There is an old tale of a teacher and his students hiking near a waterfall.
They notice a man being tossed about in a powerful current,
About to plunge over the falls.
The teacher and students rush to help the man,
But they're too late.
As they arrive at the bottom of the waterfall,
Instead of seeing what they expected,
A lifeless body,
They saw a man swimming in the water.
They question him,
How did you survive such a powerful drop?
The man responded,
I simply follow the nature of the water.
When the powerful torrents twist around me,
I turn with them.
If a strong current drags me down,
I dive with it.
As I do so,
I'm aware that the current will reverse course and provide a strong lift upward.
Rather than resist,
I let myself rise together with it.
Welcome to today's meditation practice.
Thank you for finding this moment right now in your day and doing something beautiful for yourself.
Today's intention for our time together is to find acceptance.
Let us begin today by coming into a comfortable seated position,
Sitting up nice and tall with your back straight and your hands resting on your knees or lap.
Allow your eyes to gently close,
Inhale and exhale.
Let go of all thoughts and begin to observe the inflow and outflow of your breath.
Notice how soothing this breath is.
Continue taking slower,
Deeper breaths.
As you observe your breath,
You may become distracted by thoughts,
Sensations in your body,
Or sounds in your environment.
Be the watcher.
Don't attach yourself to anything with a simple action of inhalation and exhalation.
Inhale and exhale.
As you breathe deeply,
Feel your lungs expand out as you inhale and everything contracts back in as you exhale.
Inhale and exhale.
Allow your body to let go of any tension in your face,
Relaxing your forehead,
Your eyebrows.
Allow your eyes to feel heavy.
Relax your lips and your jaw.
Move this relaxation down the body to your shoulders,
Your arms,
Your hands.
Relax your hips,
Your legs,
Your feet.
Let go of all the tension in your body.
Thank your body for taking such good care of you and let it know that it's okay to rest and relax for these next few minutes.
So right now,
I invite you to call to mind a situation that you are finding difficult to let go of.
What feelings are you holding about it?
As you name the feeling,
Acknowledge its presence and now give this feeling permission to dissolve away.
You don't need it anymore.
With each breath,
Let it go.
Feel your worries and feel the weight lift off your shoulders.
You feel light.
Now feel the strength of your heart.
Feel the beauty of your heart.
Feel the power of your heart.
See yourself inhaling powerful healing energy into your beautiful heart,
Allowing this energy to nourish every part of your body from within.
As we enter this state of true awareness,
Let us gently welcome today's mantra.
I accept myself just as I am.
I let go of control and allow my life to flow.
Repeating this mantra in your mind or returning to it if you feel your mind begin to wander.
I accept myself just as I am.
I let go of control and allow my life to flow.
I accept myself just as I am.
I let go of control and allow my life to flow.
I accept myself just as I am.
I let go of control and allow my life to flow.
I accept myself just as I am.
I accept myself just as I am.
It's time to release the mantra.
As you continue to breathe with your eyes closed,
Just let your attention start to focus back on my voice and back to your body.
Take a moment to rest,
Inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply.
Thank yourself for taking these few minutes to just be intentional and kind to yourself.
As you continue with your day,
Carry this sense of lightheartedness with you,
Reminding yourself that all situations help empower you,
Inspire you and give you direction.
You hold the power to resist them or flow with them.
Remember that there are things you can let go of,
Things that don't serve you or your current situation.
And even though it sometimes may seem impossible,
There is always something to be happy about.
And when you feel ready,
Gently open your eyes.
Thank you for being here and breathing with me today.
Have a beautiful day full of opportunity.
Keep growing and keep loving.
Namaste.
