Yoga really explores this duality.
Yoga is the union of all duality.
And our yoga practice and our meditation practice,
It like creates this open space where we can hold that duality.
The mind likes to pick sides.
The mind likes to say,
No,
It's like this,
Or no,
It's like that.
And our consciousness is asking us to just hold both and see if we can live in harmony with both.
So we're going to practice that today,
Bringing our awareness to three different opposing forces.
And we'll start with the breath.
So come to a seated position.
Of course,
You can lay down as well.
Get settled,
Find your seat,
Your seat of meditation,
Whether that be actually sitting or in another comfortable position,
Let yourself land,
Dropping into this moment.
We'll begin by bringing our awareness to our breath.
Right away,
We'll tune into the opposing forces of the breath,
The inhalation,
And the exhalation.
As you inhale,
Can you embrace the expansion that comes into your body?
And as you exhale,
Can you embrace the contraction that hugging in?
As you inhale,
Let every cell in your body receive,
Take in.
As you exhale,
Let every cell release and let go.
And as we meditate on our breath,
Can you fully embrace this duality that exists?
These two opposing forces that are somehow working perfectly in harmony together.
Can you see how both are very necessary for our existence?
I'll give you just another minute to meditate on your breath,
Noticing if there are other things that you feel or sense,
Any other ways you're experiencing this duality unfold.
Now keep your breath flowing.
You can keep an awareness of your breath as it's a really good anchor into the present moment.
We'll explore another duality that exists in the physical body,
Which is the two sides of the body,
The right side and the left side.
And so let your awareness travel through the right side of your body,
Doing a little scan down the right side of your head,
Shoulder,
Arm,
Torso,
Waist,
Hip,
Leg,
Foot,
Noticing the right side of your body,
Becoming aware of it,
And then switch and bring your awareness over to the left side of your body.
Scanning through the left side of your head,
Shoulder,
Arm,
Waist and torso,
Hip,
Leg and foot.
Let your awareness flood through the left side of your body.
Notice how the left side of your body feels.
Two very different sides with two very different experiences,
Different sensations,
Different histories,
Different traumas.
And then again,
Can you see how within these two sides of the body,
There is this perfect balance that occurs within our being?
How these two sides of the body are extremely necessary for our everyday movements?
Can you expand your awareness open so that you're feeling and sensing both sides of the body?
Feel the body as a whole and see if you can really hold these two sides,
Keeping an awareness of your breath and your body.
We'll explore one more duality that exists within us,
Tuning into our emotions,
Tuning into our heart space,
And notice how you can be experiencing and feeling two different emotions,
Two contrasting emotions.
At any given moment,
I can feel extremely joyful and extremely happy,
And also sensing and feeling into perhaps a part of me that feels sad or lonely.
And sometimes this can be a little bit confusing because we're like,
What am I feeling?
Know that it's okay to be feeling both,
That both exist within you,
That actually an entire spectrum of emotions exist within you.
And so can you find two that you're feeling in this moment?
And can you try to hold both of them?
Rather than defining yourself as one or the other,
Let yourself be a human being,
An emotional being.
Now for the last minute of this meditation practice,
See if you can let your awareness expand and expand and expand,
Holding all of your experience,
The inhale and the exhale,
The right side and the left side,
Contrasting emotions,
Perhaps even contrasting thoughts,
And notice if the mind is trying to go towards one side or the other side,
And instead of picking a side,
Let yourself sit on the fence so that you can see both sides,
Almost from that bird's eye view.
Now bring your hands towards your heart and bow your chin to your chest,
And thank yourself for your open perspective,
Your open awareness,
For embracing and accepting all the different parts,
All the different sides of you.
And as you go throughout your day,
As you close off your week and enter your weekend,
Just see if you can notice if the mind has jumped from one side or to the other side,
And take that step back so that you can see both sides,
Be present to both sides,
Living the duality of yoga.
Thank you so much for your presence,
For your practice.
Namaste.
