I've always been a planner,
Always been rather organised,
Much to the delight of my employers and to the frustration of my more spontaneous friends.
However,
I have learned that things do not always go to plan.
Often it's not the things we worry about that actually happen.
Things we don't see coming at us just come.
How we react and respond can impact tremendously on our well-being and ability to feel grounded and safe.
For me,
This is where a meditation practice can help to navigate the more challenging times.
Today's meditation practice is to remind us that whatever happens,
If we keep coming back to the breath,
To the sanity of the present moment,
We maybe can ride the waves and go with the flow.
Taking a moment here to do any last fidgeting you need so you can remain in a calm upright position for the practice.
You could be in a chair or on a cushion on the floor,
Maybe inside or outside,
The choice is yours.
But if you can,
Find a quiet space and then set the intention to stay fully present for this practice.
Firstly,
Turn your attention to your posture,
Your body.
How does it feel today?
Are there any aches and pains or does the body feel relaxed and comfortable?
Acting with a sense of curiosity,
Just acknowledging what is there.
There is no need to judge anything or follow any stories about what you discover.
Just notice what you notice.
Then let's come to the breath.
Take your attention to just your inhale.
How does it feel today?
Is it full or short?
Bumpy or smooth?
And what about the exhale?
How does that seem?
Do you get to the end of the exhale and feel gasping for breath?
Or does the exhale feel relaxed,
Like you have all the lung capacity in the world?
Again,
No judgments,
Just observe.
I like to think of meditation as being like our very own Sherlock Holmes,
Noticing everything,
All the small details,
Those small details that we might overlook if we stay in our busy,
Repetitive minds.
So if that works for you,
Embrace your inner Sherlock Holmes.
What do you notice about your breath?
Be like a curious child in awe of your breath,
As if you have never noticed it before.
Whenever things don't go to plan,
I like to remember the old Buddhist Zen story of the man with the horse.
There was an old Zen farmer who worked in the fields.
Every day the farmer used his horse to work,
Until one day the horse ran away.
All the farmer's neighbors came by and said,
This is such bad luck to the farmer.
The farmer just responded and said,
Bad luck or good luck,
Who knows?
The farmer's neighbors didn't understand what he meant or why he was not more bothered about losing his horse and income from farming the fields.
But they left him to it and went back to their lives.
A week later the horse returned,
But it was not on its own.
It brought a few other horses with it,
So now the farmer had more horses to work in his field.
The farmer's neighbors came by and said how happy they were for the farmer and what good luck this was.
The farmer just responded,
Good luck or bad luck,
Who knows?
A few weeks after this,
The farmer's son came to visit and he helped his father by working on the farm.
The farmer's son was working with the horses and he fell and broke his leg.
The farmer's neighbors came by to commiserate and say what bad luck this was.
The farmer just responded,
Bad luck or good luck,
Who knows?
A month later,
An army regiment came through town conscripting all young able-bodied men to join them.
When the army came to the farmer's house,
They saw the farmer's son with his broken leg and marched past and left him behind.
He did not need to go and fight.
The farmer's neighbors came by and said to the farmer,
Wow,
This is such good luck.
The farmer responded again,
Good luck or bad luck,
Who knows?
I love this story as it reminds me that we don't have a crystal ball and we can't know all the outcomes.
Sometimes when things go badly wrong,
It can open the door to so many new opportunities,
Things that we haven't even considered before.
So can we create equanimity to treat the good and the bad with the same response?
Good luck,
Bad luck,
Who knows?
Just sit for a moment and contemplate how this story felt to you on a feeling level rather than an intellectual level if you can.
Coming back to focus on the breath now,
The inhale and exhale through the nostrils.
Noticing again,
How does the inhale feel?
How does the exhale feel?
So next time you're faced with a moment in time where things don't go to plan,
See if you can remember the story about the Zen farmer,
Who really knows why things happen.
But if we can remain non-reactive and non-grasping,
We can open to the possibility of going with the flow and maybe,
Just maybe,
Our life will feel calmer and safer,
Despite the external circumstances.
Namaste.
