Here's how we can make a nice and gentle pause and come into the present for just a few moments to get some equanimity instead of being stuck in the past or stuck in the future like we often are.
So I want you to imagine that you're climbing up a big mountain.
This is how life often feels like.
Climbing up this big,
Steep,
Sometimes dark mountain with two heavy suitcases.
You're climbing,
You're getting tired and fatigued,
And both of the bags are weighing on your arms and hands and legs and shoulders and back.
You're getting really,
Really tired.
And if you pause and look,
One suitcase says PAST on it.
P-A-S-T,
Which is carrying all your pains,
Hurts,
Also some really good memories from the past.
P-A-S-T.
And if you look to the other suitcase,
It says F-U-T-U-R-E.
Future,
Which represents all your hopes and dreams and desires,
As well as your fears,
Worries,
Concerns,
Future stressors.
So now let's start with the bag in the past.
Just gently imagine yourself lowering that suitcase to the ground.
Nice and slow.
You set it all the way to the ground.
You feel your shoulders relax and then finger by finger you gently release each of them.
You gently raise your arm and shoulders back to standing and you notice how good it feels to put down that burden of the past just temporarily.
It will be waiting for you when we end the exercise.
Just feeling into some of that relief and release in your shoulder.
And then we're going to do the same thing with the suitcase in the future.
The arms and the body has gotten very,
Very tired from carrying too much past and future so we're going to also put down the bag of the future nice and slowly,
Very mindfully and attentively putting down that heavy burden of the future down to the ground and then gently releasing each finger one by one and slowly vertebrae by vertebrae bringing your hand back up like you're standing finally relieving that burden of the future just temporarily.
It also will be waiting for you when we end the exercise and just coming in to the present and noticing how good it may feel to temporarily rest your attention in the present.
Really visualizing and putting all the weight down,
All the burden,
All the worries,
Just putting it down temporarily resting on the mountain,
Sitting down,
Finding a place of refuge whether it's a pool,
A nice buffet,
A place to nap,
A place to watch a movie.
Just visualizing yourself resting in the present.
It may help to just take some breaths with that relief and release.
It may help to just feel into those body sensations of relaxation in your shoulders,
Neck,
Maybe forehead,
Throat,
Chest,
Stomach.
Take some time to just feel that relaxation in the present.
Accessing some joy and some relaxation,
Maybe some peace,
How good it feels to finally put down the burden of the past and present and just rest,
I mean past and future and just rest in the present,
Nice and mindful.
You're going to be quiet for about two minutes.
You can really feel into it.
Human being,
Panic Good,
Just noticing.
That's it.
Resting in the present.
Putting down the burdens of the past and future temporarily.
Just like suitcases,
They'll be waiting for you.
Intuiting whatever your body and mind need to relax and recharge the battery.
Outside of sleep,
Learning how to do it temporarily without sleeping.
Just noticing.
That's it.
About 30 seconds here,
And then I'll gently bring this practice to a close.
That's it.
So before we start wrapping up,
Just take a moment to notice how different it feels to just have rested a few moments,
Even just a few minutes can make a big difference,
A few moments in the present.
Maybe you notice some calmer body sensations,
Like we said,
Release or relaxation.
Maybe you notice that your mind was a little bit calmer and less compulsively thinking.
Maybe you noticed some blank or you visualized yourself relaxing for just a few moments.
Whatever it is,
Take stock of how this was.
Notice that this resting or finding refuge in the present is always available to you at any moment,
No matter how stressful or hard.
Something has been going this rest,
But it's always there,
So you can recharge without having to sleep.
Namaste.
