Good morning.
I wanted to drop you a note today to remind you just how significant you are,
How absolutely vital you are to this world.
I want you to remember that you were put here on this earth for a purpose,
A purpose that only you can accomplish.
I know,
Some days are difficult and well,
Some days are downright awful.
I understand that at these times,
These kinds of days can turn into weeks and even months if we're not careful.
We need to be more aware,
Eyes wide open to times like these.
And instead of circling around these problems,
We need to move through them,
To move through the emotions that reek of darkness.
We need to remind ourselves that these challenges are but a moment in time.
They won't last.
They're here for our learning,
For our refinement,
For our literal purification.
For on the other side of this darkness,
There is light.
It only takes us putting one foot,
No,
Even just a toe forward to see the changing of the darkness into light.
With each movement forward,
The darkness is dispelled.
But don't wish away the darkness.
No,
This darkness is necessary,
Critical.
For it is only in darkness that we are actually able to witness the contrasting light.
Dark and light are directly related.
They are opposite sides of the same coin.
For we can only witness as much light as we have also beheld darkness.
Even on the brightest of days,
Light casts a shadow.
It is in our darkest times that we learn our greatest lessons.
People often say that life is half and half,
Half good and half bad.
Well,
I don't believe that.
I believe that life is always in our favor and that we are meant to be happy,
Meant to feel joy.
I'm not insinuating that there will not be hard times,
Times of pain,
Sorrow,
Sadness,
Grief,
Anger,
Jealousy.
But it is what we do with those times,
With those darker emotions that makes a difference.
If we choose to look at those things differently,
Look at them as gifts from the universe to hone us,
To make us better,
Stronger,
More resilient,
To prepare us for things to come,
Then we can actually see the light within the darkness.
We'll realize that nothing lasts forever,
Not the darkness nor the light.
It is truly our response to the ever-changing tides that make us different and unique.
So much goodness awaits us around every twist and turn of life.
Life is forever in our favor.
And love,
Well,
Love is our signature.
All right,
Love,
I'd like you to find a comfortable spot to breathe for a few moments.
Let your eyes drift closed.
Sit here for a beat and take notice of your breath.
I don't want you to change it or alter it in any way.
Just notice it.
Pay it some loving attention.
Do you notice how easily this breath comes into your body?
Even when you take no thought to it?
How it passes through your nostrils?
Perhaps you can feel it disturb the hairs inside your nose as it goes to the back of your throat and into your lungs.
How it travels through your body and then out again.
Are you aware of how your breathing mimics the tides of the ocean?
This simple,
Natural,
Relaxed breathing pattern is actually called tidal breathing for a reason.
Now,
With your eyes closed and your awareness on your breath,
I want you to imagine the ocean,
The tides specifically,
Coming in and going back out.
Harmonizing with your natural breath when it comes in,
Do you see the pattern the water leaves on the sand?
Do you see how the water makes the sand darker when it touches it?
Darker than the sand that never is touched by the water.
Do you notice that sometimes when the water breaks upon the sand,
It goes further than the wave that came before?
And yet at other times,
It doesn't quite make it that far.
Can you hear the sound the water makes as it breaks onto the sand and the cry of the gulls as they fly above you?
And smell,
Smell that salty ocean air.
Can you surrender yourself into the scene,
Into your breath?
Can you feel your body relax?
I'd like to deepen the breath a bit if that feels good to you.
I'd like you to consciously pull air in this time through your nose and into your lungs and then back out.
Did you notice anything?
Did you notice how the air cools as it comes into your nose?
And the sensation that you feel as you exhale that air.
Let's do this again,
But this time I want you to pay closer attention.
Pay closer attention to the sensations that come in with your breath and then those that you push out with your breath.
So pull the air in all the way,
All the way to the top of your head and out through your mouth.
Did you notice anything more this time?
I'd like to do this again together,
But this time I would like you to feel for places in your body that might be housing some darkness or distress.
And when you pull that air in,
I'd like you to push that oxygen,
That life and light into those dark places.
I want you to expand those tissues with that light.
And then when you breathe out,
I want you to breathe out that darkness.
Breathe it out into the atmosphere.
Breathe out anything that no longer serves you.
Just let it go.
This might only take one breath or maybe it'll take more.
However many it takes is okay,
But I want you to breathe into it until you feel it leave your body and the darkness and the discomfort is replaced with light,
With life,
With love.
I want you to feel those places start to come alive again.
Let's try it.
I'd like you to breathe in,
Pull that air in,
Pull it in all the way to the top of your head and feel you push that life into those dark places,
Into those quarters.
Feel them expand and breathe some of that darkness out.
I'll give you a few moments to find those places and just breathe.
Don't worry.
I'm right here if you need me.
I'll see you in the next one.
How are you doing?
Do you feel lighter,
More at peace?
I hope so.
Now I'd like you to take a cleansing breath and just settle back into your tidal breathing,
Into your natural breath.
Just feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest.
I'd like you to lovingly take your hand and put it right on your heart.
I'd like you to feel your own heartbeat,
Your heart's rhythm.
This is you.
This is love.
This is life,
Your life.
Now,
When you're ready,
I'd like for you to bring yourself back to the present moment,
Back into the room.
Feel where you are and when it feels right,
To gently open your eyes.
You can come back to this practice whenever you seem to be swirling in dark places or stuck in an emotion and need to be reminded that there is light there as well,
That dark and light are opposite sides of the same coin and we only have to bring awareness to it and take one step into the light.
I thank you for joining me today.
I hope your day is filled with many moments of love and light.
May you be well.
