It's lovely to have you all here.
I wanna eat the.
.
.
Reset really because we're reaching that point here anyway in the UK at the end of.
.
.
At the end of summer.
It's still summer but it's kind of on the threshold.
And you can sort of sense that the season is beginning.
To change.
In like subtle ways like even if things kind of look different from the outside.
If you look out the window.
Like the evenings are now gradually starting to draw it,
Drawing a little bit more.
Feeling a bit different,
The light changes.
And is like a sense that the wheel's turning.
Once again too.
Another season soon.
And I think that these.
.
.
Little natural turning points.
Can be.
Really useful moments to check in.
With ourselves too.
And that's not to necessarily make big,
Huge changes.
But just to notice the way that maybe we've been speaking to ourselves recently.
Because.
.
.
We all have like an inner conversation going on pretty much Mitch.
Well,
I do pretty much constantly.
And a lot of the time we don't really notice it but it can still have an effect of how we're communicating and having that conversation with our inner selves.
It's easy to notice our thoughts when they become loud or when we're worried or anxious about something.
Or trying to make a difficult decision.
But underneath those obvious situations there's often a much more quiet conversational commentary running almost constantly through us.
And if that commentary has become maybe a little bit critical doubtful or fear based.
We can start to take it as truth.
Simply because it's been repeating so many times to us subconsciously.
And that's one of the reasons I really like to work with.
Affirmations.
That's not because I think repeating a sentence like magically.
Is going to change your life.
And it's not to pretend everything is wonderful and peachy when it's really not,
Isn't it?
So I guess for me an affirmation is simply a way consciously choosing some of the language we give our attention to.
And instead of.
Leave it this instead of leaving the mind completely to its own habits.
We can introduce something a little bit more kind and supportive to ourselves.
And over time.
That can begin to change the tone of the conversations we have in our inner world.
I think the most useful affirmations.
Are the ones though that are believable.
I'm trying to think,
For example,
Something like.
.
.
I can trust myself.
To deal with this more.
I can trust myself to deal with what comes.
Because that doesn't promise everything's going to go perfectly right.
It's just reminding you that.
Whatever happens,
You don't have to abandon yourself.
Maybe another one.
Could be,
I don't need all the answers today.
When you realise that you don't need all the answers today there can be something that's really relieving about that because so much of our mental tension comes from trying to reach certainty before certainty is available to us.
Because our mind wants to know how everything's going to turn out.
It wants to know.
Whether we're making the right decision,
Whether.
.
.
Somebody will understand us.
Or just that thing that we're hoping for.
Will it happen or not?
And often it's just impossible for us to know yet.
We can't.
So rather than.
.
.
Forcing certainty.
An affirmation.
Can bring us back to something we can actually work with.
Like this moment this breath.
And the way we choose to speak to ourselves.
While we're waiting for the next part of our life to reveal itself more fully and become more clear to us.
So that's what I'd like us to explore today.
Dozens and dozens of different affirmations just a few simple ones around.
Clarity,
Self-trust.
And feeling steady enough too.
To allow life to unfold.
Without needing.
That control over every part of it.
I've been working with affirmations a lot over this year.
I've created a course.
I think it's called a month of daily affirmations.
For a brighter year.
I think that's right.
I've changed the title a few times on it.
But I've put the course card up there if anybody wants to go deeper for 30 days after the course you're welcome to.
For the rest of our time together this morning.
We're just going to slow things down.
And give the mind.
Something more kind.
To rest on.
And perhaps notice what happens when we hear the same supportive words more than once.
Save.
Find a position that feels comfortable for you now.
You can sit or lie down,
Just as long as you're comfy.
And allow your hands to rest somewhere comfortable.
And whenever you are ready.
Let you raise clues.
And begin by.
.
.
Noticing the simple fact that you.
Are here.
Yay.
Have arrived at this moment.
Whatever.
Has happened earlier today or yesterday or few days ago.
Now.
That's behind you.
And whatever may happen later.
Does not exist yet.
So for these next few minutes.
There is nothing.
You need to work out.
Taker.
Lower breath in.
And let it leave the body gently.
Another breath in.
And out.
And chess.
Notice where your body is being supported.
Perhaps that's the weight of your back.
Your legs.
Feel where your hands are resting.
And all the places where your body meets the chair or the floor or bed,
Wherever you are.
And see if you can allow yourself to be held by that support.
Rather than.
.
.
Trying to hold yourself up.
Quite so tightly.
There may still be thoughts moving through the mind and that's completely okay.
You don't have to have the mind blank.
You're simply giving yourself something to return to.
In the breath.
And the body.
And a few words that we will allow to settle gradually.
And as you breathe naturally now.
Imagine that.
Late summer feeling we spoke about earlier.
A warm day.
Beginning to cool into the evening.
The sun.
A little lower.
And the light all around becoming softer.
There is no sudden moment where summer becomes autumn.
It will change,
Almost without us noticing.
And maybe there is something comforting in remembering that.
We can change that way too.
We don't have to force everything.
We don't have to wake up tomorrow as an entirely different person.
Sometimes change begins.
With war.
We return to inside.
Save.
For now.
