Allow yourself to become really present.
What do you notice?
As you tune into your being,
What unfolds?
The simple step of taking a pause to tune into being itself has often the power to unravel inner processes.
And our first reaction is often to shy away from that,
To resist that.
And by leaning in it,
By leaning into it,
So much more can unfold and so much healing can take place unless we resist and pull back and we stop that process.
So tears are a natural emotional release.
They always welcome.
There's a place for them here.
And often they are an expression,
A physical expression of us putting our mental bags down.
Especially in the evening.
In the morning,
You may notice other types of discomfort coming up and asking for your attention.
Maybe in the morning there is more presence of a day full of things to do and people to see that can cause a feeling of stress or anxiousness.
And we get to put that down as well.
We know that's part of our mind trying to for us up for the things to come.
And in this very moment they're not here.
So allow yourself to put the mental bags down and sense your breath.
And then notice what else is there.
Maybe there's an underlying sense of it is safe and this is me.
As we come back to this familiar place of noticing the breath coming in and out of our body.
Allow yourself to find some comfort in the familiarity of this simple act of being.
Of being breathed.
And notice that all of this,
Everything you experience is a part of the wonders of creation.
The delights we're allowed to experience,
The discomforts and challenges we go through.
All of it is a part of creation.
And the more we can stay curious about it unfolding,
The more magical our life experience can be.
The more we can marvel at the wonders that the world presents to us every single day.
When was the last time you giggle at something in delight?
The last time you threw your head back and laughed out loud.
There's no need for specific reasons.
Often it is a question of,
Will I allow myself to feel delight coming up in my body?
When that special song comes on,
Do I allow myself to go crazy for a minute?
Or do I let my mind roll over and say,
But we have more important matters to tend to know?
And do we ask,
Is that true?
I have a minute to go crazy for this song.
I have a minute to enjoy being in my body.
I have a minute to set the stage for the rest of the day.
I have a minute to reset the stage for a good night's rest.
I have a minute to reset the stage during the middle of the day.
Sometimes a minute is all it takes.
A minute that you devote to yourself to experience delight,
To experience wonder,
Curiosity,
Silliness,
Bliss.
Sometimes all it takes is the reminder that life doesn't always have to be so serious.
It becomes serious a lot of the time easily enough.
So can we find the ways of when that becomes funny?
When we look even at the darkest periods of history,
In their day-to-day life,
People have always found ways to remember the little delights,
To giggle at something that will brighten their day.
Finding those pinpricks of light is how we get through hard times,
Training ourselves to notice them.
That's how we get to elevate our presence.
That's how we get to shine our light.
And often,
Our loved ones around us,
Our friends,
Colleagues,
Acquaintances,
Benefit from us shining that light.
Who do you wish to be?
How do you wish to show up in the world?
It's not the most useful expectation to wake up in the morning wanting to feel sparkly every day.
So in some days,
That may require a bit of effort on our side,
The willingness to remember the question of who do I wish to be in the world.
It's easy for the mind to default to a lesser state of being.
So can we be dedicated to our practice such that we elevate our state of being?
So that we can be at peace and in acceptance of what is and shift and level up from there.
We set a new trajectory every morning.
And we reset it at night.
When we clear everything off our mental plate that has accumulated there during the day.
So both bookends of the day are really valuable.
Will you allow yourself to get to that higher frequency?
Take a deep breath with me.
And then exhale,
Let it go.
Tune in one layer deeper into your heart.
And notice what is wishing to come through.
What is wishing to be birthed?
There is a seed of delight.
Wishing to sprout.
Wishing to grow.
Wishing to unfurl its leaves.
Rooting deeper.
Rooting through your feet into the earth.
And growing up tall.
Through your arms and your head.
Up through your crown.
A big tree.
With little flowers.
And your favorite color.
And maybe some sparkling lights.
And the seed of bliss and delight is a metaphor for you making that a practice to cultivate the seeds of bliss in your everyday practice.
Not only on the cushion.
The practice at all hours of your day.
And you allow that tree to grow a bit more.
And you feel its energy running through you.
From its roots down in Mother Earth.
Through your body.
Where it gets fueled by your creativity.
Your willpower and dedication.
And the love in your heart.
This tree is growing right now as you pour the intention into it.
Reaching out the crown of your head.
And shining its light.
Can you be curious enough about life to turn yourself into a tree,
Imaging that?
And feel the sense of growing.
A sense of energy running through you in a different way.
The balance in between swaying flexibly in the wind.
And being strongly rooted deep in the earth.
Experiencing the change of the seasons.
Changes in weather.
Witnessing its unfolding.
Trusting that the sun will always return.
What else does this tree witness?
Can you feel the delight of liquid running through you?
The nourishment.
Rain washing your leaves.
The wind ruffling them.
The inner light illuminating your surroundings.
Allow yourself to tune one level deeper.
For a last round.
To let the experience unfold.
Let your curiosity take you deeper.
Uncover the next layer in your heart.
Maybe there is more passion to be found there.
Maybe there is a zest for life and being turned on by life.
A set of giggles.
Fuzzy energy running all through your body.
Your heart opening wide.
Your head space in your third eye.
Feeling more clear and wide.
To truly see the world.
And to perceive it with the heart.
To respond to it from the heart.
Place both of your hands on your heart.
Feel your heart beat.
And make a commitment to yourself.
To be curious enough about the wonders of life.
To find the delight and the bliss.
And the small miracles we get to witness every single day.
If you wish you can close your meditation with a little bow.
Thanking yourself for dedicating the time to your practice.
And I thank you for investing this time in yourself.
To elevate your own energy to be with what is.
And to shine your light.
