Welcome to Rooted Growth,
A place where you're invited to slow down,
To soften,
And to reconnect.
My name is Lisa,
And I'm so glad you're here.
In this practice,
You'll find space for both stillness and inspiration,
Without pressure and without needing to be or do anything else.
So settle in,
Take a breath,
And allow yourself to arrive in your body right now.
There's a moment in meditation that many of us become familiar with when we realize we are not our thoughts.
We begin to notice our thoughts.
We can view them like clouds passing by,
Or like conversations that are happening in another room.
We kind of hear them,
But we're not pulled in.
And that feeling alone,
That practice,
Feels like relief.
Because when you observe your thoughts,
It means you're not the thought.
And if you can notice an emotion rising,
It means you're not completely inside of it,
And you don't have to be swept up by it.
There's space,
We can gain perspective,
And there's a little more room to breathe.
But recently,
I've been thinking that there's another layer,
Because even the one who's observing,
That quiet inner narrator,
You know the one,
Who's saying,
Ah,
There's a thought,
But then saying,
There's some anxiety,
There I go planning,
There I go regretting the past,
There I go imagining something that's going to happen in the future.
So that too,
I think,
Can be observed.
And this is where something deeper begins to open for us.
Because now we're not just stepping out of our thoughts,
We're stepping out of the one who's managing the thoughts.
It's only momentary,
But what's left is something much quieter.
It's not a voice,
It's not a commentary,
There's no effort there.
It's just awareness.
Simple.
Open.
Still.
You don't have to hold on to it.
You don't even have to understand it.
And there's certainly nothing to get right.
You can just begin to notice,
Moment by moment,
That there is a place in you that's already still,
Already undisturbed.
And from that place,
Everything softens a little.
Thoughts can come and go.
Emotions can rise and fall.
And you don't have to chase them,
Or fix them,
Or push them away.
You can simply rest as the awareness that's already there.
There is an awareness that is aware of the thought,
And aware of the observer.
So I'm working on learning to rest here.
No effort.
No trying to figure it out.
Just rest in that stillness.
So let's prepare for our meditation.
Find a comfortable seat.
Rest your hands gently in your lap,
And softly close your eyes.
Allow yourself to go within to that place of inner quiet,
Where we experience our connection to our higher self.
Begin to observe the inflow and the outflow of your breath.
And with each inflow and outflow,
Allow yourself to become more relaxed,
More comfortable,
More at peace.
Take your seat of quiet dignity.
And let's consider our centering thought for this meditation.
I don't have to follow every thought.
I can rest as awareness.
I don't have to follow every thought.
I can rest as awareness.
Hold this softly in your heart.
And now if it's helpful,
I'll introduce today's mantra.
I rest as awareness.
As you inhale,
I rest.
And exhale as awareness.
I rest as awareness.
Please continue with your meditation.
I'll mind the time,
Starting and ending with a soft bell.
It's time to gently release the mantra.
Sit restfully for a few moments.
And when you feel ready,
Allow your eyes to open slowly.
And bring the light of this practice back into your day.
As you move through your day,
Carry our centering thought with you.
I don't have to follow every thought.
I can rest as awareness.
Thank you so much for your practice today.
May the calm you've cultivated here continue to support and steady you through whatever comes next.
Thank you.
