This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy,
A depression,
A meanness.
Some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all.
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture,
Still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some delight.
The dark thought,
The shame,
The malice.
Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.
Rumi.
Being with our emotions is one of the hardest things even when it comes to feelings like joy.
While we naturally welcome these feelings into our bodies as kids,
Somewhere along the way we started to think it was safer or more proper to disassociate,
Deny,
Or repress than embrace whatever wave was visiting us.
As the poet Rumi wisely wrote,
Our emotions are not inconveniences or monsters trying to get us,
But guides with messages to reveal,
Pointing us to the cracks that need mending in our foundation.
So today we're going to bravely invite these emotions in and tend to them as if we were the most splendid guesthouse.
Start dropping in by gifting yourself with the deepest breaths you have taken in your day.
Allow yourself to luxuriate in these breaths.
They are so well deserved.
Feel the inhales refreshing your spirit and the exhales sending off all your tension.
Allow your belly to expand and flop open with every breath,
Rising and falling.
Feel the whirl of your mind slowing down as you release your worries and any pressure to be doing something else in this moment.
This is your sacred time.
You can set down all your bags as if you've just arrived to a guesthouse after a long day of travel.
Now I'd like you to imagine that your body was a cozy guesthouse,
Warm and inviting,
With soft plush chairs and a crackling fire.
The kind of guesthouse that you would love to rest in.
We're going to begin welcoming our feelings as guests.
Begin by allowing one feeling to come in,
One that you have been pushing down or avoiding.
As it comes in,
Notice what physical sensations are arising and where.
Notice if there's any resistance coming from your body to let it in.
Gently tell yourself that it's safe to be with this guest and it will always leave when it feels seen and heard.
The only way out is through.
Release any labels you've put onto this feeling and just be with the experience.
Tend to this guest by sending it some loving breaths,
Giving it all the space it needs to express itself as if you were sitting with a dear friend.
If tears come,
Let them fall freely.
If you want to punch a pillow or scream into one,
Go ahead and do so.
If there's only numbness,
Love that too.
Embrace it and tend it with your loving breaths.
Now I invite you to listen to what this guest has to say.
What message does it bring you?
If no message is coming,
That's okay too.
Continue to be with the sensations.
Continue to breathe,
Allowing your breaths to melt away any resistance or fear.
Feel soothed by the rise and fall of your belly,
Coming in and out like ocean tides.
Thank this guest for coming and the messages it has brought you.
Give this guest an inner hug and if it feels ready to leave,
Send it off with some loving wishes.
If it wants to stay,
Let it know that it's welcome to rest by the hearth of your heart.
Give yourself a hug now for this honest facing and embracing.
Know that you have just done one of the hardest but necessary things.
It's not easy to host our uncomfortable emotions and hear what they have to say.
Amazing work.
I'm so proud of you.
Allow your pelvis to yawn open.
Allow your legs to just unfurl all the way down to your toes.
Imagine that your body is a sponge that gets to soak up all this bravery and love to carry you into the rest of your day.
In a few moments,
You can open your eyes and bring yourself back into this room.
Thank you for practicing with me today and know that I'm cheering you on,
Sending love and blessings.
