment.
This sitting here breathing.
Is all that exists right now.
You are here.
And you're doing the best job that you possibly can right now.
So full of love.
So full of kindness.
And full of compassion.
Surrender to this moment.
Surrender to what is.
Taking a deep breath in now.
Filling your belly again with that air.
Letting that oxygen fill you up and cleanse you.
And then exhale.
Releasing even deeper.
Into your relaxing body,
Letting go.
Now,
Just notice.
Notice the warm,
Soft center of you.
This is your inner calm.
Your life.
Your inner voice that exists beyond all fears,
Beyond all circumstances.
Your inner calm.
Your inner wisdom.
Is here.
And is so strong.
And so resilient.
And creative.
I want you to notice and connect with this calm that is inside of you.
Just notice how peaceful it feels to be here.
Your inner calm will guide you.
As you continue to navigate your days and your weeks and your months ahead.
Your inner calm knows how to surrender.
To let go.
To go with the flow.
You have everything inside of you that you could possibly need right now.
So allowing this calm inner wisdom of you to be felt in the warmth of your belly.
The center of you.
And to feel it expanding through your body.
So that you can notice this calm now in your fingers.
And in your toes.
And in your face.
And go ahead now and take one last deep breath in.
Filling up your entire body.
Letting this inhale expand your inner calm.
And on your exhale now.
Relaxing even deeper.
Into the knowing that you are perfect in this moment.
Just the way you are.
And as we come to the end of this practice,
Inviting you now to notice any sounds.
Just without any special efforting at all.
Just noticing sounds.
Sounds that are in the room or the space if you're outdoors that you're sitting in.
Sounds further afield.
Just noticing sounds without even feeling the need to get involved or interpret them.
Just seeing them as events.
Sounds arising.
And moving on.
Noticing any sounds coming to you from my device.
Or the device that you're watching or listening on.
Just registering any sounds from there.
And then finally,
Noticing sounds in the body itself.
Just tuning in.
Noticing any sounds that are here in the body right now.
Maybe sounds of breathing.
Or sounds of digestion.
Just sounds noticing then the feet on the floor.
Becoming aware again of the body on the chair or whatever is supporting you.
And then when you're ready,
Lifting the gaze or opening the eyes.
And as you do so.
Regulars will know exactly what I'm going to say next.
Gifting your body one extra minute to take whatever movement it might like.
Your body might like.
Just to take a little gentle look around.
Some movement to the neck.
The eyes,
The face.
Your body might like to move the shoulders a little or the neck.
Or to wiggle some fingers or toes.
Your body might like a nice,
Long languid stretch or a big yawn.
Or a loud sigh.
So just noticing what your body might like.
And giving it this little attention.
So thank you for being part of this practice,
Which is a little challenging.
It's in the area of surrendering.
Letting go.
