Begin by finding a position that feels comfortable and supported.
Allow your hands to rest easily.
And if it feels comfortable,
Gently close your eyes.
There is nowhere else you need to be right now.
Nothing you need to figure out.
For these next few moments,
Simply allow yourself to arrive.
Take a slow breath in.
And a long,
Easy breath out.
Again,
Breathing in… and breathing out.
Allowing the breath to begin settling into its own natural rhythm.
Before we move into the serenity prayer.
We're going to begin with a practice I call the internal smile.
We know what a smile feels like on the outside.
But a smile can also be something we experience inside the body.
That's something we force,
More like a subtle feeling of warmth,
Softening,
Or ease.
We're going to breathe the smile up through the body on the inhale.
And allow it to move back down through the body on the exhale.
I'll guide you.
Begin by allowing the corners of your mouth to lift into the slightest smile.
Nothing exaggerated,
Just soft.
Notice what happens when you rest here.
Perhaps something changes around the eyes.
The jaw.
The throat.
Or perhaps you don't notice anything at all.
That's OK,
Too.
Or just allowing.
Now bring your awareness down into the pelvic region.
Imagine that same gentle smile beginning here.
Stretching softly from one side of the pelvis to the other.
Feel the smile from inside the body.
Let's take a slow breath in.
And begin breathing that smile upward.
From the pelvic region.
The center of the body.
And into the heart space.
Pause here.
Take one natural breath.
Feel the smile inside the heart.
Not asking the heart to feel anything in particular.
Simply creating a little more room.
Now breathe in again.
Allowing the smile to rise through the throat.
The jaw.
The cheeks.
All the way to the crown of the head.
And as you exhale,
Imagine the smile slowly traveling back down.
Through the face.
The throat.
The heart.
Through the center of the body.
And back into the pelvis.
Take a breath here and pause.
Let's do that again.
Let's breathe the smile up.
Through our body.
To the crown of the head.
And breathing the smile back down.
To the pelvic region.
One more time at your own pace.
Breathing this smile up through the body.
And breathing the smile back down.
And then let go of directing anything.
Allow the breath to breathe itself.
Notice the body from the inside.
Notice whether there is even a little more softness.
A little more space.
And more presents.
And from this place.
Silently hear the familiar words.
God,
Grant me the serenity.
To accept the things I cannot change.
Serenity doesn't mean that we like everything that's happening.
It doesn't mean that something isn't painful.
Or disappointing.
Or difficult.
Serenity can simply mean that for this moment,
We stop fighting with what already is.
Bring to mind something in your life.
That you can't change right now.
Nothing too overwhelming.
With something you've been carrying.
Something you've been wishing were different.
Perhaps another person's choices.
Maybe something from the past.
An outcome you cannot control.
Or something about life as it is today.
Notice what happens in your body when you bring this to mind.
Where do you feel the resistance?
Maybe there's some tightening in the chest.
The belly.
The throat.
The shoulders.
You don't have to make it disappear.
Simply notice.
And quietly ask yourself.
What am I trying to control?
That is not mine to control.
Now imagine creating a little more space around whatever you are feeling.
Breathing in.
Saffronine.
Breathing out,
Allowing.
And perhaps silently saying,
This is what is here right now.
Not forever.
Not what you wanted.
Simply what is here.
God.
Grant me the serenity.
To accept the things I cannot change.
Now we move to the second part of the prayer.
The courage to change the things I can.
Acceptance.
Is not the same as doing nothing.
Sometimes acceptance shows us exactly where our responsibility begins.
There are things we cannot control.
But there are also things that belong to us.
Our choices,
Our words.
Our boundaries.
Our actions.
Our willingness.
The way we respond.
Bring your awareness again to the heart space.
Perhaps noticing that subtle internal smile still resting somewhere within you.
And ask,
What is mine to change?
Maybe something comes immediately.
And maybe it doesn't.
There is no need to search.
Perhaps courage today means having an honest conversation.
Maybe it's asking for help.
Setting a boundary.
Making an amends.
Letting something go.
Beginning again.
Or simply taking one small step.
Or the person you want to be.
Courage doesn't always feel powerful.
Sometimes courage is very quiet.
It can simply sound like.
I am willing.
Take a breath in.
And silently say,
Give me courage.
And now exhale,
Saying.
To take the next right step.
Again.
Breathe in.
Give me courage.
And breathe out.
To take the next right step.
And finally,
The wisdom to know the difference.
Perhaps this is where the practice of presence becomes so important.
Because when we slow down.
.
.
When we become still.
We create space between what happens.
And how we respond.
We begin to see more clearly.
This belongs to me.
And this does not.
Bring back the situation you thought about earlier.
And imagine placing it gently in front of you.
Ask yourself.
What part of this is outside of my control?
And now,
Ask yourself.
What part of this belongs to me?
Maybe the distinction becomes clear.
Maybe it doesn't.
Wisdom doesn't always give us an immediate answer.
Sometimes wisdom asks us to wait.
To listen.
To become still enough for clarity to emerge.
And perhaps that's enough for today.
Return once more the internal smile.
Feel that gentle smile within the pelvic region.
Breathe in and allow it to rise to the body.
Into the heart.
Through the throat.
And toward the crown of the head.
And now breathe out,
Letting the smile travel slowly back down,
Softening.
Opening.
Allowing.
Let's take one final breath in.
And one long breath out.
And now,
Silently or softly,
Allow the entire prayer to move through you.
God.
Grant me the serenity.
To accept the things I cannot change.
The courage to change the things I can.
And the wisdom,
You know the difference.
Serenity for what is not ours to change.
Courage for what is ours.
And wisdom to recognize the difference.
Take one more full breath in.
And slowly release it.
Begin noticing the room around you.
The surface supporting you.
Perhaps gently moving your fingers and your toes.
And when you're ready.
Allow your eyes to open.
Caring with you.
The simple question.
What can I accept?
What can I change?
And what can I release?
May your higher powers energy create and express in you,
As you,
And through you.
With gratitude and love.
Namaste.