Simply hear these words.
Bye.
Can be.
This moment.
Again gently.
Aye.
Can meet.
This moment.
Notice what that feels like for you.
Not the whole week,
Not everything you need to do.
But just.
Meeting this moment.
Breathing in.
Breathing out.
I.
Can meet.
This moment.
Let the words become a little quieter each time.
Less light.
Something you have to believe in.
More like somewhere.
You can rest.
And perhaps there is something you've been trying to figure out lately.
You don't need to bring the whole story of that into this meditation,
Just notice the feeling of not knowing.
Our minds often treat uncertainty as though It's an emergency,
Is Louie.
If we think hard enough for long enough,
We can force the answer to arrive.
It sometimes.
The answer just isn't here yet.
And safe.
The next words are.
.
.
I don't need all the answers today.
Again,
I don't need all the answers today.
Let yourself feel what it would be like to loosen your grip around just one unanswered question you have.
Just loosen your grip around it,
That's not giving up.
Not ignoring anything important.
Just allowing yourself to stop demanding an immediate answer.
I don't.
Needle the answers today.
Maybe clarity isn't something you have to chase.
Perhaps sometimes.
Clarity can come when there is finally enough space for you to hear yourself.
Notice now you're breathing again.
The rhythm of your body continuing.
Without instruction.
You have been breathing all day without needing to supervise your every breath.
Your heart has been beating without asking you what it should do next.
There is already so much happening within you.
That doesn't require.
Constant control.
And it's from that place we move toward.
Self-trust.
Not the belief that you will always know exactly what to do.
Not the belief that you will never get anything wrong.
Just the willingness to trust.
That you can meet your own life as it unfolds.
Say silently or Simply listening.
Repeat if you like to.
I can trust myself.
Again.
I.
Can trust myself.
You don't have to prove those words,
Just simply notice them.
I.
Can trust myself.
And perhaps your mind.
Immediately brings up reasons why you shouldn't trust yourself.
Times when you made a choice you may be regretted,
Times when you doubted yourself or times when You wished you'd just done something differently.
And you don't need to argue with any of that.
Self-trust.
Doesn't require a perfect history.
It grows through learning.
Learning that.
You can stay with yourself.
Even when.
Your life.
Is uncertain.
So,
Again.
Bye.
Can trust myself.
And allow that trust to be strong and quiet.
Doesn't need to be.
Huge and dramatic.
Just there.
Little less need to you.
Second guess every feeling you have or every step you take or every decision you make Now imagine that late summer landscape again.
Perhaps a path through a field as the day begins to cool down.
You can only see so far ahead.
As the path bends.
Beyond that bend.
You don't know exactly what is waiting there.
But you don't need to see the whole entire path in order just to continue walking.
All you need is the parts beneath your feet.
And say,
Here now.
I only need you.
To take.
The next step.
Again.
Only need.
To take.
The next step.
There is something you are allowed to leave for tomorrow.
Some things you are allowed to understand later.
Some things that don't need your attention.
In this moment.
I only need.
To take.
The next step.
Let yourself rest here for a while now with Nothing to repeat,
Nothing to achieve.
Just notice the breath and the body.
Notice you are still here.
And perhaps the mind is wandering somewhere else.
If it has,
That's okay,
Just simply come back.
There's no need to be frustrated with yourself.
Coming back.
Is the practice.
Say once more.
I can me.
This moment.
I don't.
Need all the answers today.
Bye.
Can trust myself.
I only need to take.
The next step.
And now we'll leave the words behind for a little while.
And just allow yourself to sit or lie here.
Nothing needs to be added.
Nothing needs to be fixed.
Just allow your mind to have some room.
And when another fort appears you don't need to follow it very far,
Just let it pass through.
Like a leaf on a stream or a cloud in the sky.
And come back.
To the feeling of breathing,
Being here.
END Perhaps notice if.
.
.
There is a little more space inside you now.
That than there was.
At the beginning.
You don't have to feel completely calm.
You certainly don't have to feel transformed magically.
But maybe you simply feel.
A little bit more presence.
A little bit more to hear yourself beneath.
All the noise.
And before we finish,
I'd like you to choose.
Just one of those affirmations.
We use today.
Not the one you think you should choose,
But the one that maybe seems to have stayed with you.
Perhaps I can meet this moment again.
All.
I don't need all the artists today.
Maybe.
I can trust myself.
Or I only need to take the next step.
Choose one.
And repeat it silently.
In your own voice.
Again.
And one final time Let that be enough.
Now begin to notice the room around you again.
Any sounds nearby.
The feeling or the temperature of the air against your skin.
Feel the ground beneath you.
And take a slightly deeper breath in.
And a long breath out.
Moving your fingers perhaps giving your toes a little wiggle taking your time,
Liz.
No rush to open your eyes if you're not ready.
Just when you are ready,
Gently come back.
Welcome back.
.
.
If you're back.
I hope there's one phrase from those I chose today that you can carry with you.
Beyond this session today.
And you don't need to repeat it hundreds of times.
Maybe just when you feel like you need it and you can return to it.
Thank you so much everyone for being here this morning.
Have a.
.
.
Rest of your day.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
