Welcome to a hit of hope.
And this is just a little bit salty.
So let's take a deep inhale.
And exhale.
Let's do that again.
Inhale.
And exhale.
Most traditional meditation asks us to let go of thoughts.
To be empty.
Present.
And if thoughts arise,
To let them come and go like clouds.
Inhale.
Exhale.
There are times when you might want that kind of a meditation.
We have hundreds of years and millions of practitioners proving that this works.
But there are times when that might not work.
If life is challenging,
If you are faced with events that create a flood of emotions,
If you are trying to survive,
If you are providing care,
If you are in charge of,
Oh say,
Helping a business survive a pandemic,
Then you might crave quiet and stillness.
Or you might need a vessel bounded by some thoughts.
Traditional meditation is wonderful.
But we might also consider using meditation as a vessel,
A container,
Something to pour the strong emotions into,
Because that can be helpful for two reasons.
First,
It can be terrifying to sit with feelings,
Especially if they are overwhelming.
Because the question that might arise is,
If I allow myself to feel this,
Really feel this,
Will it ever stop?
Emotions can feel like a tsunami crashing in,
Pulling us down,
Threatening to drown us with their strength and power.
Another reason to consider using meditation as a vessel,
Something we can pour the strong emotions into,
Is because emotions aren't going away.
You can try and bury those energized and overwhelming feelings.
But if you shove them down deep,
They will bubble,
Fester,
Geyser forth,
Usually at the worst time possible.
Meditation as a vessel offers you a container where you can let the emotions storm and rage and pass.
Inhale.
Exhale.
When life gets hard,
When you have burdens to bear,
Challenges to face,
Shit to get through,
You might consider using your meditation as a vessel,
A bounded space within which to pour your grief,
Your anger,
Your fear,
Your sadness.
Inhale and open.
Exhale and let go.
Inhale and hold space.
Whatever arises,
Greet it.
Exhale,
You are safe.
Inhale,
You might say hello,
Or oh my,
I can see how hard this is.
Exhale.
So let's breathe together in this space and get through it.
Continue with your breath.
Allow.
In this space,
It's okay.
Let it come.
Whatever it is,
Let it surface.
Allow.
Take all the time you need.
Because these things need to be felt.
They need to be heard.
And what you are doing is you are offering them this safe space.
Your breath can hold this like a strong and well-built boat,
Carrying you through the rushing and frightening currents.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Allow.
Sit.
Breathe.
And at some point,
Arrive.
If not on the other side,
At least in a space where you have done what you can here and now.
And you can return to this again and again to pour into this safe space all of that which has been burdening you,
Hurting you.
And yet,
You might be raw,
Ragged,
And yet a cleansing of the wounds is mandatory for healing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
You are enough.
You are worthy.
You are brave and fierce for sitting with this.
Breathing into all of it.
Moving into it,
To move through it.
And at some point,
To come out on the other side.
Namaste.
