Facing Adversity In Difficult Times

A guided meditation to help settle the mind and being when experiencing or remembering challenging or difficult times. An invitation to reframe thinking using one's own life tendencies and abilities in order to accept and move on with awareness and compassion.

Transcript

A moment, Any moment, This moment, Can be won by being aware of it, Being present with it, Because it's only then that the rational mind can engage, Choose and make decisions. We're not going to primarily use the breath in this meditation, But first let's be clear that the breath in and of itself is not the be all and end all of this practice, Nor is it the objective of meditation. We use the breath and breathing as a sort of tether, An anchor during meditation practice as a basic tool, A resting place and a refocus opportunity. The object of breathing practice itself is to sustain attention on the breath and, When you lose attention, To be willing to begin again. Lightly following the breath helps us to bring things together, To gather our thoughts toward a sharper focus, A deeper attention. So let's begin and settle into a comfortable position, Just taking a moment to relax tensions from the body that gather just by living our day-to-day lives. Tensions in the body, Around our face, Letting go of any expression. Just a time to be with yourself for yourself now. Relaxing the muscles around the eyes and the jaw. Shoulders straight but slightly slumped. Relaxing the chest, Hips, Thighs, Feet and noticing as you do so the overall feet of the body. Any sensations and perhaps using the breath by breathing into any tight areas and as you breathe out allowing your body to soften. The mind taking its time to be present right here and right now with you. Relaxing, Closing the eyes if you're comfortable and in your awareness of the breath noticing more clearly the fact that you are breathing. That your breath has its own natural rhythm. It's effortless, There's no need to interfere with it in any way. At this moment we're simply sitting with dignity, Paying attention to the breath. Notice how the air moves through the nostril and down into the lungs and as it does so it lifts the upper body as the lungs fill. Notice the rise and fall. Notice the abdomen and the belly, The movements of expansion and contraction as the air moves in and then moves out. During this meditation the breath, The tether of the breath is a quiet backstage awareness. Paying attention and connecting with the beginning of the in-breath and then following it through and then paying attention to the out-breath and following it through and just waiting within the pause until the next breath arises and following the breath through. Connecting to the beginning of the out-breath, Sustaining your attention and following it through. So having secured the tether, The anchor that can bring you back, Allow you to pause or refocus your attention during this meditation. I want to mention some of the things that can appear in your mind state and have an effect in your body when facing adversity or challenges in life. One effect may be to switch off. It's a dull or sleepy state of mind. Another is restlessness or anxiety that causes a lack of sleep, Irritation, Disappointment or feelings of confusion leading to questionings or perhaps it's the desire that the thoughts or feelings were different or even just go away. So first, Notice your mind state right now and try and identify any of those things. Once you've sensed your mind state, See if you can find and name one of the conditions I've mentioned. If your mind state is clear and steady at this moment, Then perhaps you can search and identify something that occurs in you regularly to do this exercise. Now whatever it is, This state that you've identified or that can occur in you at times of difficulty, Let's go ahead and let awareness touch it. Hover around it, Not to get in it, But just to be around and get a feel of it. Not to investigate, Just let a sense of this condition that is present be in your awareness. Note where you can feel it in the body. As you try and see what's going on, You'll find you need mental energy to do this. You need mental energy to be with and work with uncomfortable things, Especially intensely uncomfortable things. So be patient, Be compassionate with yourself, Be gentle, Open and aware. Just trying to get a feel, Get a sense of this condition and where you can feel the effects of it in the body. See if you can identify some of those effects, Maybe a tightness in the chest, A nausea in the stomach, A churning, A tightening of the throat. If you get tired or dispirited, Then try and refresh your mind, Look at it differently. Does it change when you look at it? This sense, This feeling? What does it move like? Does it have sharp, Quick movements? Is it slow? Is it sinuous? Is it heavy? Is it light? How does it change as time goes by, As moments and discernments happen? What happens to it? If this condition or state that you can feel or get a sense of, If it remains fairly solid, Try moving your body and shifting your position slightly. This is one of those times when, If you lose attention, Be willing to begin again, Or maybe go back to your breath anchor and reconnect to the breath for a while. Some things do take time, But the condition, The state that you feel that you're in, It will move, It will change, Or it will disperse. Everything is impermanent. In the meantime, If you lose interest or mental energy, Or you feel you just can't continue with this, Just acknowledge that mindfully. All we're doing is being with the condition, The state that you find yourself in, Mindfully, With awareness. So we just acknowledge whatever occurs. I've got a favourite acknowledgement and saying that I use to help me accept things, That can be difficult. You might find it useful too. It is