The purpose of this meditation is to recognize and relax inner tensions and subconsciously held emotions and allow that energy to integrate in the spacious awareness that you are.
Accessing this bound energy through sensory inquiry,
Through its felt sensory qualities,
Is a powerful practice that works directly with the subconscious and enables held tensions to process through the innate intelligence of your physical,
Emotional,
Mental,
And subtle energy system.
As you go through this practice,
As best as you can,
Maintain an attitude of compassionate mindfulness,
Being curious,
Kind,
And embracing toward whatever arises in awareness.
Let's begin by sitting comfortably upright,
With the soles of your feet firmly on the ground.
Rest your palms cupped in your lap,
With the tips of your thumbs touching lightly in an open,
Receptive posture.
Lightly close your eyes.
As you settle in your seat,
Notice how you feel right now.
Notice anything you are carrying with you into this practice.
Any thoughts,
Any feelings.
Consider your intention for this practice.
Why is this important to you?
Consider that this practice is not only for you,
That the effect of this practice extends to your loved ones,
To everyone you interact with,
And even more widely,
To all beings in the whole planet and throughout our collective consciousness.
You carry the collective within you,
And how you work with that makes a big difference.
So,
Consider dedicating this practice to the inner freedom and well-being of all beings.
Now,
Focus down into the sensations of contact of the soles of your feet on the ground.
Awaken sensory awareness here in the soles of your feet,
And really feel the sensations of contact with the ground underneath you.
Soften and relax your feet and your toes,
As if they are melting deep down into the earth.
Thank the earth for supporting your life.
Feel the solid support and grounded presence of the earth.
Allow this feeling of grounded presence to flow up through the soles of your feet,
Up through your shins and calves,
Your knees and thighs,
Your hips and pelvic bowl.
Feel the weight of your body resting down in your pelvic bowl,
Resting down in your seat,
Resting down on the solid support of the earth.
Focus into the sensations of your palms and fingers resting cupped in your lap.
Awaken sensory awareness here in your hands.
Allow your hands to soften and relax,
As if they are melting down into your legs.
Really feel the soft openness in your hands.
As your hands soften and relax,
Allow your arms and shoulders to relax down,
Releasing any tension in your hands,
Arms,
Shoulders,
Neck,
And your head.
Feel the soft openness of your hands,
Arms,
Your torso,
Shoulders,
Neck,
And head.
Feel this soft open space resting down in the weighted groundedness of your pelvic bowl and lower body,
Resting down on the earth.
Imagine it feels as if a string is attached to the top of your head,
Drawing your spine gently upright,
Like a string of luminous pearls.
Feel your spine gently stretched from the weighted groundedness in your pelvic bowl and tailbone,
Up through your spine to the top of your head.
Feel your spine like a channel of light flowing upward from your tailbone up through the top of your head.
Feel the openness and tingling aliveness at the top of your head,
Opening to the light of the vast sky above.
Now,
Tuck your chin just slightly to gently lengthen the back of your neck.
Lightly close your lips and breathe softly through your nose.
Rest your tongue upon the roof of your mouth,
With the tip of your tongue touching the gum line behind your upper front teeth.
Soften and relax your tongue here.
Softening your tongue sends a relaxation signal through your vagus nerve network,
From your brain stem,
Down through your heart,
Your abdomen,
And your whole body.
As you feel this relaxation,
Smile,
A subtle smile of calm happiness.
Allow this relaxed feeling of smiling to soften your eyes.
Release any tension from your eyebrows and your forehead.
Allow this relaxed feeling of smiling to wash down from the top of your head,
Down over your face,
Down through your brain,
Down the back of your head,
Down through your neck,
Down through your shoulders,
Arms,
And hands,
Down through your chest and upper back,
Down through your abdomen and lower back,
Down through your hips and pelvic bowl,
Down through your legs and feet,
And down into the deep peace of the earth.
Now,
Feel your body as a whole from the inside.
Feel the entire space inside your skin.
Notice anywhere that calls your attention in this open space of your body.
It could be related to something that you've been feeling or some issue that's been on your mind.
Or this could just be an open sensory inquiry.
So you're being open and allowing your body,
Your energy field,
To call your attention to someplace inside or around your body.
Where do you feel drawn to focus?
There may be more than one area.
That's okay.
For now,
Just feel into which area to focus on first and place your attention here.
Hold this area in your attention with a sense of gentle compassion and care.
Tune into the sensory qualities here.
Does this area have a shape?
A size?
A texture?
Does this area have a smell?
A taste?
Does this area make a sound?
How do you feel toward this area?
If you have any feeling other than openness,
Notice that and ask that feeling if it is willing to relax back a bit so you can engage with the area that has drawn your attention.
If there is still resistance,
You can work with this resistance first.
Does this area or resistance have anything it wants to tell you,
To express to you?
This could arise as a sensory quality,
Imagery,
A feeling,
Or words.
What does this area want to show you,
Tell you,
Express to you?
Ask this area why it feels so strongly about this.
Stay present attending to this area and notice whatever arises.
If it seems like nothing is happening,
That's fine too.
Just stay present and hold this area in loving awareness.
Ask this area if there's anything else it wants to share with you.
Rest as an open space of awareness and embrace whatever arises with love and care.
Notice any shifts as you continue to pay attention.
You may find that energy moves,
Qualities change.
You may find that this energy relaxes or opens or that something else arises to attend to.
You may feel drawn to another area of your body.
See if it's possible to just stay present,
Allowing your energy body to shift,
Move,
And express.
If you encounter resistance or feel discomfort,
See if you can attend to that and inquire into that,
Noticing the qualities that are present.
Asking whatever arises to share what they have to show or tell you.
And if you notice your attention drifting off,
Just notice what you're drawn to or drawn into.
As you continue,
You may notice a sense of deeper embodiment,
Spaciousness,
Or presence.
Allow yourself to rest in that,
To rest as that felt sense of embodied spaciousness and presence.
When you feel ready to draw this session to a close,
Thank the different parts of your experience for sharing with you.
Thank your body and energy field for being open.
Remember that it's beneficial to return to this practice often,
To gradually relax the layers of tension that naturally accrue during the diverse variety of life experiences,
Some of which you cannot fully process at the time they happen.
Let your inner space know that you will stay in touch,
And make it a regular practice to inquire into your body and energy field for guidance.
Make an intention to stay connected with your inner body and energy field as you move through life.
Notice how you feel now.
Feel the tingling aliveness at the top of your head,
The soft openness in your hands,
And your feet firmly on the ground.
Slowly open your eyes and take in the feeling of the space all around you.
Together with the feeling of the space inside,
As one open space of presence and awareness.
Take this embodied feeling of openness with you into your life,
Embracing every experience and everyone with compassion and care.
Well done.
