Good morning.
I'm Mark Rowland and before anything else,
Just pause.
Do you know what?
You don't need to be cheerful.
And you don't need to be ready.
But just see if you can notice you're here.
Take a slow breath in through the nose.
Letting it flow freely through the mouth now.
Maybe you've woken up today feeling a little flat or behind.
Or maybe even irritated for no apparent reason.
I just want you to know that's all okay and it's perfectly normal.
What we're not going to do today is try to wrestle with it.
We're just going to sit beside it for a moment.
So let's feel into it a little bit.
Notice the tone of your mood.
Does it feel heavy?
Edgy?
Or even maybe a bit numb?
Whatever it is,
Just see if you can name it quietly to yourself.
And naming it isn't to try to meticulously analyse it or anything like that.
Just to recognise what you're sitting with.
Because you know what?
Sometimes a mood actually softens when it's simply seen.
So let's take another breath in,
A little longer this time,
Through the nose.
And release.
Friend,
You are allowed to feel what you feel.
It is completely human to wake up with challenging emotions,
With low energy,
And with a mind that immediately already feels busy or resistant.
You know what?
Some days the mornings land softly and some don't.
And that's okay.
None of that means your practice is not good enough or it's failing.
None of it means you're going backwards.
It just simply means you're alive,
Experiencing being human.
Your meditation is not about trying to manufacture some kind of plastic mood.
Your,
Your meditation is about meeting yourself honestly.
And from in that honesty,
Things start to move and shift.
So let's take another slow breath in.
And let go gently.
Now,
Carefully and gently lengthen your spine.
Not so it's completely rigid,
Just a little taller.
Allowing your shoulders to roll back once and slowly.
Maybe unclench your jaw.
Allowing your tongue to soften.
And see if you can notice how small adjustments change the whole atmosphere inside.
Take a deeper breath.
Sometimes mood can sit in the body.
And when the body opens just a fraction,
The mood can follow.
Bring your attention to the centre of your chest.
We're not trying to force anything,
Just notice.
Imagine there's a steady warmth in the centre of your chest.
It doesn't really have to be shining really bright,
But just be steady.
Glowing there.
Even on mornings that may feel,
You know,
Just a little off.
I promise you there is something inside you that hasn't moved.
A safe steadiness is still there.
Breathe into that.
Allowing it to feel solid.
Reliable.
Your steadiness does not rush.
And it doesn't panic.
My friend,
Your steadiness simply is.
And it's a part of you.
Now imagine your mood sitting beside you.
Maybe like a slightly weary companion.
It's not the enemy.
They're just passing through.
And it's okay to acknowledge the companion who's just passing through on his day.
And you can still choose to show up.
Because you are much,
Much bigger than any mood.
Much more vast and amazing than any morning wobble.
So take another breath in.
And as you exhale,
Feel a little more space around how you're feeling.
Space really does change everything.
Ask yourself now.
How would I like to move through this day in front of me?
Not perfectly and not walking on eggshells.
But with steadiness,
Humour.
And maybe with more patience.
Whatever word comes to you,
Just let that word land.
Breathe and absorb that word into your body.
Allowing the word to settle into the light in your chest.
Okay,
So before we move on.
Take one more slow breath.
In through the nose.
And out through the mouth.
Whatever this morning has brought.
You have been brave and you have met it head on.
You didn't push it away.
And you weren't pretending.
My friend,
You showed up and I'm so glad you did.
Because that really matters.
And you know what?
Like everyone,
There will be days when things don't feel light and easy every morning.
Floating out of bed.
Yes,
Some days can be like that.
And you wake up with a spring in your step and a twinkle in your eye.
But for a lot of us,
Mornings are more challenging.
They can start with heaviness,
Anxiety and uncertainty.
And that's okay.
And you have met that face on today.
And that is so amazing for your practice.
I think you should be proud of sticking with this practice here for the last 14 minutes.
I would really like you to trust that even small moments like this are building and strengthening something steady inside of you.
Something resilient and something kind.
Because all of those are an integral part of you.
As you go into the rest of your day,
Carry that steadiness with you.
Because you don't need to be perfect.
You don't need to feel amazing every morning.
Just try to stay a little connected.
Because I promise you,
That's enough.
You are human.
And with that,
You have such inherent value and worth to the whole universe.
Have a beautiful morning my friend.
Go in peace.
Namaste.