simply, This is how it is right now. This is how it is right now. And let that sink into you. So moving on slightly now, Into a more open awareness. We've had awareness of the breath, And we've had an awareness of a state. So moving into an open awareness then. Opening from the body into a wider sphere. Perhaps listening to the soundscape for a while. Hearing takes no effort, It happens automatically. The mind generates thoughts and thinking. Just each moment, As each thought, Sound, Or sensation arises, Just recognise that and let it be, Without trying to hold on to it, Without trying to push it away. The things that occur in the experience of the moment by moment of your life, Are there. Awareness is simply to be aware that they are there. And now, Those worries, Challenges, Concerns, Fears, Those things that only you know, Your personal issues, Health, Family, Financial, Emotional, Friends, The world issues and concerns. Recognise that each one of these, Everyone, Is distracting and robbing your life of energy and can ultimately damage your well-being. Just stand back in yourself for a moment, And let that consideration run through. As I said earlier, Impermanence is true and real. Nothing stays the same, Everything, Everything changes. So let's take a few moments now, To think about the things that allow you to keep on keeping on. What is it inside of you that gives you weight of being? Perhaps it's your own sense of self or a belief or a faith that you hold to. Perhaps it's kind thoughts, Your pet, Your work or a work colleague, Your family or a friend. A knowledge that change is a natural thing, That all things change all of the time and that this situation, This feeling, These thoughts will change and move on too. Perhaps it's that you have people around you who care. Perhaps some people around who love you. People throughout the world that care and love each other. They too suffer from adversity and challenges. They too are with you in being human. Not yet perfect and subject to the same conditions that occasionally trouble your life. How do you keep on keeping on? What small things, Thoughts or actions can you change that might ease your concern? It all begins with the mind, Your mind, Your thinking. Thoughts can be habits. Habitual thinking is good for remembering how to drive your car or use a computer, But it can be challenging to change if you are not positive in your thinking. When we habitually worry, Get anxious, Complain about what could or might happen, Or get depressed about what has or shouldn't have happened, The habit becomes a pathway in our thinking, So that the next time we're looking to find a way, Following the pathway already there is the easiest way. And this pathway leads to whatever you have been habitually thinking about. Anxiety, Sex, Fear, Doubts. There's been a lot written about positive thinking, About the ability of the neurons of the mind to grow. So why not use that knowledge, That incredible, Renewing, Inbuilt ability to create another pathway for your thinking. Maybe a first pathway to build is acceptance. This is how it is right now. This is how it is right now. Know that each and every moment that passes has change in it too, And that sometimes the way forward and through things that you choose to face is just to be with it, To be with that moment and be aware of that moment-by-moment change that we did earlier in this meditation. When you observe something, You're not in it. If you're not in it, You're not as deeply subjected to it. And so now, Gently returning to the breath. Awareness of the breath, And then opening your awareness out to how your body feels at this moment. Scanning the body. Noticing any tensions. Breathing through them. Releasing and softening as you breathe out. Relaxing the shoulders and the eyes and the jaw. Noticing the pressure points of where your body touches the chair or the ground. Noticing the sounds around you. Moment-by-moment sounds come and go. Notice how they change and move. Not having to do anything to hear. Let your thinking be like the sounds and sensations. Be aware as they appear. Sustain your attention. Not investigating, But just accompanying. Until the persistence of the thoughts lessen through change. You may become aware of trains of thoughts. Thoughts that link one to another. Be aware that trains of thought can take you on a journey down a pathway. A normal route, A habitual route of thinking. Be aware. Is that where you want to go? Or will you redirect or stop and choose another? It takes strength to surrender to the ultimate unfolding of your life. Sometimes the only action you need to take is letting go of your other actions. Being aware. Awareness practices can help you choose, Decide or change direction onto another pathway that you have prepared or that you want to begin. Whatever you want to do, Wherever you want to go, Approach it with kindness. Clarity of mind is cool, But it doesn't have to be cold. Now let's settle back for a while. Letting all these words, All the thoughts and sensations you've experienced, Let them go. Let the body and the mind relax. Allow yourself to sink a little deeper in the chair. As you take a couple of deep breaths, Right down into the belly. Expanding the chest and abdomen. And then letting the breath out slowly, Slowly. And again. I want to close with a saying by Thich Nhat Hanh. The essence of our practice can be described as transforming suffering into happiness. It's not a complicated practice, But it requires us to cultivate mindfulness, Concentration and insight. It requires, First of all, That we come home to ourselves. That we make peace with our suffering. Treating it tenderly and looking deeply at the roots of our pain. It requires that we let go of useless, Unnecessary sufferings and take a closer look at our idea of happiness. Thank you for spending this time with me.