Many people have the idea that meditation is a form of escape,
A way to achieve transcendence,
Or to lose yourself within the unity of all things.
And for sure,
Sometimes during meditation you can encounter an experience that takes you far out of your body and into an ocean of transcendence.
Many faith traditions teach that you should try and separate yourself from your body,
That you should deny your bodily experiences.
Meditation,
However,
Can be used as a way to more fully embody,
To immerse more deeply into your present experience,
Into the mundaneness of your daily life.
In 1 Corinthians 6,
19,
The author says,
Don't you realize that your body is a sacred place,
The place of the Holy Spirit?
This is meditation as a way to cultivate peace with what is,
To practice being at peace with reality even when it's not your preferred state.
The truth is,
Many of us miss out on so much of our life as we try to race through discomfort.
Meditation helps us to sit with the discomfort and still find peace through radical presence.
This practice today is about that.
As we enter the meditation,
Take a minute to find a comfortable position for your body,
Sitting or lying down.
If you feel safe,
Close your eyes.
Take in a deep breath through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
As you breathe,
Focus on the sensation of the air moving in and out of your body.
Notice the way your chest rises and falls with each breath.
Notice the sensation of your feet on the ground or your back against the surface behind it.
Notice how,
Even by just shifting the focus to your breath,
You can begin to cultivate a sense of peace.
Just like that,
You created that peace in this moment and you can create it in any moment.
For the next several breaths,
Scan your body from head to toe,
Starting at the top of your head,
Scanning down through each part of your body,
Noticing any areas of tension or discomfort.
As you come across these areas,
Imagine that you are breathing peace into them,
Allowing them to relax and release.
It's important to remember the goal is not to eradicate discomfort.
Rather,
The goal is to allow yourself to notice the discomfort.
Hold space for as you inhale.
Continue to cultivate this sense of as you exhale,
Imagine that you are breathing out any tension or resistance that you may be holding.
As you continue to focus on your breath,
Notice any thoughts or emotions that may arise in your mind.
Simply observe them without judgment and to come and go like waves on the shore.
Imagine that you are surrounded by a warm,
Loving light.
This light represents the peace and acceptance that is always available to you.
Notice any bodily sensations that arise as you are enveloped in this warm,
Loving light.
Notice any feelings of calm and contentment.
Notice the difference between spiritually bypassing any discomfort,
Any negative emotions,
And instead notice how when we provide space for them,
We notice that we can still coexist in a peaceful place along with this discomfort.
Our time in meditation helps us to build resiliency for the rest of our lives.
As you continue to breathe and focus on the present,
You can repeat the phrase,
Repeat the phrase,
I am at peace with what is.
Take this phrase with you throughout your day to remind you that you can find peace in any moment.
What is happening in Romans 12,
1,
The author writes,
So here's what I want you to do,
God helping you.
Take your everyday,
Ordinary life,
Your sleeping,
Eating,
Going to work,
And walking around life,
And place it before God as an offering.
When we use meditation to practice embodiment,
It helps us to do just this.
Take a deep breath in,
And as you exhale,
Slowly open your eyes,
Bringing this sense of peace and acceptance with you as you go about your day.
