Right where you are,
Right now,
Move your focus of attention away from any thoughts that may be lingering,
And move your focus of attention gently to your breath,
And simply notice how it feels in your body.
Notice the rising and falling of your chest.
Notice how the air feels as it enters and exits your body through your nose or your mouth.
Notice the subtle tingling in various places in your body as it absorbs the oxygen generously supplied from the universe with each precious inhale,
And as you continue to focus on observing your breath,
Recognize the natural ebb and flow.
What can this teach us about the ebb and flow of life?
Well,
Let's find out.
Now,
On your next inhale,
Pull the air into your lungs more slowly and more deeply than before,
And when your lungs are full,
Hold your breath for as long as you can,
Paying close attention to how it feels in your body.
Notice the growing resistance against your will.
There is a tightness within,
And little by little,
It keeps getting tighter until something has to give,
And eventually,
There comes a point where you must abandon your will and simply let go,
And when this happens,
Notice the immediate feeling of relief when you surrender your will to what wants to happen naturally without any effort on your part,
The ease of simply accepting the ebb and flow of the breath as it is naturally without your interference.
Now,
What can holding your breath teach you about life and letting go?
What are you holding onto that is creating an increasing feeling of discomfort within you?
What have you been resisting that needs to be let go?
Immediate feelings of relief will naturally arise without any effort when you simply release what you have been holding onto for too long.
It doesn't matter if it's a little annoyance or a monumental obstacle,
Relief and peace of mind await when you surrender your will,
Which is resisting the natural flow of life right here and now,
In this moment.
You don't need to hold it any longer.
This is not diminishing your personal power,
Just the opposite.
This will increase it,
Particularly as you refocus your attention and energies away from things you cannot control onto those things that you can,
And one thing you always have control over is your state,
And that's the whole point of this meditation.
To empower you to let go of those things you have been resisting,
And what awaits you when you finally let go of those things you have been holding onto?
Your very breath shows you.
When you finally let go and empty it out,
The universe will naturally be waiting to fill you up again without any effort on your part except the surrender,
The letting go.
So when you find yourself caught up with tension and resistance in the midst of the ebb and flow of life,
With things big and small,
With anything that disturbs your peace of mind,
Remember this meditation on your breath and let go,
And smile with gratitude and an expanding openness to be filled again,
And how it felt when you were resisting life by holding your breath and don't resist life any longer.
Let go,
Move your attention back to your breath,
And notice the easy,
Natural ebb and flow without resistance.
Can life be like this too?
Why not let go and find out?
Don't resist life any longer.
Let go.
This is not diminishing your personal power,
Just the opposite.
This will increase it.
