During most of my meditations,
I invite participants to close their eyes and let go of what no longer serves them.
This is simple to do on a meditation cushion or a yoga mat,
Not so much in real life.
More often than not,
Identifying what no longer serves us is the easy,
Almost effortless part.
Bad habits,
Toxic situations,
Thinking negatively,
And so forth are things we're usually aware of.
The difficulty lies in the actual act of letting go.
There are many reasons we can find difficulty in letting go.
Some of those can include denial,
Feelings of guilt,
Wanting to save the feelings of others,
Etc.
Being true to yourself isn't as simple as it sounds.
Trust me,
I've struggled with it.
Let's say,
For example,
We find ourselves surrounded by negative energy at a certain bus stop each morning.
One solution could be to find a different stop on that route.
But we might hesitate for fear that one of the passengers on the bus might question why we change stops or possibly feel offended by our choice,
Forgetting that we are not responsible for that passenger's interpretation of our actions.
So it seems far easier to stay at the original stop,
And be surrounded by what no longer serves us.
This is just one example.
Another obstacle we might face in letting go is not knowing what our next move will be after doing so.
Many of us feel as if we must have a detailed roadmap ready before we make a move,
And that is not necessarily the case.
I once walked away from a situation that wasn't benefiting me,
With no agenda beyond taking a break.
Sometime after that,
The environment I needed to be in found me.
When you remove yourself from what no longer serves you,
That environment becomes out of service.
I would like to conclude this talk by inviting you to join me for a very brief meditation.
Sit comfortably with your eyes closed,
Allowing your neck and shoulders to relax completely.
As you focus on your breathing,
Breathe in that which you desire for yourself,
Exhale what no longer serves you.
Do this several times.
As you do so,
See yourself letting go of something that no longer serves you,
And taking firm hold of something that serves you quite well.
Concentrate on how you feel,
Being in tandem with the something that gives you peace.
Be proud of yourself for reaching out and taking hold of it.
You have the courage to reach out for what you want,
And you are deserving of it,
So remember this the next time you feel yourself struggling or challenged.
You my dear friend,
Are amazing.
The crow flies from me to thee,
To send the message,
Blessed Be.
Namaste.
