Sometimes we can confuse vulnerability for weakness.
Our vulnerability isn't weakness though.
Our vulnerability is our openness.
So where we sometimes feel weak or collapse or maybe feel pain,
That's where we're actually open.
Usually where we're open where most other people are numb.
So sometimes the more sensitive among us are able to feel pain and maybe what we think is weakness but it's actually vulnerability where other people are closed off to that sensation.
So sometimes when we sit and get quiet with ourselves it's helpful to pick a spot in the body that feels safe.
I'm actually going to ask you to pick the spot that feels the most authentically vulnerable.
Maybe it's your heart.
Maybe it's the area around the pelvis and the groin.
Maybe it's the belly.
Maybe it's the throat.
Or maybe for so many of us it could be around the solar plexus where the ribs meet.
It's usually the area of our body that we defend against when we feel like we're being attacked.
We cross our arms over that area of the chest.
You might feel there's a different area of vulnerability depending on what's going on in your life.
But for now just choose the spot in your body that calls to you and whispers to you at the moment that it needs your attention as your most vulnerable place.
You don't even have to send your breath into that area.
There's no need to do any control of the breath.
Just notice how you're feeling right now.
What relationship,
What conversation is going on with that part of the body?
So sometimes there's kind of a cross angry energy with our vulnerable parts.
There can be a sense of frustration like a wanting to tell them off,
A bit like an adult telling off a child.
There might be some fear.
There might be genuine fear around the potential of an opening,
Healing conversation with this area of the body because it's so defended against being opened again for fear of being hurt.
Maybe there's resentment,
Old sadness or maybe there's a genuine need for it to be heard.
Maybe it really wants to let go.
Get curious with what narrative is coming up.
Try not to attach too much to a story about a past event or maybe even something that's happened very recently,
Maybe even today.
Just get curious with your current present time narrative with this body part.
What are you saying to one another?
What's it saying to you?
What are you saying back?
And then just be still.
Just notice.
As you're still with this part of yourself,
You create an empty space Maybe the narrative gets a bit louder for a few seconds.
It might want to be heard.
Just listen.
And then be still again.
Let this more authentically vulnerable part of yourself know it's welcome to be here.
The feelings that live with it are also welcome to be here.
So there's no attempt here to draw out and dig.
Neither is there an attempt to push anything away.
And in this emptiness and silence and stillness we're creating,
There's also a gentleness.
We're showing our vulnerable parts that we're willing to work with them.
And when we're willing to be open and vulnerable,
That's where we begin to tap in to our true strength,
Our true authenticity,
Our true voice,
Our true power.
Many people don't take the time to work with vulnerability.
So many of us are too ashamed,
Too scared of what we'll find,
Too concerned with what other people will think of us.
But strength doesn't come from pretending to be someone we're not,
Pretending to be stronger,
Pretending to have everything together because no one has everything together.
And if we don't allow ourselves to gently unravel from time to time,
Undo the knots,
Let ourselves be human,
What happens is we eventually kind of crash and burn or smash into pieces and that is a lot harder to recover from.
So don't be afraid of emptiness.
Don't be afraid of making space and don't be afraid of being vulnerable.
Being vulnerable is where we allow ourselves to be truly seen,
Truly heard,
Truly understood.
And anyone that can't hear,
See or understand us in our authentic vulnerability isn't supposed to be where we are.
Muji said,
Make your house into a temple of emptiness and love will come and live there.
Make your house into a temple of emptiness and love will come and live there.
That's a prayer that I love to work with when I'm feeling scared of the void.
I hope that that gives you some peace of mind whilst you gently sit with your beautiful vulnerability.
Thank you for listening.
