Welcome to your reflective meditation about embracing the messy moments.
Find a comfortable place to sit.
Or if you'd like to listen to this one while taking a walk or petting your dog.
Feel free.
Just allow yourself to be fully present for these words as well as your life right now.
Life is full of moments that feel super messy.
Those moments in between starting something and trying to build momentum.
Those moments when shit hits the fan and what we were expecting to happen takes a huge left turn.
Those moments when we don't have it all figured out.
And I hate to break it to us,
Myself included.
But this is part of our humanness.
And the important thing is that we turn towards those messy moments.
Rather than ignoring them or pushing them away.
I know,
It's easier said than done.
But I'm learning more and more in my own life that when things are hard,
When things go sideways.
It's an opportunity.
Rather than offloading the tough stuff for someone else to try and fix for us.
What if we be with it?
What would happen if we sat in the messy?
I used to practice yoga in Los Angeles with a teacher who would say in the middle of a challenging sequence,
Embrace the suck.
And no matter how much my muscles were burning,
No matter how serious my face looks.
No matter how much I wanted to take Child's Pose instead.
Those words would lighten my heart.
Even for just a split second.
Sometimes we just need to remind ourselves that the hard moments are there to teach us something.
That opportunity for us to grow and evolve through the sucky parts is there for the taking.
If we just sidestep it all.
We might be challenged with similar experiences over and over and over again.
And we might still not be equipped to handle the difficulties if we never let ourselves be with them.
It can also be really challenging to move through something.
If we don't acknowledge it.
If we just let it sit there.
And linger as a weight on our shoulders forever.
The more we can step back from the challenges.
Look at them for what they are.
And say to ourselves,
This is here right now.
The more likely we can move through the emotion that comes along with them.
More quickly.
Because when we are battling with ourselves and saying,
I don't want to feel this,
I don't want to feel this,
I don't want to feel this.
We're not only feeding the feelings we're trying to move away from and keeping them alive,
But we are also resisting the beauty.
Of the process of feeling it all.
Life can be messy.
But we can also be here for it.
So take a moment to think about something messy you've been dealing with lately.
Something you don't know how to resolve.
Something you didn't foresee dealing with in your life.
Or perhaps something that is a catalyst for a deep lack of motivation.
Maybe not the most difficult thing you've ever faced in your life.
Start with something a little challenging for now.
With something small but messy.
That you've had a tough time with in life right now.
Now see if you can summarize this thing into a simple word or phrase.
A disagreement.
Trying to make a decision.
Feeling like I'm working so hard and not getting anywhere.
Feeling like I've lost myself.
What is it,
In simple words?
That feels messy right now.
Try not to get wrapped up in all the stories and details.
But just simply name it.
Now start to imagine this thing gently separating from you a little bit more.
As though you can hold it out in front of you.
And just see it.
Again,
Not all the details and trying to figure out what to do with it.
But just seeing it.
A little further away than being locked up inside you.
Now take a few deep breaths.
And gently say to yourself,
I see this messiness.
It's okay that it's here right now.
I don't have to figure out what to do with it in this moment.
I'm simply recognizing that it's there.
This messiness is temporary.
Even in moments when it feels like it will never end.
My wise self knows.
This messiness is temporary.
Now ask yourself.
Is there something I can learn from this messiness?
And see if anything's there for you.
But you don't have to force an answer.
Is there something?
I can learn from this messiness.
Now take a few more deep breaths.
And say to yourself.
I will get through this messy moment in my life.
I trust my ability to figure out a way.
Not right now.
But it will happen.
I'm just allowing myself to embrace this moment of challenge.
Knowing that I am learning.
And that this moment will shift at some point.
Sit or stand just a little bit taller and breathe into this knowingness that you can handle this messy moment.
You don't have to like it.
You don't have to fix it.
You just have to be with it.
And breathe.
You can handle this messy moment.
You can handle this messy moment in life.
You can absolutely handle.
This messiness.
Take a deep breath all the way in.
And as you exhale,
Imagine walking through the messy moment in front of you.
And watch it start to dissipate like the smoke from a blown out candle.
And keep walking through it.
Keep stepping forward.
Keep standing tall knowing that you are so much more resilient than you probably give yourself credit for.
In moments of extreme messiness.
Rather than trying to clean everything up all at once.
Just start by stepping back from it.
See it for what it is.
Remind yourself that you will get through this moment.
And then see if there's just one teeny tiny thing.
You can do for yourself today.
To make that messy moment a little lighter.
And maybe it's reminding yourself to embrace the success.
Maybe it's taking deep breaths.
Maybe it's enjoying a cup of tea.
Maybe it's giving yourself just a little space to remind yourself that this messy moment is temporary.
And you will make your way through.
As you move into the rest of your day.
Take this phrase with you.
I can handle the messiness.
I can handle.
The messiness.
Sometimes we don't need to come up with solutions in order to make the challenges a little lighter.
All we need to do is separate ourselves just a little bit from what's weighing us down.
And give ourselves a little space to breathe.
I hope you're able to return to this reflection anytime life gets messy.
Know that you're not alone.
And you will move through this moment.
I appreciate your presence today with me.
And I hope to meet you again for another meditation soon.
