Today we gather for this practice that addresses one of the more challenging aspects of natural human life and that is heavy emotions of grief,
Heartache,
Loss and even despair.
And I'd like to remind you that we are practicing together.
That there are many others that will be sharing this time with you and so hold them in your heart as well.
And I begin with some inspiration from Thich Nhat Hanh.
To meditate does not mean to fight with the problem.
Opposition between good and bad is often compared to light and dark.
But if we look at it in a different way we will see that when light shines darkness does not disappear.
It doesn't leave.
It merges with the light.
It becomes the light.
So in our practice we will work with these heavy emotions and turning the darkness into lightness with love,
Kindness and non-judgment.
This is a safe space to be held for you and those meditating with you.
We begin by settling into a comfortable position either laying down or seated upright.
Whichever allows you to fully commit and be moment to moment not concerned with the body or the feet or any discomfort.
So get yourself settled.
And I invite you to gently close the eyes.
We will be working with breath and visualization and so if you find your mind wandering at any time just gently come back to breath and rejoin in this exploration.
Beginning to notice the breath coming in through the nostrils and just feel its rhythm your own in and out.
Watching the flow.
Feeling the sensations of expansion and the softening and contraction and release.
We begin to imagine in our mind's eye that we are seated before a vast mountain range.
We're in a clearing of soft grass that's surrounded by tall trees,
A very safe safe space.
We begin to notice everything around us the colors,
The sounds of any wind or birds or animals.
Can you feel the blades of grass?
Any smells of fresh mountain air as you breathe in feeling it course through your body.
And as day begins to move on we are gazing at this beautiful mountain range watching the Sun begin to descend behind the pinks.
I'm viewing this beautiful hues of rose and purple and fiery orange.
It's as if we're staring at a beautiful painting that's alive and moving.
Feeling these rays of sunshine upon our face as they start to slip away.
Watching the entire scene change before us to this impending twilight.
As the Sun completely disappears we begin to just settle and notice our breath and the stillness that is taken over all around us.
Feeling the flow,
Watching it travel up the nose and the bridge and pouring into the body and coursing throughout us.
Feeling the expansion with ease and grace and watching the night settle upon us as the moon begins to rise over the mountain replacing that dazzling sunset.
And we sit here in darkness with this small bit of light shining down.
And beginning to notice where this heavy emotion has been living in your body.
Does it manifest as a tightness in the chest,
A pit in your stomach or pains throughout the body?
And begin to connect with that.
Simply observing it as you did the breath.
And with each feeling or emotion or thought we're going to place them in a paper lantern setting them on fire so that they can rise into this night sky and illuminate it for us.
And begin to imagine that feeling,
That grief as a object you can physically take from yourself and place in this lantern.
Lighting it and setting it off into the sky and just observing its travel away from you.
Separating self from feeling and emotion and pain just for a moment.
And with each thought or feeling that you'd like to let go of briefly,
You just set into that lantern and light it and let it go.
Begin to watch the sky and all these twinkling lights.
Perhaps your entire sky is filled.
Simply breathe following each in and out as you observe and feel everything around you as you make peace with the darkness and peace with the lanterns and peace with breath.
The lanterns disappear amongst all the stars and they are like a reminder.
They're beautiful.
They dance and have this feeling of possibility,
Of vastness,
Of curiosity and exploration.
Perhaps you see a star streak across the sky.
It's as if the universe is winking at us with these twinkling lights saying keep on going.
A light will return,
The dawn will arrive,
Trust.
Settling into this solitude,
Be with your breath.
As we are here together in this darkness,
The stars holding us gently.
We remind ourselves that I am not this darkness.
I am simply an observer.
Watching the inhale and the out.
Listening to the transformation of the night around you,
The new sounds,
The new smells,
A feeling of the dew on the grass,
A coolness.
The land around you welcomes this darkness just as the moon is welcomed into the sky.
Can we find the beauty in this space,
In this solitude?
Connecting with your heart center,
Breathing into it.
Appreciating the space.
Appreciating each breath that allows you to just let go of thought or feeling for one moment.
Time lapses and before we know it,
The first sounds and movements of dawn are coming.
We hear the hungry birds chirping.
The leaves rustling in anticipation of that sunshine returning to feed them with its light.
Darkness dissolves and the sun begins to make its return.
Understanding that darkness merges into light.
Connecting with our heart center,
Perhaps placing our hands just above,
Or in prayer position.
And reminding ourselves that healing is not a linear experience.
That sometimes it just takes being in a moment to get through it.
And knowing that your breath is always there with you.
That the stars are holding you in their grace.
And that you're not alone.
From my soul to yours,
May all beings find peace.
Can you offer that same sentiment?
And remember that it just takes a moment sometimes to pause and to settle in so that we can move into the letting come for letting the light to come into our lives again.
I send you so much love and support on this journey for healing.
And I thank you for joining in this practice.
Namaste.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
